Employment rose in Oklahoma’s three large counties from June 2013 to June 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2013 annual average employment.) Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that Cleveland County had the largest increase, up 2.1 percent, followed by Tulsa (1.6 percent) and Oklahoma (1.0 percent). (See table 1.)

Employment nationwide advanced 2.0 percent during the 12-month period as 305 of the 339 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Weld, Colo., recorded the fastest employment gain in the country, up 8.9 percent. Atlantic, N.J. experienced the largest over-the-year decrease among these counties with a loss of 1.6 percent.

Among the three largest counties in Oklahoma, employment was highest in Oklahoma County (442,400) in June 2014. Tulsa and Cleveland Counties had employment levels of 342,900 and 78,400, respectively. Together, the three largest Oklahoma counties accounted for 54.7 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 339 largest counties made up 71.8 percent of total U.S. employment.

All three large Oklahoma counties experienced average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014. Tulsa County recorded the fastest rate of increase in average weekly wages, up 3.6 percent. (See table 1.) Tulsa County also had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $894, closely followed by Oklahoma County ($891). Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 2.1 percent from a year ago to $940 in the second quarter of 2014.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 counties in Oklahoma with employment below 75,000. In all but one of these smaller counties, wage levels were below the national average. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Tulsa County’s 3.6-percent rise in average weekly wages from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014 ranked 32^nd among the nation’s 339 largest counties and was well above the U.S. average rate of increase (2.1 percent). Advancing at a slower pace, wages in Oklahoma and Cleveland recorded over-the-year increases of 1.9 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Nationally, 312 of the 339 largest counties registered over-the-year wage increases. Midland, Texas, experienced the largest wage gain in the nation, up 9.0 percent. Douglas, Colo., had the second largest overall increase (8.8 percent), followed by Hillsborough, N.H. and Collier, Fla. (7.4 and 6.8 percent, respectively).

Nationwide, 22 of the largest counties registered wage declines during the period. Williamson, Texas, experienced the largest decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 2.7 percent over the year. Westchester, N.Y., had the second largest wage decline (-1.6 percent), followed by Lake, Ind. (-1.4 percent), and Bibb, Ga. (-1.3 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the state’s three large counties were below the national average of $940 per week. In the second quarter of 2014, average wages in Tulsa County ($894) ranked 148^th and Oklahoma County ($891) ranked 151^st, both in the middle of the national ranking of the 339 largest counties. In contrast, wages in Cleveland County ($716) ranked among the lowest, at 319^th. (See table 1.)

Nationwide, average weekly wages were higher than the U.S. average ($940) in 109 of the 339 largest counties. Santa Clara, Calif., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,886. San Mateo, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,740, followed by New York, N.Y. ($1,732).

Two-thirds of the largest U.S. counties (230) reported average weekly wages below the national average in the second quarter of 2014. The lowest wage was reported in Horry, S.C. ($548), followed by the Texas counties of Cameron ($585) and Hidalgo ($608). Wages in these lowest-ranked counties were less than one-third of the average weekly wage reported for the highest-ranked county, Santa Clara, Calif. ($1,886).

Average weekly wages in Oklahoma's smaller counties

Among the 74 smaller counties in Oklahoma – those with employment below 75,000 – Kingfisher ($979) was the sole county to report average weekly wages above the $940 national average. Including Kingfisher, three others – Woodward ($922), Beckham, and Washington (both at $898 per week) – were among the highest-paid smaller counties in the state. Cimarron County reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state with an average of $500 in the second quarter of 2014. (See table 2.)

When all 77 counties in Oklahoma were considered, 14 reported average wages under $600 per week, 27 registered wages from $600 to $699, 23 had wages from $700 to $799, 13 had wages of $800 or more. (See chart 1.) The higher-paying counties were concentrated around the larger metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as smaller cities including Elk City, Enid, and Woodward. The lower-paying counties, those with weekly wages under $600, were generally located in the eastern third of the state.

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 2013 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2014 version of the news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2013 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2013/home.htm.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

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 9.4 million employer reports cover 137.8 million full- and part-time workers. 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 (see Technical Note below) 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.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 3 largest counties in Oklahoma, second quarter 2014

Area	Employment			Average Weekly Wage (1)
	June 2014 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2013-14 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2013-14 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	137,776.40	2.0	--	$940	--	2.1	--
Oklahoma	1,578.00	1.0	--	816	33	2.6	12
Cleveland, Okla.	78.4	2.1	129	716	319	1.8	167
Oklahoma, Okla.	442.4	1.0	244	891	151	1.9	156
Tulsa, Okla.	342.9	1.6	177	894	148	3.6	32
(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 Oklahoma, second quarter 2014

