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Key Findings
The increase in the Park Towns’ employment rate for people 16 years of age or older from 1970 to 2020 was greater than the increases of New York State and almost as great as that of the U.S.
The Park Towns’ 2020 employment rate of 52.1% lagged behind New York State’s rate of 58.9% and the U.S. rate of 59.7%.
The Park Towns’ +4.2 percentage point growth in its employment rate from 1970 to 2020 was higher than that of 1,045 rural counties, home to 58% of the population of Rural America.
The Park Towns’ 2020 employment rate of 52.1% was higher than that of 614 rural counties, home to 28% of the population of Rural America.
Table 8: Change in Employment Rate, of People 16 Years and Older, in New York and U.S., 1970–2020
| Area | 1970 | 2020 | Change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State | 54.8% | 58.9% | +4.1 | +7.5% |
| Rural NY Towns | 52.1% | 54.6% | +2.4 | +4.7% |
| Park Towns | 47.8% | 52.1% | +4.2 | +8.8% |
| Split Towns | 47.7% | 55.8% | +8.2 | +17.1% |
| United States | 54.3% | 59.7% | +5.4 | +9.9% |
Employment as a percent of the total population 16 years and older is one of the best indicators for assessing the economic vitality of a region because it shows the number of residents who are actively working and employed. From 1970 to 2020, the Park Towns and Split Towns experienced the greatest improvements in their employment rates as compared with all other regions analyzed except the United States. The Park Towns saw an increase of +4.2 percentage points and the Split Towns grew by +8.2 percentage points compared with the growth in New York State of +4.1 percentage points and the U.S. increase in of +5.4 percentage points.
In 1970, the Park Towns lagged behind New York State and U.S. employment rates. In 1970, the Park Towns saw 47.8% of the population 16 years or older employed, compared with 54.8% across New York State and 54.3% in the U.S. By 2020, this gap had narrowed to 52.1% for the Park Towns compared with 58.9% for New York State and increased slightly compared with 59.7% for the U.S. See Table 8.
While the Park Towns saw growth in its employment rate from 1970 to 2020 that was higher than that of New York and the U.S., its 2020 employment rate was lower than that of these areas. The maps on these pages show how the Park Towns compared with New York and the U.S.
Figure 34: Comparison of changes in employment rate, of people 16 years and older, from 1970 to 2020 between the Park Towns and New York State towns, cities, and boroughs
From 1970 to 2020, 63% of the towns, etc., in New York State had a lower growth in their employment rate than did the Park Towns. These places were home to 10.6 million people, 53% of New York State’s population.
566 New York State towns, etc., with lower growth in their employment rate from 1970 to 2020 than that of the Park Towns
337 New York State towns, etc., with higher growth in their employment rate from 1970 to 2020 than that of the Park Towns
Figure 35: Comparison of the employment rate, of people 16 years and older, in 2020 between the Park Towns and New York State towns, cities, and boroughs
In 2020, 22% of towns, etc., in New York State had a lower employment rate than did the Park Towns. These places were home to 2.6 million people, 13% of New York State's population.
202 New York State towns, etc., with a lower employment rate in 2020 than that of the Park Towns
704 New York State towns, etc., with a higher employment rate in 2020 than that of the Park Towns