---

Employment by Sector Full and Part Time     1990 2000 % Change 1990-2000     Maine Somerset Maine Somerset Maine Somerset Total full & Part time Employment 706,932 23,840 795,485 27,226 12.5% 14.2% By type:               Wage & Salary Employment 576,423 18,362 631,783 21,419 9.6% 16.6%   Proprietors' Employment 130,509 5478 163,702 5807 25.4% 6.0%   Farm Proprietors' 7060 536 6512 480 -7.7% -10.4%   Nonfarm Proprietors' 123,449 4942 157,190 5327 27.3% 7.8% By Industry   Farm Employment 11,816 761 10,528 621 -10.9% -18.4%   Nonfarm Employment 695,116 23,079 784,957 26,605 12.9% 15.3% Private Employment 582,354 20,218 677,493 23,462 16.3% 16.0%   Agriculture Services, Forestry, Fishing, Other 12,014 247 21,263 D 76.9% n/a   Mining 370 10 327 L -11.6% n/a   Construction 48,365 3088 53,111 3112 9.8% 0.8%   Manufacturing 110,045 5975 92,520 5807 -15.9% -2.5%   Transportation & Public Utilities 27,667 963 30,905 1083 11.7% 12.5%   Wholesale Trade 27,504 438 30,511 580 10.9% 32.4%   Retail Trade 130,108 3524 146,950 4021 12.9% 14.1%   FIRE 41,419 693 51,536 D 24.4% n/a   Services 184,862 5280 250,370 7647 35.4% 44.8% Government 112,762 2861 107,464 3143 -4.7% 9.8%   Federal, Civilian 19,187 165 14,149 171 -26.2% 3.6%   Military 16,505 300 10,393 258 -37.0% -14.0%   State & Local 77,070 2396 82,922 2714 7.6% 13.3%   State 25,814 384 25,074 561 -2.9% 46.1%   Local 51,256 2012 57,848 2153 12.9% 7.0% Source: US Dept of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis *D=not shown to avoid disclosure of confidential information; L=less than 10 jobs. Estimates for these items are included in totals.

A look at employment in Somerset County by sector reveals that in the decade from 1990-2000 farm employment in Somerset County declined by 18.4%, which was greater than the state average of 10.9%. Non-farm sector employment in Somerset County increased by 15.3%, which was greater than the state average non-farm increase of 12.9%. The number one private employment sector in 1990 was manufacturing with 25.1% of the jobs, followed closely by the service sector with 22.1%. By the year 2000 those relative positions had changed with the service sector comprising 28.1% of the jobs and manufacturing contributing 21.3% of private sector employment. Wholesale and retail trade employment, which when combined, comprised the third largest employment sector in both 1990 and 2000, with slightly less than 17% of the total workforce. The changing face of Somerset County's employment, trending away from manufacturing and into services and trade during the decade of the 1990's, may help to explain the low per capita income position of the County. When employment data is combined with earnings by industry we see that the average annual wage paid in 2000 in manufacturing was $31,017, while in the service sector it was $18,683 and only $17,748 in the trade sector. Government employment between 1990 and 2000 declined from 12% of total employment to 11.5%. However state government employment increased by 46.1%, which was considerably greater than the 14.2% growth in total Somerset County employment.

Top of Page | Contact Us | Site Map | Home 41 Court Street Skowhegan, Maine 04976 (207)474-0166 fax (207)474-0465