Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 691-6567 USDL 00-01 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, January 5, 2000 EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY FOR LARGE COUNTIES, 1998 Of the 301 largest counties in the United States, 115 had rates of employment growth above the national average of 2.6 percent in 1998, and 17 experienced declines in employment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Average annual pay in 1998 was higher than the national average of $31,908 in 101 of the largest 301 U.S. counties. (New Jersey data were not available for the third and fourth quarters of 1998 and therefore are not shown in this release. Totals for the United States were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey.) Employment and annual pay data by county are compiled from reports submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws, covering 124.2 million full- and part-time workers. Average annual pay is computed by dividing total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. The attached tables and charts contain data for the nation and for the 301 counties with employment of 75,000 or more. (Some areas defined as counties in this release are not officially designated as counties. In addition, data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, are provided. See Technical Note.) Employment The 301 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.0 percent of total U.S. covered employment, 75.8 percent of total wages, and 9.6 percent of the 3,140 U.S. counties. (San Juan, P.R., is not included in this grouping of U.S. counties.) The largest absolute gains in employment were recorded in the counties of Los Angeles, Calif. (93,336), Harris, Tex. (86,524), Maricopa, Ariz. (79,481), Dallas, Tex. (71,103), and Orange, Calif. (61,822). These five counties accounted for 12.6 percent of total U.S. covered employment growth. (See table A.) Nine of the ten fastest-growing counties were found in the southern and western states. Johnson County, Kan., in the Midwest, had the largest over- the-year percentage increase in employment (6.7 percent), followed by the counties of Clayton, Ga. (6.3 percent), Fort Bend, Tex., and, Travis, Tex. (both 6.2 percent), and Orange, Fla., Gwinnett, Ga., Ada, Idaho, and Lafayette, La. (all 6.1 percent). (See table 1 and chart 1.) - 2 - Table A. Top 10 counties ranked by 1998 employment level, 1997-98 employment growth, and 1997-98 percentage growth in employment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Employment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 | 1997-98 Employment | 1997-98 Percentage Employment | growth | growth in level | | employment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Los Angeles, Calif. 3,968,899| Los Angeles, Calif. 93,336|Johnson, Kan. 6.7 Cook, Ill. 2,673,161| Harris, Tex. 86,524|Clayton, Ga. 6.3 New York, N.Y. 2,263,321| Maricopa, Ariz. 79,481|Fort Bend, Tex. 6.2 Harris, Tex. 1,772,038| Dallas, Tex. 71,103|Travis, Tex. 6.2 Dallas, Tex. 1,473,083| Orange, Calif. 61,822|Orange, Fla. 6.1 Maricopa, Ariz. 1,431,227| New York, N.Y. 58,041|Gwinnett, Ga. 6.1 Orange, Calif. 1,296,883| Cook, Ill. 52,260|Ada, Idaho 6.1 San Diego, Calif. 1,112,513| King, Wash. 50,063|Lafayette, La. 6.1 King, Wash. 1,094,519| San Diego, Calif. 49,921|Horry, S.C. 6.0 Santa Clara, Calif. 962,060| Orange, Fla. 32,733|Denton, Tex. 6.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. 124,150,724| U.S. 3,106,324|U.S. 2.6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Employment declined in 17 counties from 1997 to 1998. The largest percentage declines in employment were in Genesee, Mich. (-4.0 percent), followed by Trumbull, Ohio (-3.0 percent), Kalamazoo, Mich. (-1.4 percent), Lorain, Ohio (-1.1 percent), and Saginaw, Mich. (-1.0 percent). The largest absolute declines in employment occurred in Wayne County, Mich. (-7,150), Genesee County, Mich. (-7,092), Trumbull County, Ohio (-2,896), Honolulu County, Hawaii (-1,958), and St. Louis City, Mo. (-1,791). Average Annual Pay Average annual pay in 1998 was higher than the national average of $31,908 in 101 of the largest 301 U.S. counties. New York County, N.Y., comprised entirely of the borough of Manhattan, continued to have the highest level of average annual pay at $62,838, followed by Fairfield, Conn. ($53,169), Santa Clara, Calif. ($51,409), the District of Columbia ($48,727), and Arlington, Va. ($48,358). (See table B.) There were 185 counties with average annual pay below the national average. The lowest level of average annual pay (excluding San Juan, Puerto Rico), was reported in Hidalgo County, Tex. ($20,717), followed by the counties of Horry, S.C. ($20,762), Cameron, Tex. ($20,962), Yakima, Wash. ($21,483), and Tulare, Calif. ($21,812). (See table 2 and chart 2.) (Fifteen