Employment Growth in 13 Business Sectors

The graph below was created using Google’s chart tools.

The horizontal bar graph shows the growth in employment on a percentage basis from 2000 to 2008 for 13 business sectors.

The graph indicates that most employment growth has been in businesses providing services. Interesting is the growth in mining employment, possibly reflecting a greater demand for energy and elements and minerals needed in technology devices.

The data should be useful both to those seeking careers where jobs might be more plentiful and employers competing for workers.

The data in the graph was obtained from US Census Bureau statistics. These statistics can be reviewed by clicking here (PDF file).

Sales Growth for Nine Industrial Sectors

The graph below was created using Google’s chart tools.

The vertical bar graph shows the relative increase in sales growth for 9 industry sectors over the period 1997 to 2007.

An interesting observation is how much the professional and technical services sector increased in sales from 1997 to 2007. The increase was much greater than 1,000 % (almost 8,000 %). Some conclusions from this great increase might be how important the provision of professional and technical services as a unique organizational activity is becoming to the United States economy. Both the increase in numbers of trained and capable providers and the demand for such services increased at a rapid rate from 1997 to 2007. Professional and technical services apparently are becoming a much more important and needed United States (and world) economic activity.

Related to this is that health care was the next sector with the highest percentage of sales growth.

The graph is based on US Census Bureau data. This data can be accessed by clicking here.

Return On Equity for Several Industry Sectors

The graph shown below was created using Google’s chart tool.

The horizontal bar graph shows the percent return on equity (as net profit after taxes) over five years (2006 to 2010) for 4 industry sectors (retail trade, manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade) and for 2 industry sectors (information and services) over four quarters (4th quarter 2009, all quarters 2010).

The data was obtained from the US Census Bureau’s 4th Quarter 2010’s Quarterly Financial Report. Click here to go to this report (PDF file).

The data shows there is a difference in returns depending on the industry sector.

The Russell 3000 Index (an index of 3,000 company stocks) had a total return over a recent 5 year period of 3.3 %. This suggests the difference that can exist in owning a company outright for a return on equity (capital) compared to simply buying shares in a company.

Data related to the Russell 3000 Index can be seen by clicking here.

Cost Per Ton Mile for Four Shipping Modes

The graph below was created using Google’s chart tools.

The vertical bar graph shows the costs per ton mile for shipping freight on four transportation modes – truck, rail, air, and water. The costs per ton mile amounts are computed from US Department of Transportation data for 2002. The costs per ton mile were computed by dividing the 2002 data for the total costs of shipping freight in each of the four modes by the total ton miles shipped for each of the four modes.

The total costs for shipping freight in 2002 are provided in a Department of Transportation study. Click here to go to this study.

The total ton miles shipped for each of the four modes are provided in another Department of Transportation study. Click here to go to this study (PDF file).

From the data in the graph, shipping freight by air is about 10 times as expensive as by truck, which is about ten times as expensive as by rail.

The data suggest that whenever possible shipping by rail can save companies significant costs. Also, improved rail infrastructure and greater use of that infrastructure could be an important national strategy for cost savings.

Although this is 2002 data (the most recent that could be found), the comparative costs between the four modes likely remain the same for more recent data.