Related BLS programs | Related articles September 1990, Vol.
113, No. 9 The 1980's: a decade of job growth and industry
shifts Lois M. Plunkert The 1980's began with two recessions in
3 years and then posted the longest peacetime expansion on
record. Although growth did slow as the decade came to a close,
the service sector still added large numbers of jobs month after
month.1 Not all industries experienced the prosperity of the
1980's. Many manufacturing and mining industries never recovered
from the two recessions; others recovered their production
levels, but did so with fewer workers. Growth also was uneven
within service sector industries: 1 new job in 4 was in business
or health services, while some service sector industries even
lost jobs-notably, communications, railroads, and water
transportation. Other industries, such as finance and special
construction trade, that showed strong growth for most of the
10-year period were experiencing job losses or sluggish growth
at the end of the decade. As a resu