Employment rose in 10 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania from March 2019 to March 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2019.) Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted that Lancaster County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Employment increased 0.4 percent over the year with 202 of the 357 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. St. Johns, FL, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 3.7 percent over the year. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 5.5 percent.

Among the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, employment was highest in Philadelphia County (702,000) in March 2020. Together, the 19 largest Pennsylvania counties accounted for 77.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 357 largest counties made up 73.7 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 67 counties in Pennsylvania with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 47 of the 48 smaller counties were below the national average in the first quarter of 2020. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Eighteen of the 19 large Pennsylvania counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020. (See chart 2.) Five counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 3.3 percent. Allegheny County had the largest gain (+4.5 percent), followed by Montgomery County (+4.4 percent), and Berks County (+3.8 percent). Thirteen large counties had over-the-year wage gains ranging from 3.2 percent to 0.9 percent. Delaware was the only large Pennsylvania county with an over-the-year decrease in average weekly wages, down 0.3 percent.

Among the 357 largest counties in the United States, 335 had over-the-year wage increases. McLean, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+13.3 percent). Twenty large counties had wage declines during the period. Peoria, IL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-12.8 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 6 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,222 in the first quarter of 2020. Average weekly wages in two of these counties ranked among the top 100 nationwide: Allegheny ($1,310, 56^th) and Montgomery ($1,609, 62^nd).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 92  reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2020. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,270. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 265 counties. At $666 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Pennsylvania’s smaller counties

Among the 48 smaller counties in Pennsylvania–those with employment below 75,000–Montour ( $1,329) was the only county to report an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,222. Perry County ($640) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 67 counties in Pennsylvania were considered, 3 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 13 registered wages from $700 to $799, 27 had wages from $800 to $899, 8 had wages from $900 to $999, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2019 edition of this publication was published in September 2020. Tables and additional content from the 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2019/home.htm. The 2020 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2021.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Technical Note

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew/. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS Web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, first quarter 2020

Area	Establishments, first quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2019-20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2020	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2019-20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	10,447.2	147,088.9	0.4	--	$1,222	--	3.3	--
Pennsylvania	363.5	5,851.3	0.0	--	1,177	16	2.7	35
Allegheny	35.7	686.3	-0.7	272	1,310	64	4.5	56
Berks	8.9	174.7	0.6	133	1,026	199	3.8	114
Bucks	20.5	262.2	0.1	192	1,046	186	1.9	263
Butler	5.1	86.7	0.1	192	1,046	186	1.3	298
Chester	15.9	249.8	0.4	158	1,536	31	1.9	263
Cumberland	6.6	135.0	0.7	122	1,053	179	2.7	201
Dauphin	7.5	183.7	0.2	182	1,144	129	3.4	150
Delaware	14.2	223.0	-0.5	257	1,252	83	-0.3	340
Erie	6.9	120.2	-1.1	300	849	335	2.0	259
Lackawanna	5.6	95.6	-1.2	308	849	335	3.5	142
Lancaster	13.9	244.2	1.0	91	940	274	3.2	165
Lehigh	8.8	192.0	-0.2	231	1,130	135	0.9	309
Luzerne	7.5	144.7	0.2	182	880	315	1.7	274
Montgomery	28.1	501.9	0.0	203	1,609	23	4.4	62
Northampton	6.9	118.6	0.9	101	979	235	2.7	201
Philadelphia	35.3	702.0	0.8	110	1,393	48	0.9	309
Washington	5.6	85.5	-2.2	350	1,302	66	2.8	195
Westmoreland	9.3	130.7	-1.0	291	910	303	1.0	307
York	9.3	178.1	-0.2	231	963	255	1.9	263
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Pennsylvania, first quarter 2020

Area	Employment March 2020	Average Weekly Wage(1)
United States(2)	147,088,945	$1,222
Pennsylvania	5,851,269	1,177
Adams	35,026	816
Allegheny	686,257	1,310
Armstrong	16,072	812
Beaver	56,463	1106
Bedford	15,323	684
Berks	174,701	1026
Blair	57,785	820
Bradford	22,290	981
Bucks	262,201	1,046
Butler	86,667	1046
Cambria	49,243	778
Cameron	1,763	772
Carbon	15,407	722
Centre	66,925	1016
Chester	249,840	1,536
Clarion	12,718	712
Clearfield	29,595	811
Clinton	12,849	835
Columbia	24,589	806
Crawford	29,141	789
Cumberland	134,970	1053
Dauphin	183,710	1,144
Delaware	223,034	1,252
Elk	14,078	849
Erie	120,154	849
Fayette	38,526	815
Forest	1,902	880
Franklin	59,545	867
Fulton	5,831	909
Greene	12,318	1,127
Huntingdon	12,312	769
Indiana	29,200	929
Jefferson	15,363	774
Juniata	6,940	708
Lackawanna	95,577	849
Lancaster	244,180	940
Lawrence	27,519	816
Lebanon	50,905	843
Lehigh	191,961	1,130
Luzerne	144,727	880
Lycoming	49,903	874
Mckean	14,126	806
Mercer	44,219	848
Mifflin	15,897	789
Monroe	56,090	895
Montgomery	501,927	1,609
Montour	16,070	1,329
Northampton	118,623	979
Northumberland	26,474	857
Perry	7,790	640
Philadelphia	702,015	1,393
Pike	10,827	669
Potter	5,160	846
Schuylkill	49,664	834
Snyder	15,289	724
Somerset	23,775	789
Sullivan	1,378	708
Susquehanna	8,812	839
Tioga	12,519	822
Union	17,247	890
Venango	17,316	770
Warren	13,930	830
Washington	85,465	1,302
Wayne	14,048	806
Westmoreland	130,690	910
Wyoming	9,405	982
York	178,105	963
Footnotes
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
NOTE: Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, first quarter 2020

