States across the South struggle with job growth that consistently lags population growth: Job growth relative to population growth for select Southern states, 1977–2019

Mississippi

Year Population growth Job growth
1977 33,416  31,926 
1978 64,833  61,723 
1979 91,166  75,548 
1980 113,833  72,486 
1981 137,416  67,769 
1982 156,916  40,391 
1983 168,583  48,754 
1984 183,250  78,213 
1985 207,416  85,103 
1986 211,416  91,926 
1987 220,000  102,516 
1988 228,500  130,210 
1989 236,416  150,064 
1990 237,079  163,776 
1991 257,968  172,121 
1992 271,774  194,874 
1993 293,580  248,092 
1994 318,636  295,873 
1995 345,025  326,610 
1996 368,248  350,410 
1997 389,721  376,503 
1998 410,527  406,602 
1999 427,500  430,880 
2000 439,214  437,468 
2001 447,023  417,165 
2002 454,787  415,947 
2003 463,475  414,077 
2004 478,072  424,817 
2005 486,157  434,889 
2006 491,479  469,487 
2007 514,481  499,975 
2008 529,739  498,604 
2009 542,529  453,463 
2010 570,965  451,904 
2011 587,961  471,114 
2012 596,844  480,892 
2013 606,956  493,756 
2014 615,322  517,926 
2015 621,786  529,391 
2016 628,009  541,046 
2017 627,177  551,134 
2018 623,146  562,901 
2019 622,978  578,603 

South Carolina

Year Population growth Job growth
1977 53,833   34,763 
1978 110,250   89,901 
1979 162,000   130,560 
1980 213,833   147,048 
1981 259,166   159,803 
1982 299,916   137,414 
1983 333,666   171,055 
1984 371,083   248,551 
1985 419,083   278,670 
1986 447,916   320,745 
1987 487,916   361,681 
1988 525,583   432,572 
1989 558,583   481,867 
1990 604,426   536,306 
1991 656,342   509,729 
1992 692,328   521,024 
1993 732,063   555,018 
1994 767,632   602,542 
1995 806,535   661,612 
1996 843,687   703,908 
1997 890,422   764,346 
1998 938,408   814,999 
1999 982,143   864,249 
2000 1,019,950   903,378 
2001 1,056,774   880,130 
2002 1,091,322   871,600 
2003 1,126,498   887,330 
2004 1,171,228   929,223 
2005 1,226,632   979,850 
2006 1,298,020   1,042,185 
2007 1,367,131   1,105,884 
2008 1,432,557   1,095,982 
2009 1,483,031   991,445 
2010 1,557,202   981,186 
2011 1,604,631   1,050,968 
2012 1,648,098   1,076,841 
2013 1,696,864   1,124,351 
2014 1,751,585   1,188,007 
2015 1,814,992   1,260,297 
2016 1,880,588   1,323,594 
2017 1,890,228   1,383,725 
2018 1,941,031   1,469,947 
2019 1,995,184   1,525,095 

Georgia

Year Population growth Job growth
1977 88,583   103,190 
1978 174,417   221,326 
1979 270,917   300,579 
1980 362,583   341,184 
1981 452,333   376,504 
1982 526,917   393,511 
1983 592,083   477,293 
1984 683,333   668,082 
1985 801,833   807,258 
1986 892,167   935,327 
1987 995,417   1,033,364 
1988 1,077,083   1,145,260 
1989 1,142,083   1,208,702 
1990 1,315,395   1,264,486 
1991 1,418,868   1,222,533 
1992 1,527,748   1,298,544 
1993 1,643,712   1,466,661 
1994 1,774,259   1,620,419 
1995 1,902,223   1,788,538 
1996 2,034,020   1,933,865 
1997 2,169,567   2,049,199 
1998 2,295,115   2,208,457 
1999 2,416,995   2,329,248 
2000 2,536,659   2,461,308 
2001 2,668,816   2,472,312 
2002 2,792,966   2,458,786 
2003 2,908,028   2,495,745 
2004 3,031,948   2,622,188 
2005 3,190,050   2,796,331 
2006 3,357,049   2,958,536 
2007 3,514,919   3,091,186 
2008 3,639,659   3,051,385 
2009 3,742,839   2,847,520 
2010 3,764,605   2,811,850 
2011 3,823,287   2,926,114 
2012 3,918,893   2,985,070 
2013 4,001,652   3,097,281 
2014 4,095,112   3,271,233 
2015 4,204,361   3,433,083 
2016 4,327,343   3,572,465 
2017 4,437,794   3,725,056 
2018 4,539,511   3,885,105 
2019 4,646,061   4,019,250 

Florida

Year Population growth Job growth
1977 211,167   199,132 
1978 461,583   509,157 
1979 770,417   724,404 
1980 1,100,583   957,678 
1981 1,396,583   1,135,531 
1982 1,647,667   1,223,723 
1983 1,889,083   1,437,100 
1984 2,145,750   1,771,815 
1985 2,401,917   2,042,100 
1986 2,656,917   2,285,383 
1987 2,917,000   2,363,780 
1988 3,151,583   2,660,441 
1989 3,381,833   2,866,444 
1990 3,752,029   3,010,446 
1991 3,976,655   2,987,738 
1992 4,180,834   3,032,972 
1993 4,377,513   3,272,608 
1994 4,598,359   3,504,494 
1995 4,826,039   3,764,327 
1996 5,065,135   4,009,886 
1997 5,312,564   4,275,293 
1998 5,547,827   4,587,358 
1999 5,772,589   4,848,041 
2000 5,980,280   5,151,436 
2001 6,221,444   5,209,104 
2002 6,485,202   5,325,872 
2003 6,738,147   5,553,554 
2004 7,049,863   5,914,483 
2005 7,385,684   6,337,346 
2006 7,654,723   6,654,023 
2007 7,830,230   6,801,417 
2008 7,968,369   6,539,656 
2009 8,080,442   6,112,040 
2010 8,431,260   6,075,311 
2011 8,700,663   6,306,791 
2012 8,929,001   6,519,181 
2013 9,163,642   6,809,412 
2014 9,438,214   7,207,323 
2015 9,757,345   7,637,317 
2016 10,107,129   7,943,639 
2017 10,309,377   8,355,479 
2018 10,552,122   8,817,742 
2019 10,764,996   9,127,205 

Note: Population growth refers to growth of the working-age population aged 16 and older.  

Source: Population growth based on EPI analysis of population data from the state-level “Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, annual averages” from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job growth based on analysis of Regional Economic Information System employment data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.

View the underlying data on epi.org.