An increase in the older age categories has been marked during the decade. A jump exceeding 19 percent in the 45-to-64 category reflects the aging of the baby boom generation. That is the fastest growing group in Washburn County and in the nation. Approximately one in four residents fall into that age group.

In 1996, the oldest baby boomers reached 50 years of age. As the baby boomers age, they will continue to swell the ranks of middle-agers.

The children of the baby-boomers are also getting older, and that is reflected in an increase in the 25-to-44 age group. Although that age group did not experience the fastest growth (8.9 percent), it now constitutes the largest age group in Washburn County, with 27 percent of the total population.

People aged 65 and older make up approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population. In Washburn County, that group continues to account for 19 percent and is the only other age group to experience a significant increase in numbers from 1990 to 1997.

The over-85 age group grew more than 21 percent, from 271 to 328.

Life expectancy gains have been most impressive among the oldest residents.

A person currently aged 75 to 80 has an estimated average remaining lifetime of 10.9 years.

Along with the growth in the older age categories, another factor in the aging of Washburn County's population is the decrease in the youngest age category, the under-age-5. That group experienced a 6.4 percent decrease in numbers in the seven years from 1990 to 1997.

The decrease is less dramatic than the 11.6 percent decrease experienced up to 1995, but the group is still only one of two age categories in Washburn County to decrease. That was predictable with the aging of the baby boom generation shifting sizable numbers of potential parents beyond the principal childbearing ages.

The largest decrease in the population of any age group in Washburn County was experienced by the 16-to-24 group, which continues to experience large decreases, moving from a 28 percent decrease between 1990 and 1995 to a 32 percent decrease by 1997.

That group now constitutes only 5.4 percent of the county's population, and it is the county's smallest age group.

Household Size

While the number of Wash-burn County housing units is on the rise, household size continues to shrink. The average household size in Washburn County in 1970 was 2.96. By 1990, the average had dropped to 2.49.

That decrease in household size continues, with a 1995 average of 2.48 people.

Families with children,
and families without

Families without children outnumber all other types in Wash-burn County, constituting almost 40 percent of all households. That is higher than the state average of 36.6 percent.

One-person households are second at 27 percent of county households. That is higher than both the state and national figure of 24 percent.

Many of the single householders are older women. With an average life expectancy of 80 years versus 73 for men, those women are more likely to live alone.

The growing number of elderly households reflects both national trends and Washburn County's status as a retirement destination.

Only about one-third of U.S. households have any children under age 18. Washburn County's "married

couple with children" households encompass 30 percent, mirroring those national numbers. All trends indicate that locally the number of households with children will continue to decline, at least until after the turn of the century when the children of the baby boomers (known as "echo boomers") will begin to affect the number of householders aged 25 to 34 as they transition from single to family life.

Single-parent families
on rise, but below state

A continuing high divorce rate and increasing "never-married single-parent families" have raised the number of single-parent families, but they still make up only 5.8 percent of all Washburn County households, compared to 6.5 percent at the state level. Narrowing the scope to include only "families with children," one-fourth of state households contain single-parent families, compared to 19 percent of county households.

Job scene
Labor force expanding, employment trends strong

The year 1999 marked the 10th straight year of job expansion in Washburn County. The decade ended with nearly 1,600 new jobs added by area employers.

The average number of nonfarm wage and salary jobs in 1999 exceeded 5,800, some 150 more than in 1998. Employers in the services industry added one in four of those new jobs, and in Washburn County, that primarily means an employer providing health care services. Nearly half of all employment in the services industry is involved with providing health care services.

Jobs in the services industry comprise 22 percent of all payroll jobs in the county, wholesale and retail trade account for another 25 percent, and government contributes 23 percent of the jobs. Government comprises such a large share of the jobs because Washburn County is the regional headquarters for several state of Wisconsin departments (transportation, natural resources, and vocational rehabilitation), is a central processing site for the US Post Office, and houses the administrative offices for Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.

Add the jobs in manufacturing, transportation, construction, and finance, and the average number of payroll jobs in Washburn County in 1999 exceeded 5,800.

The number of jobs ranged from a high of 6,130 in June to a low of 5,450 in February. That range illustrates the seasonal fluctuation in employment in the county.

Most of the job increases during the spring occur in retail trade, services, and construction. That is also the time of year when manufacturing employers traditionally expand, or recall, their workforce. Jobs in retail trade and services each cover 22 percent of payroll employment, yet they offer the lowest annual wages in the county. In 1998 (the most recent data), jobs in retail trade paid an average of $12,592 annually, while those in services paid an average of $18,273.

In addition to employing occupations with lower wages, many of these jobs are seasonal and part time. This means that on an annual basis, the average wage is less than in other industries.

It also contributes to an overall average wage for the county that is only 74 percent of the state average.

Workers continue to fill employer vacancies, however, and the county unemployment rate continues to decline. In 1999, the unemployment rate in Washburn County was 5.7 percent, and in August the rate was at an all-time low of 3.3 percent.

Even though vacancies still get filled, employers are experiencing more difficulties in finding workers. That could explain the decline in the most recent labor force estimates released by the Department of Workforce Development.

From 1998 to 1999 the civilian labor force declined by 200 participants. While worker retirements and labor shortage may have contributed to such a decline, it is more likely that changes in methodology are the cause.

Either way, the change in the estimate is suspect, and the nonfarm payroll count is a better indication of employment trends in the county.

Population Washburn County

1999 (est.)	15,770
1998 (est.)	15,421
1997 (est.)	15,236
1996 (est.)	14,788
1995 (est.)	14,506
1990		13,772
1980		13,174
1970		10,601
1960		10,383
1950		11,665
1940		12,496
1930		11,103
1920		11,377
1910		8,196
1900		5,521

Labor Market Conditions
(Large Companies)

The following are key findings from a study conducted in Washburn County the spring of 1996 by a team from the University of Wisconsin-Extension including Beverly Stencel, Gary P. Green, and Daniel Diaz.