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Table 1-1. Economic and Social Characteristics of the United States: 1980-2005

Freight transportation has grown dramatically with the expansion 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 30 percent between 1980 and 2005 while the economy, measured by GDP, more than doubled in real terms. Other indicators of economic growth such as employment and household income have also risen by 40 percent and 15 percent respectively. Foreign trade grew faster than the overall economy, quadrupling in real value between 1980 and 2005, reflecting unprecedented global interconnectivity.

Table in Excel format | Historical data

Characteristic 1980 1990 2000 2004 2005 Percent change,
1980 to 2005
Resident population (thousands) 227,225 249,623 (R) 282,193 (R) 293,657 296,410 30.4
Households (thousands) 80,776 93,347 104,705 112,000 113,146 40.1
Median household income ($2000) 35,057 38,257 41,990 40,468 NA NA
Civilian labor force (thousands) 106,940 125,840 142,583 147,401 149,320 39.6
Employed1 (thousands) 99,303 118,793 136,891 139,252 141,730 42.7
Employed
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (percent)
NA 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.6 NA
Employed
Mining
NA 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.4 NA
Employed
Construction
NA 6.9 7.3 7.7 7.9 NA
Employed
Manufacturing
NA 16.8 14.4 11.8 11.5 NA
Employed
Wholesale and retail trade
NA 14.7 14.6 15.0 15.1 NA
Employed
Transportation and utilities
NA 5.1 5.4 5.0 5.2 NA
Employed
Information
NA 2.9 3.0 2.5 2.4 NA
Employed
Financial activities
NA 7.1 6.8 7.2 7.2 NA
Employed
Professional and business services
NA 9.4 10.0 10.1 10.1 NA
Employed
Education and health services
NA 17.5 19.1 20.6 20.6 NA
Employed
Leisure and hospitality
NA 8.0 8.2 8.5 8.5 NA
Employed
Other services
NA 4.3 4.7 5.0 5 NA
Employed
Public administration
NA 4.7 4.5 4.6 4.6 NA
Business establishments (thousands) NA 6,176 7,070 (R) 7,388 7,500 NA
Governments 281,831385,006487,576NANANA
Gross domestic product ($2000 millions) 5,161,700 7,112,500 9,817,000 (R) 10,703,500 11,048,600 114.0
Foreign trade ($2000 millions) 631,335 1,168,168 2,572,000 (R) 2,832,692 3,013,471 377.3
Foreign trade
Goods
467,359 836,787 2,027,800 2,236,538 2,393,053 412.0
Foreign trade
Goods (percent)
74.0 71.6 78.8 (R) 79.0 79.4 7.3
Foreign trade
Services
163,976 331,381 544,200 596,155 620,418 278.4
Foreign trade
Services (percent)
26.0 28.4 21.2 (R) 21.0 20.6 -20.7

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.
21982
31992
42002

Sources: Unless otherwise stated all data from: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007 (Washington, DC: 2005) and earlier editions, available at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ as of May 31, 2007.

Median household income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Historical Income Tables, table H-6, available at www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h06ar.html as of May 31, 2007.

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 May 31, 2007.

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 June 12, 2007.


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