Recent Employment Changes in Major Metropolitan Areas in the United States

The general decline in manufacturing employment is explored and contrasted with the overall growth in the number of service jobs over the period 1990-94. New York and Los Angeles suffered declines in both producer services and manufacturing employment, whereas in contrast, Cleveland and Detroit, for example, registered gains in both sectors. The majority of cities had both gains and losses. Employment in 7 categories was analyzed for the 20 largest U.S. metropolitan regions. New York and Washington DC exhibited some similarity in their roles as shapers of the services economy. Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit were similar in the role manufacturing employment plays in their economies. The overall picture is of net job gains, despite the loss of manufacturing jobs, with Atlanta the biggest gainer.