State	Establishments, first quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2019-20	First quarter 2020	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2019-20	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	10,447.2	147,088.9	0.4	$1,222	--	3.3	--
Alabama	132.6	1,983.8	0.3	974	36	3.2	23
Alaska	22.6	312.8	-0.1	1,130	19	2.1	44
Arizona	170.4	2,957.2	1.9	1,098	22	4.4	1
Arkansas	93.6	1,220.5	0.2	922	45	3.0	29
California	1,631.1	17,570.5	0.8	1,459	5	4.2	3
Colorado	214.5	2,725.2	1.2	1,284	9	4.3	2
Connecticut	124.1	1,639.4	-0.7	1,510	4	1.5	48
Delaware	34.6	443.7	-0.3	1,251	11	1.7	45
District of Columbia	42.3	778.1	0.6	1,994	1	3.8	14
Florida	740.5	8,975.1	0.8	1,051	25	3.6	18
Georgia	301.5	4,522.2	0.9	1,159	17	3.4	19
Hawaii	45.4	655.5	-1.0	1,033	27	3.0	29
Idaho	66.8	755.2	3.1	864	50	4.2	3
Illinois	381.5	5,872.9	-0.7	1,302	8	2.3	41
Indiana	171.1	3,028.5	-1.0	994	33	3.2	23
Iowa	104.8	1,523.4	-0.2	978	35	3.7	16
Kansas	89.8	1,383.3	0.2	969	37	3.2	23
Kentucky	124.0	1,884.9	0.1	943	43	2.5	38
Louisiana	137.4	1,897.0	-1.3	969	37	1.7	45
Maine	53.9	601.0	0.1	955	40	4.0	11
Maryland	175.7	2,661.5	-0.4	1,277	10	4.1	8
Massachusetts	263.3	3,565.1	-0.2	1,605	3	3.0	29
Michigan	267.0	4,281.4	-0.6	1,103	20	2.3	41
Minnesota	183.9	2,838.2	-0.1	1,235	12	2.7	35
Mississippi	73.9	1,128.1	-0.2	801	51	2.8	34
Missouri	214.8	2,795.7	0.3	1,016	31	3.0	29
Montana	50.6	465.2	1.5	869	49	3.1	27
Nebraska	72.3	972.4	0.8	956	39	4.1	8
Nevada	86.1	1,410.8	1.3	1,033	27	4.2	3
New Hampshire	54.3	657.0	0.2	1,194	15	3.3	20
New Jersey	285.8	4,052.7	0.4	1,455	6	3.9	13
New Mexico	64.0	835.6	0.9	923	44	3.7	16
New York	657.2	9,415.7	-0.3	1,693	2	3.3	20
North Carolina	296.0	4,501.1	0.9	1,094	23	4.1	8
North Dakota	32.2	414.3	0.0	1,046	26	2.4	39
Ohio	304.4	5,349.6	-0.3	1,063	24	2.9	33
Oklahoma	112.8	1,598.0	-1.3	949	42	-0.5	51
Oregon	162.4	1,938.9	0.7	1,103	20	4.2	3
Pennsylvania	363.5	5,851.3	0.0	1,177	16	2.7	35
Rhode Island	39.5	473.9	-0.2	1,132	18	2.7	35
South Carolina	142.7	2,112.8	0.1	922	45	2.2	43
South Dakota	34.7	420.6	0.4	901	48	4.2	3
Tennessee	171.2	3,033.5	1.0	1,027	29	3.1	27
Texas	725.7	12,626.2	1.2	1,232	14	2.4	39
Utah	109.8	1,526.8	1.8	1,026	30	3.2	23
Vermont	26.1	303.9	-1.8	980	34	3.3	20
Virginia	282.9	3,921.0	0.6	1,233	13	4.0	11
Washington	255.6	3,427.3	1.7	1,414	7	3.8	14
West Virginia	51.2	674.9	-1.8	904	47	0.9	49
Wisconsin	178.2	2,836.5	-0.2	1,008	32	1.7	45
Wyoming	27.2	268.5	-0.5	955	40	0.6	50
Puerto Rico	47.5	886.4	1.0	551	(3)	0.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.3	40.1	5.7	1,046	(3)	6.3	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.