Employment size, or size class, can be measured by establishment or enterprise. An establishment is a single physical location where business is conducted, and an enterprise is a business or organization with one or more establishments. The size of an enterprise, or firm, is determined by the sum of employment at each of its establishments, if more than one exists.
Most companies in any regional economy are small. Knowing the shares of companies that are small, mid-sized or large provides insights into both business and policy dynamics. For example, small companies are less likely to offer benefits like health care and maternity leave. On the other hand, small companies can be young companies, poised to grow into larger ones. Large companies are typically more stable and some might be candidates to make a public offering.
This indicator measures the share of firms in Skagit County by the number of employees, not including owner / operator companies. Firm size group categories are: 0-19 employees, 20-49 employees, 50-249 employees, 249-499 employees, and 500+ employees. Washington State is offered as a benchmark. Additional information, including the actual number of firms for each category for both the county and state, can be found in the “Download Data” section.
