The Mid-Atlantic region's total employment growth stayed below national averages from 1974 to 1984 because of its higher share of slow-growth manufacturing industries and its lagging employment growth in all major economic sectors. After leading the region's employment growth in 1974, nonmetro areas saw employment decline by 1984 while metro employment growth continued. Nonmetro areas dependent on mining and manufacturing and metro areas in the region's interior fared worse than metro areas in the New York City-to-Philadelphia corridor oriented to such fast-growth industries as services, finance, insurance, and real estate. This study measures the extent of the Mid-Atlantic's economic lag and pinpoints lagging areas of the region (NJ, NY, and PA) to help its governments document its competitive economic positions relative to other regions.