Employment increased in 22 of Florida’s largest counties from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Osceola County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 10.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

Among the 25 largest counties in Florida, employment was highest in Miami-Dade County (1,129,100) in September 2021. Within Miami-Dade County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 25 largest Florida counties accounted for 86.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 42 counties in Florida with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 42 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Among Florida’s large counties, 23 reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Three counties had rates of wage gains at or above 10.0 percent. Miami-Dade County had the largest gain (+10.4 percent), followed by Collier and Osceola Counties (+10.0 percent each). Over-the-year wage gains among Florida’s other large counties ranged from 9.7 percent to 5.3 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent). Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

 Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in all 25 of Florida’s largest counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in Florida’s large counties ranged from $1,238 in Miami-Dade County to $838 in Osceola County.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2021. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,710. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 258 counties. At $756 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

 Average weekly wages in Florida’s smaller counties

All 42 smaller counties in Florida—those with employment below 75,000—had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,251. Among these smaller counties, Gadsden had the highest average weekly wage at $1,167. Calhoun County ($660) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 67 counties in Florida were considered, 18 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 20 had average weekly wages from $800 to $899, 15 registered wages from $900 to $999, 7 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 7 had average weekly wages of $1,100 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. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 25 largest counties in Florida, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, third quarter 2021 (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	--	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Florida	808.4	8,910.9	7.0	--	1,120	25	8.7	3
Alachua	7.9	133.4	4.2	112	1,083	202	7.1	73
Brevard	17.7	225.8	4.4	101	1,081	206	6.2	130
Broward	79.3	798.4	5.7	41	1,173	134	8.0	45
Collier	16.8	149.4	6.9	17	1,082	203	10.0	19
Duval	33.4	528.7	3.6	154	1,142	159	6.5	106
Escambia	9.2	139.1	3.3	173	989	287	8.3	38
Hillsborough	51.2	715.2	5.8	37	1,206	110	7.1	73
Lake	9.8	103.6	5.0	68	871	333	8.3	38
Lee	26.2	273.1	7.3	14	997	280	6.5	106
Leon	9.7	151.1	4.1	119	998	277	5.3	190
Manatee	13.1	128.5	5.4	45	983	290	9.7	22
Marion	9.4	108.3	3.3	173	849	336	8.2	42
Miami-Dade	115.6	1,129.1	7.6	10	1,238	93	10.4	10
Okaloosa	7.2	87.2	3.5	161	1,056	228	7.5	56
Orange	51.3	838.0	(5)	-	1,118	173	(5)	-
Osceola	9.0	99.1	10.2	5	838	338	10.0	19
Palm Beach	65.5	605.0	6.3	28	1,218	105	8.0	45
Pasco	13.1	126.9	5.3	50	913	327	9.3	27
Pinellas	38.2	436.1	4.8	77	1,080	207	6.7	97
Polk	16.9	246.3	(5)	-	930	323	(5)	-
St. Johns	9.5	84.8	7.8	9	964	309	7.0	80
St. Lucie	7.8	82.4	6.1	33	908	329	8.6	33
Sarasota	18.4	174.2	7.5	13	1,041	241	7.2	65
Seminole	17.0	199.5	4.1	119	1,076	210	9.0	29
Volusia	16.1	176.4	(5)	-	887	331	8.3	38
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from 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. (5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
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 establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Florida, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment September 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,021,414	144,863,915	$1,251
Florida	808,370	8,910,914	1,120
Alachua	7,908	133,361	1,083
Baker	492	7,614	750
Bay	6,244	76,241	926
Bradford	549	6,402	808
Brevard	17,689	225,809	1,081
Broward	79,331	798,440	1,173
Calhoun	253	2,907	660
Charlotte	5,357	48,712	886
Citrus	3,392	32,223	815
Clay	5,042	52,195	867
Collier	16,821	149,390	1,082
Columbia	1,732	23,519	841
DeSoto	708	9,390	827
Dixie	252	2,740	729
Duval	33,365	528,714	1,142
Escambia	9,237	139,142	989
Flagler	3,055	25,302	793
Franklin	373	3,303	715
Gadsden	915	18,247	1,167
Gilchrist	368	3,551	739
Glades	189	1,838	869
Gulf	470	4,065	807
Hamilton	236	2,900	920
Hardee	586	7,132	750
Hendry	988	12,054	805
Hernando	4,224	46,420	828
Highlands	2,473	26,746	767
Hillsborough	51,224	715,213	1,206
Holmes	392	3,507	668
Indian River	5,532	52,426	947
Jackson	1,027	14,594	780
Jefferson	366	2,774	707
Lafayette	138	1,363	728
Lake	9,807	103,627	871
Lee	26,178	273,136	997
Leon	9,713	151,148	998
Levy	1,069	8,922	721
Liberty	132	1,764	785
Madison	416	4,740	700
Manatee	13,137	128,462	983
Marion	9,436	108,294	849
Martin	7,006	69,167	957
Miami-Dade	115,640	1,129,149	1,238
Monroe	4,875	40,660	970
Nassau	2,614	23,563	897
Okaloosa	7,223	87,240	1,056
Okeechobee	1,066	11,197	801
Orange	51,345	838,006	1,118
Osceola	8,979	99,106	838
Palm Beach	65,548	605,017	1,218
Pasco	13,103	126,909	913
Pinellas	38,173	436,058	1,080
Polk	16,941	246,303	930
Putnam	1,507	16,675	863
St. Johns	9,471	84,778	964
St. Lucie	7,838	82,397	908
Santa Rosa	4,176	40,053	803
Sarasota	18,388	174,193	1,041
Seminole	17,038	199,535	1,076
Sumter	2,281	34,609	966
Suwannee	873	10,763	783
Taylor	461	6,157	799
Union	218	3,352	805
Volusia	16,128	176,373	887
Wakulla	575	6,075	851
Walton	3,489	29,397	921
Washington	497	5,758	740
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: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2021

