By: Diane Benjamin
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT171401000000006?data_tool=XGtable
People available to work in Bloomington metro area by year
Actual number of people working in Bloomington metro area
Let’s assume fewer people are now available to work because they retired. That doesn’t explain why the number of people employed is also down. Retirements leave open jobs, meaning more jobs should have been available.
Since unemployment is down, the number of people working is down, and the available labor force is down – what does that say?
Either:
- more people are claiming disability etc and therefore not looking for work
- part of the workforce left the Bloomington metro area
Let the spin begin! Where is the growth?
Someone’s nose is growing here.
Well didn’t you read the regional planning commission’s report? There’s going to be 400,000 people in this city at some future date. It must be true. The planning commission said so don’t you see.
The MCRPC gets their data from City staff (probably why the need for so many.) This is the same staff that calculate the return on investment for the zoo and other amenities.