TRENDS IN GROWTH 



Residential development and non-agricultural employment in Northwest 

 Florida increased about 32% in 1972-78, yet according to the Florida Statis- 

 tical Abstract (Thompson et al. 1978), it has not kept pace with the State's 

 40% increase. Almost every category of non-agricultural employment has de- 

 creased in its share of the State total since the 1950' s (e.g., manufacturing 

 decreased from 10% of the State total in 1956 to 5% in 1978). Among the few 

 exceptions was the employment category of employees in hotels and other 

 lodging places; employment there rose from 2.6% of the State total in 1956 to 

 3.5% in 1978. Employment in contract construction and in eating and drinking 

 places ranged from 4% to 5% of the State total from 1956 to 1978 (Thompson 

 et al. 1978). 



Bay County 



The Panama City urban area is the second largest industrial area in 

 Northwest Florida. In some Standard Industrial Code (SIC) categories of 

 services (finances, insurance, real estate, communication, retail trade, and 

 manufacturing) employment is increasing at a higher rate than for the State as 

 a whole. Non-agricultural employment has increased most rapidly, but growth 

 in manufacturing was considerably below the State's 64% increase between 1965 

 and 1978. 



In 1978, the greatest number of workers was employed in retail trade 

 (Table 12). A third of these worked in eating and drinking places, and their 

 increase has been about twice that of the State. The difference may be a 

 reflection of the increasing popularity of recreation in Bay County. Further 

 support of this assumption is indicated by the growth in employment in motels, 

 hotels, and other lodging places. This growth is probably linked to growth in 

 tourism, which could be a point of possible conflict between tourist-based 

 interests and the development of any onshore facilities that might be required 

 to support OCS oil and gas activities. 



A relatively large number of people are employed by the government in Bay 

 County. In 1979, almost one of every four employed persons worked for the 

 government, mostly at the Tyndall Air Force Base. 



Employment in manufacturing has increased gradually in Bay County since 

 1965. The two major areas of employment in 1978 in manufacturing were paper 

 and allied products (range of 500 to 999 employees) and chemical and allied 

 products (range of 250 to 500 employees). Expansion and the construction of 

 new plants in the county in 1979 and 1980 will probably increase employment. 



Escambia County 



Although the Pensacola area of Escambia County is the most industrialized 

 area in Northwest Florida, employment in manufacturing decreased in 1965-1978 

 (Table 13). Although employment in other categories has increased since 1965, 

 the rate of increase is slowing. 



The SIC category that showed the greatest number of workers in 1978 was 

 that of retail trade (15,670 employees). Employment in services, which was 



71 