New Jersey counties were not included in the rankings.) Travis County, Tex., led the nation in growth in average annual pay with an increase of 15.5 percent from 1997 to 1998. Boulder County, Colo., was second at 13.9 percent, followed by the counties of Fairfax, Va. (11.4 percent), King, Wash. (10.7 percent), and Denton, Tex. (9.8 percent). - 3 - Table B. Top 10 counties ranked by 1998 pay level, 1997-98 growth in pay, and 1997-98 percentage growth in pay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Average annual pay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1998 Pay | 1997-98 Growth in | 1997-98 Percentage level | pay | growth in pay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ New York, N.Y. $62,838| Travis, Tex. $5,094| Travis, Tex. 15.5 Fairfield, Conn. 53,169| Boulder, Colo. 4,622| Boulder, Colo. 13.9 Santa Clara, Calif. 51,409| Fairfax, Va. 4,617| Fairfax, Va. 11.4 Washington, D.C. 48,727| New York, N.Y. 4,172| King, Wash. 10.7 Arlington, Va. 48,358| King, Wash. 3,990| Denton, Tex. 9.8 San Francisco, Calif. 47,321| Arapahoe, Colo. 3,199| Manatee, Fla. 9.6 Suffolk, Mass. 47,114| Fairfield, Conn. 3,163| Cobb, Ga. 9.6 San Mateo, Calif. 45,402| Cobb, Ga. 3,111| Arapahoe, Colo. 9.1 Fairfax, Va. 45,150| San Francisco, Calif. 3,014| Collin, Tex. 8.4 Middlesex, Mass. 42,919| Middlesex, Mass. 2,960| Linn, Iowa 8.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. 31,908| U.S. 1,555| U.S. 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hamilton County, Tenn., had the slowest rate of positive growth (1.4 percent), followed by the counties of Anchorage, Alaska (1.9 percent), Mahoning, Ohio, and Lucas, Ohio (both 2.1 percent), and Niagara, N.Y. (2.2 percent). Two counties experienced declines in average annual pay in 1998, Ingham, Mich. (-0.4 percent), and Trumbull, Ohio (-0.1 percent). Technical Note These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Covered Employment and Wages, or the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The summaries are a by-product of the administration of state unemployment insurance programs that require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based on the employment and wages of workers covered by UI. Data for 1998 are preliminary and subject to revision. Effective with third-quarter 1997 processing, employment and wages totals were generated using new systems in each of the states and at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In some cases, this transition to new systems resulted in larger differences between preliminary and final 1997 levels. Coverage Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws and for federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program are compiled from quarterly contribution reports submitted to the SESAs by employers. In addition to the quarterly contribution report, employers who operate multiple establishments within a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report," which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of their establishments. Average annual employment and pay data included in this release are derived from establishment level summaries of nearly 7.7 million employer reports of employment and wages submitted by states to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These reports are based on place of employment rather than place of residence. UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to state. In 1998, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 124.2 million jobs. The estimated 119 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment for multiple jobholders) represented 98.4 percent of wage and salary civilian employment. Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the Current Population Survey (CPS). Covered workers received $3.961 trillion in pay, representing 95.5 percent of the wage and salary component of personal income and 46.5 percent of the gross domestic product. Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1998 included most agricultural workers on small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic workers, most student workers at schools, and employees of certain small nonprofit organizations. Concepts and methodology Average annual pay was computed by dividing total annual pay of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. Included in the annual payroll data are bonuses, the cash value of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other gratuities, and, in some states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans such as 401(k) plans and stock options. Monthly employment is based on the number of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period including the 12th day of the month. With few exceptions, all employees of covered firms are reported, including production and