Comprehensive development plan

ECONOMY

A. Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment

Like other rural localities in Southwest Virginia, Carroll County’s economic base has evolved from predominantly agricultural to a concentration of employment in the manufacturing, service, and trade sectors. The unemployment rate has generally been a problem in the Mount Rogers region since the national economic downturn in 1991-92. The lack of infrastructure (water and sewer) and limited industrial recruitment have been limiting factors to job growth. Until Carroll County can expand its industrial base, much of the county’s labor force will continue to look for opportunities in the City of Galax, Wythe County, Surry County, North Carolina, and other locations. A review of data on commuting patterns reveals that only around 50 percent of the county’s resident workforce can find jobs in the county.

According to the Virginia Employment Commission, employment in the county fluctuated between 1995 and 2004, with unemployment reaching 10.1 percent in 2001. In 2003, nearly 32 percent of the county’s workforce employed in non-agricultural jobs was employed in the manufacturing industry. The next largest industry sector based on employment was the retail trade sector, at approximately 16 percent, followed by the accommodation and food service sector with 14.5 percent of the county’s workforce. Nevertheless, both the retail trade and manufacturing sectors have suffered a dramatic loss of jobs during the early 2000s, with a decline of 28.9 percent in manufacturing jobs and 23.6 percent in retail trade jobs. The sectors with the greatest increase in employment during the same period were the service sectors, specifically the healthcare and social assistance sector and administrative and waste services sector.

Table IV-A
Non-Agricultural Employment
Carroll County
1999 and 2003
By Industry
Industry	1999		2003		Percent Change
	Persons	Percent	Persons	Percent
Construction	450	9.0%	468	10.6%	4.0%
Manufacturing	1,964	39.3%	1,397	31.7%	-28.9%
Wholesale Trade	59	1.2%	69	1.6%	16.9%
Retail Trade	925	18.5%	707	16.0%	-23.6%
Transportation and Warehousing	285	5.7%	273	6.2%	-4.2%
Information	40	0.8%	38	0.9%	-5.0%
Finance and Insurance	74	1.5%	75	1.7%	1.4%
Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing	30	0.6%	27	0.6%	-10.0%
Professional and Technical Services	73	1.5%	73	1.7%	0.0%
Administrative and Waste Services	37	0.7%	47	1.1%	27.0%
Health Care and Social Assistance	336	6.7%	460	10.4%	36.9%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	47	0.9%	36	0.8%	-23.4%
Accommodation and Food Services	573	11.5%	640	14.5%	11.7%
Other Services (except Public Administration)	108	2.2%	97	2.2%	-10.2%
TOTAL	5,001	100.0%	4,407	100.0%	-11.9%
Source: Virginia Employment Commission, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages