Counties in Profile: Sweetwater, page 2

   Chart 3: Total Employment, 1969-1999

Chart 3 highlights employment in Sweetwater County. Employment is one of the most commonly used measures of health in a community. It gives a quick snap shot of the percentage of the population working and whether more or less jobs are available over time. The chart above shows "total employment" which includes both full and part-time jobs. The graph shows a peak for the boom years in 1980, dropping off precipitously in 1982 and leveling out. Overall job growth during the period was 195% or 6.3% annually. This compares with the statewide value of 104% or 3.2% annually

Chart 4: Population, 1969-1999

Chart 4 shows the population for Sweetwater county. Population rose steeply in the late 1970's and peaked in 1982 with 44,288 residents. This was followed by a period of gradual decline into the late 1980's and has remained fairly level in the 1990's. The reasons for the population changes are probably related to changes in the energy industry. The population in 1969 was 18,362. It had risen to 39,322 by 1999, an increase of 114% or 3.7% annually.