Laserfiche WebLink
• than the 16-64 age groups in population. While this method ie not etetisti- <br />cally perfect, it does yield an indication of trends in overall local labor <br />force participation. Table II-6 displays the annual changes in these key <br />indicators, along with annual average growth rates. <br />As indicated in these tables, there appear to be two distinct time periods <br />with significantly different labor force impacts: pre-1977 and poet-7977. <br />These periods are distinguished by the following factors: <br />• A dramatic increase in births in Delta County in 1977; <br />• An increase in Labor Force Participation Rates through 1977 followed <br />by a decline; <br />• No change in the number of unemployed through 1977, followed by a <br />significant decrease; <br />• Dramatic employment and labor force increases through 1977 accom- <br />panied by relatively small population increases as compared to larger <br />population increases with smaller labor force and employment <br />• increases after 1977; <br />• A decline in school enrollments through 1970, followed by an increase <br />through 1960 which brought enrollments back to their 1976 level. <br />Considering the above notations, the following analysis of the labor force <br />dynamics can be constructed. <br />The pre-1977 period can be characterized by: <br />• Stable growth in natural increase population; <br />• A general decline in school enrollments; <br />• A dramatic increase in labor force participation rates; <br />• Relatively no change in the number of unemployed; and <br />• Only a slight increase in total population. <br />These factors indicate that the tremendous growth in the total labor force and <br />employment was primarily a result of increasing labor force participation <br />• rates of local residents and not a result of in-migration. This phenomenom <br />was aided by two events in Delta County; the closing of the golly Sugar <br />13 <br />