State	Establishments, third quarter 2021 (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Alabama	139.8	1,955.3	2.6	1,030	36	5.3	37
Alaska	24.0	316.9	4.6	1,205	16	3.4	50
Arizona	184.5	2,926.3	4.6	1,167	19	7.0	13
Arkansas	97.4	1,212.9	2.9	963	47	7.8	6
California	1,679.6	17,208.7	6.6	1,576	4	7.7	8
Colorado	231.8	2,723.4	4.8	1,322	9	7.0	13
Connecticut	132.0	1,605.1	2.9	1,401	6	5.7	31
Delaware	35.9	439.7	2.1	1,198	18	4.4	45
District of Columbia	45.4	736.1	3.1	2,042	1	4.1	46
Florida	808.4	8,910.9	7.0	1,120	25	8.7	3
Georgia	343.9	4,491.4	4.9	1,158	20	6.8	17
Hawaii	49.2	592.8	16.6	1,150	22	3.3	51
Idaho	79.2	804.0	5.3	953	50	7.8	6
Illinois	398.4	5,751.2	3.3	1,274	11	6.3	22
Indiana	178.9	3,020.6	2.6	1,032	34	7.4	10
Iowa	106.8	1,509.6	2.2	1,015	39	4.9	43
Kansas	92.1	1,349.3	1.7	997	40	4.7	44
Kentucky	134.3	1,869.0	3.4	989	43	5.8	28
Louisiana	144.2	1,772.7	1.7	1,021	37	5.4	36
Maine	58.5	619.9	3.6	1,031	35	6.7	18
Maryland	178.1	2,604.6	3.9	1,314	10	3.5	49
Massachusetts	281.4	3,501.0	5.5	1,593	2	7.0	13
Michigan	271.3	4,181.4	3.6	1,154	21	5.3	37
Minnesota	186.9	2,780.5	2.7	1,249	13	6.1	24
Mississippi	77.3	1,122.2	2.6	859	51	6.3	22
Missouri	223.9	2,760.3	2.9	1,055	31	6.0	26
Montana	57.0	487.5	4.4	963	47	6.5	21
Nebraska	75.6	964.6	1.4	1,017	38	5.5	35
Nevada	96.0	1,389.5	10.8	1,135	23	8.3	5
New Hampshire	60.0	654.6	3.3	1,349	8	15.0	1
New Jersey	304.1	3,977.2	5.1	1,384	7	4.1	46
New Mexico	64.8	806.2	4.2	997	40	5.6	32
New York	671.2	8,922.4	4.4	1,534	5	6.1	24
North Carolina	318.4	4,516.4	4.5	1,112	26	7.1	11
North Dakota	33.0	407.2	2.2	1,076	30	5.1	40
Ohio	315.7	5,248.0	2.2	1,098	28	5.6	32
Oklahoma	116.4	1,576.6	1.8	966	45	5.6	32
Oregon	171.2	1,909.5	3.7	1,220	15	9.6	2
Pennsylvania	375.4	5,685.4	3.2	1,205	16	5.8	28
Rhode Island	43.2	474.1	4.8	1,131	24	3.6	48
South Carolina	152.9	2,086.0	2.8	988	44	6.9	16
South Dakota	37.0	435.6	3.1	965	46	5.1	40
Tennessee	187.7	3,044.1	4.2	1,111	27	8.7	3
Texas	770.0	12,613.1	5.6	1,227	14	6.7	18
Utah	123.1	1,594.7	5.0	1,087	29	7.1	11
Vermont	28.1	293.5	2.7	1,055	31	5.8	28
Virginia	299.2	3,845.3	2.9	1,264	12	5.3	37
Washington	266.6	3,415.2	4.4	1,578	3	6.6	20
West Virginia	53.6	664.2	2.7	960	49	5.0	42
Wisconsin	189.5	2,815.9	2.3	1,049	33	7.5	9
Wyoming	28.7	271.1	2.5	995	42	6.0	26
Puerto Rico	47.9	887.9	6.5	568	(3)	4.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.6	34.5	1.9	956	(3)	-5.4	(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.