Nine economic statistics (Gross State Product, employment growth,
manufacturing and construction employment, the unemployment rate, per-capita
disposable income, unit labor costs, poverty rate, and income inequality)
provide the yardstick for comparing economic development between RTW and non-RTW
states. These statistics represent a diverse cross-section of economic data,
providing a multifaceted comparison of economic development between the states.
Contingent upon data availability, results are presented over three decades,
1970 through 2000.2
To show key inflection points for each of the nine statistics, the results are
presented for each decade in Appendix I. In addition to comparing key
differences between RTW and non-RTW states, Michigan's results are presented
separately.
The time series methodology will account for the status change of Louisiana and
Idaho, which became RTW states in 1977 and 1985, respectively. Oklahoma is
classified as a non-RTW state for purposes of this study, since its change to
RTW status is too recent (2001) for the effects to be reflected in the
statistics.