Originally it was first and foremost farmers and forestry workers who lived in Föckelberg, and for a while also miners who worked the Potzberg's quicksilver mines. Only for the time since the late 18th century are population figures available. These show that in a span of less than 50 years (1788 to 1825), the population grew more than twofold. This growth arose not only from natural growth, but also from a change in economic conditions, namely the expansion of mercury mining on the Potzberg. This mining expansion might partly explain the peak in Föckelberg's population of 444 in 1905, although by that time, most of the mines on the mountain had been shut down. This, of course, led to shrinking population figures right up until the years following the Second World War. The newer rise in population since 1960 can be ascribed to the village's relatively favourable location near the centres of Kusel and Kaiserslautern. Nevertheless, a stagnation in population growth may now be noted. Over time, the original commercial relationships have changed utterly. There are nowadays only a few agricultural operations still in business in Föckelberg, and all are worked as secondary occupations, and this has even brought about a turnover in population, with long established families' younger members moving away and new families moving into Föckelberg. Most members of the workforce must seek work elsewhere, such as in towns like Kaiserslautern and Kusel.