Table 1-1. Economic and Social Characteristics of the United States
Freight transportation has grown dramatically with the growth and spread of population and economic activity within the United States and with the increasing interdependence of economies across the globe. The U.S. population grew by 28 percent between 1980 and 2003, while the economy, measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), doubled in real terms. Other indicators of economic growth such as employment and household income have also risen, by 39 and 16 percent respectively. Foreign trade has grown faster than the overall economy, quadrupling in real value between 1980 and 2003, reflecting unprecedented global interconnectivity.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
| Characteristic | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2003 | Percent change 1980 to 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident population (thousands) | 227,225 | 249,623 | 282,178 | 290,810 | 28.0 |
| Households (thousands) | 80,776 | 93,347 | 104,705 | 111,278 | 37.8 |
| Median household income ($2000) | 35,057 | 38,257 | 41,990 | 40,553 | 15.7 |
| Civilian labor force (thousands) | 106,940 | 125,840 | 142,583 | 146,510 | 37.0 |
| Employed1 (thousands) | 99,303 | 118,793 | 136,891 | 137,736 | 38.7 |
| Employed Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (percent) |
NA | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | NA |
| Employed Mining |
NA | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | NA |
| Employed Construction |
NA | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.4 | NA |
| Employed Manufacturing |
NA | 16.8 | 14.4 | 12.3 | NA |
| Employed Wholesale and retail trade | NA | 14.7 | 14.6 | 15.0 | NA |
| Employed Transportation and utilities |
NA | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.0 | NA |
| Employed Information |
NA | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.7 | NA |
| Employed Financial activities | NA | 7.1 | 6.8 | 7.1 | NA |
| Employed Professional and business services | NA | 9.4 | 10.0 | 10.1 | NA |
| Employed Education and health services | NA | 17.5 | 19.1 | 20.5 | NA |
| Employed Leisure and hospitality | NA | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.4 | NA |
| Employed Other services | NA | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | NA |
| Employed Public administration | NA | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | NA |
| Business establishments (thousands) | NA | 6,176 | 7,070 | NA | NA |
| Governments | 381,831 | 485,006 | NA | NA | NA |
| Gross domestic product ($2000 millions) | 5,161,700 | 7,112,500 | 9,817,000 | 10,381,300 | 101.1 |
| Foreign trade2 ($2000 millions) | 631,335 | 1,168,168 | 2,572,000 | 2,582,221 | 309.0 |
| Foreign trade Goods (percent) | 74.0 | 71.6 | 78.8 | 78.6 | 378.1 |
| Foreign trade Services (percent) | 26.0 | 28.4 | 21.2 | 21.4 | 261.0 |
Key: NA = not available.
1Based on the 2002 Census Industry Classification system. Data for 1990 do not appear in the source document; they are estimated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalk from the 1990 Census Industry Classification system to the 2002 Census Industry Classification system.
2These data are revised from those published last year due to a change in the inflation-adjustment methodology.
31982
41992
Sources: Unless otherwise stated all data from: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004-2005 (Washington, 2005), available at http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ as of July 26, 2005.
Median household income: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Tables, table H-6, available at www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h06ar.html as of June 27, 2005.
Business establishments: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, available at http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html as of July 26, 2005.
Gross domestic product: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, Gross Domestic Product, available at www.bea.doc.gov as of July 26, 2005.
Foreign trade: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, U.S. International Transactions, available at www.bea.doc.gov as of June 27, 2005.
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