Area	Employment June 2014	Average Weekly Wage (1)
United States (2)	137,776,364	$940
Oklahoma	1,577,969	816
Adair	4,656	606
Alfalfa	1,731	810
Atoka	3,172	587
Beaver	1,868	732
Beckham	11,785	898
Blaine	3,138	702
Bryan	14,865	657
Caddo	6,707	692
Canadian	31,727	774
Carter	23,815	775
Cherokee	15,411	640
Choctaw	4,151	567
Cimarron	706	500
Cleveland	78,381	716
Coal	1,102	659
Comanche	42,551	712
Cotton	1,461	584
Craig	5,490	635
Creek	18,831	752
Custer	13,361	759
Delaware	8,893	566
Dewey	1,499	774
Ellis	1,312	797
Garfield	26,995	857
Garvin	9,716	850
Grady	12,584	714
Grant	1,438	874
Greer	1,264	599
Harmon	710	596
Harper	1,239	657
Haskell	3,383	550
Hughes	3,132	602
Jackson	9,361	660
Jefferson	1,049	631
Johnston	2,551	652
Kay	18,588	730
Kingfisher	6,027	979
Kiowa	2,167	635
Latimer	3,328	779
LeFlore	13,429	670
Lincoln	6,758	664
Logan	7,246	639
Love	4,861	628
Major	2,941	808
Marshall	4,588	639
Mayes	12,209	769
McClain	8,410	667
McCurtain	10,965	614
McIntosh	3,948	545
Murray	5,983	656
Muskogee	29,185	717
Noble	4,578	759
Nowata	1,687	570
Okfuskee	2,406	589
Oklahoma	442,412	891
Okmulgee	9,626	635
Osage	6,776	697
Ottawa	11,643	581
Pawnee	3,194	752
Payne	33,483	767
Pittsburg	16,007	773
Pontotoc	17,099	707
Pottawatomie	22,374	641
Pushmataha	2,773	560
Roger Mills	755	769
Rogers	27,757	836
Seminole	7,223	668
Sequoyah	9,189	521
Stephens	15,866	835
Texas	9,869	689
Tillman	1,952	627
Tulsa	342,907	894
Wagoner	9,173	675
Washington	21,407	898
Washita	2,179	710
Woods	3,850	751
Woodward	10,684	922
(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: Covered employment and wages 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, second quarter 2014

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2014 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2013-14	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2013-14	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	137776.4	2.0	$940	--	2.1	--
Alabama	1872.9	0.7	806	36	1.6	38
Alaska	344.9	0.5	1,014	8	4.6	2
Arizona	2486.0	1.9	888	21	1.3	43
Arkansas	1168.1	1.5	745	47	1.5	41
California	15905.6	2.8	1,072	6	2.4	15
Colorado	2439.3	3.4	960	14	2.9	8
Connecticut	1676.6	0.6	1,155	3	2.5	13
Delaware	429.0	2.5	976	11	1.2	44
District of Columbia	732.6	1.0	1,569	1	-0.5	51
Florida	7628.6	3.1	839	28	2.1	23
Georgia	4036.3	3.1	882	22	1.7	35
Hawaii	624.6	1.1	845	26	2.7	10
Idaho	659.2	2.5	697	51	2.2	22
Illinois	5836.9	1.5	988	10	1.9	32
Indiana	2916.9	1.8	784	42	1.2	44
Iowa	1547.8	1.6	780	43	3.0	7
Kansas	1372.8	1.7	797	38	2.3	20
Kentucky	1820.8	1.7	798	37	2.0	27
Louisiana	1921.6	1.4	843	27	2.4	15
Maine	610.4	0.8	746	46	2.1	23
Maryland	2594.4	0.9	1,020	7	1.6	38
Massachusetts	3407.0	1.4	1,158	2	2.4	15
Michigan	4164.7	2.3	897	20	2.3	20
Minnesota	2782.0	1.3	947	16	1.9	32
Mississippi	1101.1	0.5	705	50	2.0	27
Missouri	2703.2	1.3	818	31	1.9	32
Montana	453.4	1.1	734	48	2.4	15
Nebraska	956.2	1.4	756	45	2.7	10
Nevada	1210.1	3.4	833	30	0.6	50
New Hampshire	637.2	1.2	955	15	4.3	3
New Jersey	3944.8	0.8	1,097	5	1.2	44
New Mexico	801.0	0.6	794	40	1.7	35
New York	8965.2	1.8	1,146	4	2.4	15
North Carolina	4080.7	2.4	818	31	1.2	44
North Dakota	453.0	4.4	936	17	5.5	1
Ohio	5233.8	1.4	846	25	2.1	23
Oklahoma	1578.0	1.0	816	33	2.6	12
Oregon	1748.4	2.4	874	23	2.9	8
Pennsylvania	5719.8	1.0	933	18	1.6	38
Rhode Island	472.9	1.6	898	19	2.0	27
South Carolina	1916.4	2.7	765	44	2.5	13
South Dakota	422.9	1.4	712	49	3.3	4
Tennessee	2755.7	1.8	836	29	2.0	27
Texas	11402.8	3.0	973	13	3.1	5
Utah	1297.5	2.9	796	39	1.7	35
Vermont	307.0	1.0	813	35	0.7	49
Virginia	3710.8	0.7	976	11	0.8	48
Washington	3109.6	3.2	990	9	2.1	23
West Virginia	711.3	-0.3	792	41	1.4	42
Wisconsin	2809.1	1.3	816	33	2.0	27
Wyoming	295.3	1.6	871	24	3.1	5
Puerto Rico	897.0	-2.0	504	(3)	0.6	(3)
Virgin Islands	37.8	-2.2	728	(3)	2.8	(3)
(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.