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 29 percent between 1980 and 2004, while the economy, measured by gross domestic product (GDP), more than doubled in real terms. Other indicators of economic growth such as employment and household income have also risen, by 40 and 15 percent respectively. Foreign trade has grown faster than the overall economy, quadrupling in real value between 1980 and 2004, reflecting unprecedented global interconnectivity.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
| Characteristic | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2004 | Percent change, 1980 to 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident population (thousands) | 227,225 | 249,623 | (R) 282,192 | 293,655 | 29.2 |
| Households (thousands) | 80,776 | 93,347 | 104,705 | 112,000 | 38.7 |
| Median household income ($2000) | 35,057 | 38,257 | 41,990 | 40,468 | 15.4 |
| Civilian labor force (thousands) | 106,940 | 125,840 | 142,583 | 147,401 | 37.8 |
| Employed1 (thousands) | 99,303 | 118,793 | 136,891 | 139,252 | 40.2 |
| Employed Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (percent) |
NA | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.6 | NA |
| Employed Mining |
NA | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | NA |
| Employed Construction |
NA | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.7 | NA |
| Employed Manufacturing |
NA | 16.8 | 14.4 | 11.8 | 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 | 2.5 | NA |
| Employed Financial activities | NA | 7.1 | 6.8 | 7.2 | NA |
| Employed Professional and business services | NA | 9.4 | 10.0 | 10.1 | NA |
| Employed Education and health services | NA | 17.5 | 19.1 | 20.6 | NA |
| Employed Leisure and hospitality | NA | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.5 | NA |
| Employed Other services | NA | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 | NA |
| Employed Public administration | NA | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | NA |
| Business establishments (thousands) | NA | 6,176 | 7,070 | NA | NA |
| Governments | 281,831 | 385,006 | 487,576 | NA | NA |
| Gross domestic product ($2000 millions) | 5,161,700 | 7,112,500 | 9,817,000 | 10,755,700 | 108.4 |
| Foreign trade ($2000 millions) | 631,335 | 1,168,168 | 2,572,000 | 2,837,634 | 349.5 |
| Foreign trade Goods (percent) | 74.0 | 71.6 | 78.8 | 78.8 | 378.5 |
| Foreign trade Services (percent) | 26.0 | 28.4 | 21.2 | 21.2 | 266.7 |
Key: NA = not available; R = revised.
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.
21982
31992
42002
Sources: Unless otherwise stated all data from: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006 (Washington, 2005) and earlier editions, available at http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ as of March 22, 2006.
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 March 22, 2006.
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 March 22, 2006.
Gross domestic product and foreign trade: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts Tables, tables 1.1.5, 1.1.6, 4.2.4, available at www.bea.doc.gov as of March 22, 2006.
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