sales workers, corporation officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical workers. Workers on paid vacation and part-time workers also are included. Percent changes in average annual pay were computed using final 1997 data as the base. These final 1997 data may differ from the preliminary 1997 data previously published. Average annual pay is affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying occupations. When comparing average annual pay levels between counties, these factors should be taken into consideration. Annual pay data only approximate annual earnings because an individual may not be employed by the same employer all year or may work for more than one employer. Also, year-to-year changes in average annual pay can result from a change in the proportion of employment in high- and low-wage jobs, as well as from changes in the level of average annual pay. In order to insure the highest possible quality of data, SESAs verify with employers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment classification codes resulting from the verification process are introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the year. Changes resulting from improved employer reporting also are introduced in the first quarter. For these reasons, some data, especially at more detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with earlier years. In 1997, effective with first-quarter data, improved Department of Defense civilian employment and wages were centrally collected from a new data source. The 1997 data have been adjusted for code changes in order to be comparable with 1998 data. Some code changes were too extensive to allow comparisons for ranking. These counties are presented in the table with totals in employment and average annual pay but are not assigned rankings by 1997-98 percent change. County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104- 106. Areas shown as counties include those designated as independent cities in some jurisdictions, and, in Alaska, those designated as census areas where counties have not been created. County data also are presented for the New England states for comparative purposes even though townships are the more common designation used in New England (and New Jersey). The regions referred to in this release are defined as census regions. This is the second year that BLS has published data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the tables. Data for Puerto Rico are not included in the U.S. totals. Additional statistics and other information Average annual industry employment and pay data at the national, state, consolidated metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan statistical area, and county levels are available upon request from the Division of Occupational and Administrative Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212, telephone 202-691-6567 (e-mail: 202_info@bls.gov). The comprehensive bulletin, Employment and Wages, features information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 1998 is available for sale from the BLS Publication Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690. News releases providing 1998 average annual pay data by state and industry and by metropolitan areas also are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-5886; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339. Table 1. Employment and average annual pay for 1998 and 1997-98 percent changes for all covered workers(1) in the 302 largest counties Employment Average annual pay County(2) Percent Ranked by Percent 1998(3) change, percent 1998(3) change, 1997-1998(4) change, 1997-1998(4) 1997-1998(5) United States(6)........ 124,150,724 2.6 - $31,908 5.1 Jefferson, AL........... 380,596 2.2 150 31,309 3.2 Madison, AL............. 149,383 2.8 96 33,732 4.4 Mobile, AL.............. 170,831 1.3 220 27,207 2.8 Montgomery, AL.......... 130,743 2.1 157 26,782 3.4 Anchorage, AK........... 125,585 3.0 81 35,441 1.9 Maricopa, AZ............ 1,431,227 5.9 11 31,323 6.5 Pima, AZ................ 308,270 2.5 121 26,773 5.0 Pulaski, AR............. 240,306 1.4 211 28,805 4.8 Washington, AR.......... 75,520 2.0 167 24,472 4.9 Alameda, CA............. 651,554 2.3 140 38,825 6.0 Contra Costa, CA........ 318,410 3.6 60 37,941 5.5 Fresno, CA.............. 310,987 0.9 240 24,020 5.0 Kern, CA................ 232,372 2.0 168 26,281 3.7 Los Angeles, CA......... 3,968,899 2.4 133 36,608 4.7 Marin, CA............... 106,618 2.7 104 37,613 7.9 Monterey, CA............ 154,097 1.9 179 27,294 4.6 Orange, CA.............. 1,296,883 5.0 24 35,714 5.8 Placer, CA.............. 91,443 4.5 33 29,375 7.8 Riverside, CA........... 415,178 5.2 17 26,855 6.0 Sacramento, CA.......... 532,076 2.9 87 34,109 6.1 San Bernardino, CA...... 475,124 2.5 122 28,073 4.5 San Diego, CA........... 