▁be ▁written ▁as : ▁ ▁Where : ▁▁ ▁Local ▁employ ment ▁in ▁industry ▁i ▁▁ ▁Total ▁local ▁employ ment ▁▁ ▁Reference ▁area ▁employ ment ▁in ▁industry ▁i ▁▁ ▁Total ▁reference ▁area ▁employ ment ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁the ▁base ▁year ▁is ▁identical ▁in ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁above ▁variables . ▁ ▁The ▁figure ▁showing ▁location ▁quot ients ▁uses ▁data ▁from ▁Comp are ▁Minnesota : ▁Pro files ▁of ▁Minnesota ’ s ▁Econom y ▁and ▁Population , ▁ 2 0 0 2 – 2 0 0 3 . ▁It ▁uses ▁the ▁term ▁location ▁quot ient , ▁a ▁number ▁derived ▁by ▁comparing ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁employ ment ▁in ▁a ▁place ▁( M inn esota ) ▁with ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁employ ment ▁nation wide . ▁Minnesota ▁has ▁about ▁the ▁same ▁percentage ▁of ▁high - techn ology ▁employ ment ▁as ▁does ▁the ▁nation . ▁It ▁has ▁more ▁medical ▁devices ▁employ ment ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average ▁( due ▁to ▁companies ▁such ▁as ▁Med tr onic ). ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁base ▁ideas ▁are ▁easy ▁to ▁understand , ▁as ▁are ▁measures ▁made ▁of ▁employ ment . ▁For ▁instance , ▁it ▁is ▁well ▁known ▁that ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁Seattle , ▁Washington ▁is ▁tied ▁to ▁aircraft ▁manufact uring , ▁that ▁of ▁Detroit , ▁Michigan , ▁to ▁autom ob iles , ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁Sil icon ▁Valley ▁to ▁high - tech ▁manufact uring . ▁When ▁newsp apers ▁discuss ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁military ▁bases , ▁they ▁may ▁say ▁something ▁like : ▁" 5 , 0 0 0 ▁jobs ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁will ▁be ▁lost .