- About the Watershed
- Economics
ABOUT THE WATERSHED
Economics
In recent decades, Whatcom County has experienced growth in both population and economic activity. The population more than doubled between 1970 and 2000, growing from 82,606 to 166,814 persons, with a corresponding increase in the labor force from 30,000 to 80,000. Whatcom County’s economy has traditionally been based on the exploitation of its bountiful natural resources. Starting in the mid-1800’s Whatcom County settlers began to exploit the area's natural resources of timber, fish, and for a brief time coal. As the timber was cleared from around the bays and from the valleys, settlers moved in and farming grew into a major contributor to the area economy, producing milk, berries, grains, corn, peas, and hay. Since 1886 when the areas first cannery was built, fishing and fish processing have also played a major role of our economic makeup.
In recent times many of these traditional resource dependent industries have become less important to the overall Whatcom County economy than they have in the past. The growth of manufacturing in the form of the paper, chemical, oil refining, and aluminum smelting industries has diversified the economy. The increased contribution of government and the retail and service sectors has also helped to marginalize traditional industry.
Currently, the economy of Whatcom County from a personal income perspective is composed primarily of the service, 25%, manufacturing, 16%, and government, 15%, sectors. From an employment perspective the economy is dominated by the service and retail sectors which accounting for 27% and 19% of the county’s jobs, as well as the government and manufacturing sectors, 12% and 11% respectively.
Over the period 1969 to 1999 substantial economic changes in the Whatcom County economy have occurred. While all sectors of the economy have increased both in total employment and in earnings, the significance of individual sectors has changed. Traditional industries such as farming and fishing have declined in prominence. Farm employment as a percent of the county’s total has slipped from 8% to 4%. This shift in our economy has not been restricted to the traditionally rural industries; the manufacturing, transportation and government sectors have seen their role shrink. Manufacturing has slipped in significance the most since 1969, its share of total earnings declining by 8.38% and of employment by 6.93%. It should be noted that the service, retail, and other sectors of the economy are partially dependent on the income brought into the county from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.