Worcester County’s economy is growing both in total jobs and average salaries. However, salary growth in the County has lagged behind the state and nation and there are clear racial and ethnic disparities in unemployment and business ownership.

Total jobs increased 22% from 2001 to 2022 in Worcester County, similar to the state but slightly lower than the 28% increase nationwide.

Overall, yearly salaries in Worcester County averaged $67,000 in 2022, a 7% increase from 2000 after adjusting for inflation. This increase was notably less than the state and the nation, where the average salary increased by 19% and 17% respectively.

From 2000 to 2022, salaries grew fastest in the Financial Activities (35%), Government (30%), and Professional and Business Services (26%) sectors in Worcester County, while salaries in the Manufacturing and Natural Resources and Mining sectors declined by 7% and 2% respectively.

In Worcester County, as in the state and nation, women’s earnings tended to lag men’s earnings in the same occupations. For all occupations, Worcester County women earned 67 cents for every dollar made by males.

Additionally, while unemployment rates have declined for all groups since 2008-12, higher shares of African American (8.1%) and Latino (8.0%) residents in Worcester County were unemployed in 2018-22 compared to Asian (4%) and White (5%) residents. Unemployment rates have declined the most for Latino workers, down seven points from 2008-12.

The share of jobs by sector is a key indicator of the economy in a region. The largest sectors in Worcester County were similar to the state and nation: 18% of jobs were in Trade, Transportation and Utilities, 16% were in Health Care and Social Assistance, 13% in Professional and Business and Services, and 12% in Governmental Services.

Growing sectors in Worcester County include Financial Activities, which increased 66% from 2001 to 2022, and Health Care and Social Services which increased 50%. The biggest decline among large sectors was in Manufacturing, where jobs fell 30%. Some smaller sectors had large gains or declines: Educational Services, with 4% of all jobs, grew 37% since 2001, and Information, with 1% of all jobs, declined 18%. Trends in Worcester County were similar to statewide trends.

The highest paid sector in Worcester County was Financial Activities, with an average annual salary of $101,900 in 2022. This was followed by Information ($99,200) and Professional and Business Services ($87,000). The lowest paid sector was Leisure and Hospitality ($27,100).

Like the state and nation, Worcester County’s economy is dominated by small employers. In 2021, over half (55%) of businesses in Worcester County employed 1-4 people, 19% employed 5-9 people, 13% employed 10-19 people and the remaining 14% employed 20 people or more. Only 2.5% of employers, or 464 businesses, had 100 or more employees. This has not changed substantially since 2000.

Worcester County has significant racial and ethnic disparities in rates of business ownership. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, 83% of the County’s businesses were owned by White residents, 7% were owned by Asians, and less than 1% were owned by African Americans. Worcester County’s shares of African American and Asian-owned businesses were lower than both the state and nation.

Worcester County had just under $5,900 in self-employment revenue per resident in 2020, a decrease of $115 per resident from the previous year. Worcester County’s self-employment revenue is lower than the state ($7,500) and the nation ($7,200). Worcester County’s self-employment revenue increased 9% from 2008, similar to the national increase of 10%, but lower than the 14% increase at the state level.