|
<br />1940, other commodity-producing employment ac-
<br />counted for 5.4 percent of total employment in the
<br />region and 6.7 percent in the Nation. By 1950, the
<br />proportions for the region and Nation were 7.5 percent
<br />and 8.2 percent, respectively. In 1960, employment in
<br />this sector declined to 7.2 percent of the total in the
<br />region and to 7.0 percent in the Nation. Employment in
<br />this sector is made up of two quite distinctly different
<br />industries (mining and contract construction) and his-
<br />toric trends are only an aggregate and not an altogether
<br />meaningful measure. In terms of total economic activity,
<br />contract construction is the more important of the two
<br />
<br />because it is more closely correlated with growth in
<br />population and per capita income. It follows that
<br />increases in employment in the construction industry
<br />will be in some proportion to increases in population
<br />growth. Overall, employment in contract construction in
<br />the region doubled during the 1940-1960 period.
<br />Nationally, employment in construction increased 84.5
<br />percent during the same period. Employment in contract
<br />construction by the eight subregions within the Missouri
<br />Region is shown in table 3. The dominance of the
<br />Platte-Niobrara and the Lower Missouri subregions is
<br />notable.
<br />
<br />Table 3 - HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT BY SUBREGION
<br />
<br /> 1940 1950 1960
<br /> Percent Percen t Percent
<br />Subregion Employment of Total Employment of Total Employment of Total
<br />Upper Missouri 4,222 5.0 6,502 6.6 7,586 7.0
<br />Yellowstone 3,679 5.4 7,947 9.2 7,178 7.5
<br />Western Dakota 2,641 3.1 5,726 5.7 7,360 7.1
<br />Eastern Dakota 5,438 2.6 15,709 / 6.3 13,978 5.9
<br />Platte,Niobrara 21,711 4.8 45,089 7.4 53,716 7.1
<br />Middle Missouri 17,826 4.3 28,697 6.0 28,292 5.9
<br />Kansas 10,427 3.8 22,984 7.0 21,420 6.2
<br />Lower Missouri 27,535 4.3 47,338 6.2 50,139 5.9
<br />Missouri Region 93,479 4.2 179,992 6.6 186.659 6.3
<br />
<br />Employment in the mmmg industry is primarily a
<br />function of total demand for various minerals. Location
<br />of employment in the industry is governed by source of
<br />supply. As parts of the basin are well endowed with
<br />various minerals, the basin as a whole is an important
<br />segment of the total minerals industry nationally.
<br />Between 1950 and 1961, mineral production value
<br />and mineral extraction employment increased sub-
<br />stantially. However, due to rapid technological change in
<br />minerals extraction, production increases far outstripped
<br />employment increases. Production of minerals increased
<br />200 percent while employment increased by only 28
<br />percent (table 4).
<br />
<br />Table 4 - HISTORICAL MINERAL INDUSTRY
<br />EMPLOYMENT BY SUBREGION
<br />
<br />Subregion 19401 1950' 1961
<br />Upper Missouri 4,262 2,175 2,250
<br />Yellowstone 1,568 2,577 4,158
<br />Western Dakota 3,673 3,432 3,871
<br />Eastern Dakota 379 565 1,263
<br />P1atte,Niobrara 6,440 5,396 6,997
<br />Middle Missouri 950 870 800
<br />Kansas 2,040 3,143 5,803
<br />Lower Missouri 7,667 4,679 4,104
<br />Missouri Region 26,979 22,837 29,246
<br />
<br />lOffice of Business Economics figures-not adjusted for recent
<br />changes in subregion territories.
<br />
<br />12
<br />
<br />Within the mmmg industry, the fuels industries
<br />experienced the slowest employment growth while
<br />enjoying substantial production increases. In 1961,
<br />57 percent of the region's employment in the mineral
<br />industry was engaged in fuels extraction, 30 percent in
<br />nonmetals industries, and 13 percent in the metals
<br />industries. In 1940 and 1950, the percentages were
<br />68 percent in fuels, 25 percent in nonmetals, and 7 per-
<br />cent in metals.
<br />Detailed historic employment data by subarea within
<br />the mining industry and its component parts were
<br />available during the study from an annual survey made
<br />by the Bureau of Mines, Branch of Accident Analyses,
<br />Division of Accident Prevention and Health. The survey
<br />covered all production, development, maintenance,
<br />repair, technical, supervisory, and force-account con-
<br />struction personnel at mines, pits, quarries, wells, and
<br />brine operations. Data on personnel and offices, sales
<br />store, or other affiliated activities not directly related to
<br />the extractive or processing operations are excluded for
<br />all mineral industries except the petroleum, natural gas,
<br />and slag industries.
<br />Employment trends in the other commodity-
<br />producing sector in the region are, therefore, a combina-
<br />tion of two trends, mining and contract construction.
<br />Given that population growth in the region has lagged
<br />somewhat behind that of the Nation, the impetus for the
<br />relatively favorable rate of growth in the other
<br /><:>
<br />
|