Wichita and similar cities have seen large changes, mostly declines, in their employment-population ratio over the last decade. Many have been more strongly affected by the 2008 recession than the rest of the United States. The employment-population ratio is a measure of labor market strength; it is calculated by dividing the number of employed workers in an area by the total civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 16 and over in that region. Typically, the employment-population ratio will increase during expansionary periods and decline during recessionary periods.