Comprehensive development plan

Carroll County has been faced with periods of unemployment in excess of the state and national unemployment rates. In the ten-year span between 1995 and 2004, the unemployment rate peaked at 10.1 percent and hovered between 6.0 to 8.3 percent from 1999 to 2003. These rates are far in excess of the state and national averages. With approximately 50 percent of Carroll County residents forced to leave the county for jobs in localities such as the City of Galax and Wythe County, areas where jobs have not been plentiful, unemployment has swelled in Carroll County due to the lack of economic stimulus to absorb those seeking jobs. The boom in unemployment during the early 2000s is largely due to the relocation of textile industries out of the United States.

Table IV-B
Labor Force
Carroll County
1995 - 2004
By Year
Year	Civilian Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Unemployment Rate
2004	14,655	13,949	706	4.8
2003	13,508	12,581	927	6.9
2002	13,423	12,311	1112	8.3
2001	13,678	12,294	1384	10.1
2000	13,624	12,807	817	6
1999	13,930	13,012	918	6.6
1998	13,711	12,981	730	5.3
1997	13,708	13,166	542	4
1996	13,932	13,113	819	5.9
1995	14,194	13,513	681	4.8
Source: Virginia Employment Commission

An analysis of employment trends over the past ten years, shown in Table IV-B, shows the rather dramatic fluctuation of unemployment in Carroll County with a fairly sharp decline in the county’s annual unemployment rate between 2001 and 2004. The Virginia Employment Commission had only released provisional data for 2004 during the development of this plan. While the decline in unemployment in 2004 is probably accurate, the increase in labor force and total employed persons is worthy of note. Continued growth in employment and labor force will result from a diversification of the county’s economy, retention of existing industries, and recruitment of new industry.

B. Income

As shown in Table IV-C, median income values in Carroll County are much lower than median values in the state. In fact, 1999 values in the county are lower than 1989 state values. Nevertheless, the rate of change in Carroll County is slightly higher than the state, which indicates that, although the county values are lower, the county’s income is increasing faster than the state.

Table IV-C
Income
Carroll County and Virginia
1989 and 1999
By Income Type
Income Type	Carroll County			Virginia
	1989	1999	Percent Change	1989	1999	Percent Change
Median Household Income	21,564	30,597	41.9%	33,328	46,677	40.1%
Median Family Income	24,885	36,755	47.7%	38,213	54,169	41.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census