NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
November 4, 1999
Businesses are getting larger in North Dakota. In 1983 there were 9.2 employees per business compared to 11.8 employees per business in 1997.
For the past eight years, the number of business establishments in the state has risen 0.9 percent per year, on average, and the number of employees for these businesses has risen 3 percent per year on average, according to the recent Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.
"The number of business establishments in North Dakota remained unchanged between 1996 and 1997 at 20,439 establishments," says Richard Rathge, data center director. "But during that period, the number of employees grew from 235,125 in 1996 to 242,047 in 1997, for an increase of 6,922 employees, or 2.9 percent."
Annual payroll for businesses in North Dakota rose from $4.8 billion in 1996 to $5.1 billion in 1997, an increase of $367 million or 7.7 percent, Rathge says. In 1997, service and retail establishments comprised more than half (56.2 percent) of all businesses in North Dakota, and these businesses employed 61.4 percent of all workers.
Golden Valley County reported the largest percentage gain in businesses between 1996 and 1997--9.5 percent (seven businesses). Twenty-seven other counties showed gains during this period as well, Rathge says, but Renville and Slope counties suffered the largest percentage losses, 9 and 9.1 percent, respectively.
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Source: Richard Rathge (701) 231-8621
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
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