1,112,513 4.7 31 32,221 6.1 San Francisco, CA....... 576,006 3.5 62 47,321 6.8 San Joaquin, CA......... 186,654 1.3 221 26,972 3.2 San Luis Obispo, CA..... 89,247 2.7 105 25,733 4.2 San Mateo, CA........... 345,934 4.6 32 45,402 6.9 Santa Barbara, CA....... 166,131 0.1 265 29,277 5.5 Santa Clara, CA......... 962,060 3.0 82 51,409 5.7 Santa Cruz, CA.......... 100,226 2.0 169 28,862 6.3 Solano, CA.............. 107,224 2.4 134 28,090 4.1 Sonoma, CA.............. 178,816 4.2 41 30,653 6.5 Stanislaus, CA.......... 152,595 3.8 51 26,036 4.3 Tulare, CA.............. 125,983 2.3 141 21,812 4.9 Ventura, CA............. 265,311 3.3 70 31,962 4.8 Yolo, CA................ 78,860 2.8 97 32,024 3.7 Adams, CO............... 130,296 3.7 56 30,228 5.7 Arapahoe, CO............ 261,008 4.5 34 38,521 9.1 Boulder, CO............. 158,811 4.9 27 37,821 13.9 Denver, CO.............. 446,305 3.6 61 37,489 7.1 El Paso, CO............. 220,396 3.7 57 29,407 7.7 Jefferson, CO........... 199,697 1.4 212 32,879 3.5 Larimer, CO............. 110,450 5.0 25 29,159 6.4 Fairfield, CT........... 420,423 2.2 151 53,169 6.3 Hartford, CT............ 490,912 1.3 222 39,458 5.0 New Haven, CT........... 361,565 1.7 189 35,182 3.7 New London, CT.......... 120,596 0.7 251 34,612 4.7 New Castle, DE.......... 274,788 3.0 83 37,395 5.5 Washington, DC.......... 594,313 0.1 266 48,727 4.2 Alachua, FL............. 112,611 2.7 106 24,956 5.7 Brevard, FL............. 174,116 1.4 213 29,462 3.9 Broward, FL............. 617,610 2.3 142 29,939 5.0 Collier, FL............. 92,769 (7) (7) 26,739 (7) Dade, FL................ 949,468 1.6 198 30,828 4.9 Duval, FL............... 411,785 2.3 143 31,236 7.6 Escambia, FL............ 121,615 2.0 170 25,432 4.3 Hillsborough, FL........ 554,845 5.6 12 29,058 5.6 Lee, FL................. 153,569 4.5 35 25,267 4.4 Leon, FL................ 136,152 1.3 223 27,207 6.5 Manatee, FL............. 112,233 0.7 252 23,747 9.6 Marion, FL.............. 79,708 3.8 52 23,570 5.1 Orange, FL.............. 569,464 6.1 5 28,877 5.8 Palm Beach, FL.......... 450,045 3.7 58 31,735 6.5 Pinellas, FL............ 408,454 3.4 65 28,486 4.7 Polk, FL................ 176,689 3.4 66 26,189 4.6 Sarasota, FL............ 127,856 2.4 135 26,490 4.7 Seminole, FL............ 127,533 (7) (7) 27,594 (7) Volusia, FL............. 137,201 0.9 241 22,793 3.6 Bibb, GA................ 88,910 -0.3 271 27,527 4.1 Chatham, GA............. 118,939 0.8 246 28,164 7.6 Clayton, GA............. 114,423 6.3 2 33,010 3.9 Cobb, GA................ 282,019 5.1 18 35,491 9.6 Dekalb, GA.............. 313,199 1.4 214 35,216 3.0 Fulton, GA.............. 716,276 4.3 39 40,740 7.7 Gwinnett, GA............ 251,481 6.1 6 34,369 6.3 Muscogee, GA............ 97,609 1.8 183 25,685 3.8 Richmond, GA............ 105,195 2.0 171 27,008 5.4 Honolulu, HI............ 398,674 -0.5 274 30,248 2.5 Ada, ID................. 160,625 6.1 7 29,185 2.7 Champaign, IL........... 83,940 0.9 242 26,941 4.3 Cook, IL................ 2,673,161 2.0 172 38,471 4.5 Du Page, IL............. 556,291 4.2 42 39,129 7.2 Kane, IL................ 169,729 2.1 158 31,377 5.8 Lake, IL................ 285,327 2.5 123 38,904 6.7 McHenry, IL............. 80,253 2.0 173 29,611 5.1 McLean, IL.............. 78,169 5.4 14 31,410 2.7 Madison, IL............. 92,351 0.6 255 27,269 3.6 Peoria, IL.............. 103,151 1.3 224 29,272 5.7 Rock Island, IL......... 79,017 2.8 98 33,098 2.5 St. Clair, IL........... 87,383 0.9 243 26,094 6.9 Sangamon, IL............ 143,515 4.5 36 32,794 4.6 Will, IL................ 126,893 3.9 50 30,362 3.9 Winnebago, IL........... 142,498 0.5 256 30,360 4.4 Allen, IN............... 188,314 2.4 136 30,022 4.0 Elkhart, IN............. 116,680 2.9 88 28,724 5.6 Lake, IN................ 203,256 1.2 227 30,448 5.1 Marion, IN.............. 584,601 2.3 144 34,221 7.0 St. Joseph, IN.......... 128,672 1.3 225 27,683 4.2 Vanderburgh, IN......... 106,803 1.4 215 28,118 7.1 Linn, IA................ 115,148 4.4 37 31,394 8.2 Polk, IA................ 254,664 2.8 99 31,179 4.9 Scott, IA............... 86,878 3.3 71 27,333 3.5 Johnson, KS............. 267,602 6.7 1 32,207 5.6 Sedgwick, KS............ 249,305 3.0 84 31,451 4.4 Shawnee, KS............. 97,366 1.6 199 27,479 5.2 Wyandotte, KS........... 78,533 0.3 261 32,150 3.6 Fayette, KY............. 165,174 2.8 100 28,190 4.0 Jefferson, KY........... 426,473 2.1 159 30,506 6.1 Caddo, LA............... 118,235 0.8 247 27,085 4.0 Calcasieu, LA........... 83,584 1.5 205 27,751 2.5 East Baton Rouge, LA.... 232,053 4.2 43 28,283 5.0 Jefferson, LA........... 213,623 1.7 190 26,683 5.2 Lafayette, LA........... 116,334 6.1 8 28,939 2.6 Orleans, LA............. 260,071 0.1 267 30,956 5.1 Cumberland, ME.......... 157,926 2.2 152 28,897 4.9 Anne Arundel, MD........ 178,218 2.5 124 32,191 5.2 Baltimore, MD........... 345,836 1.4 216 31,906 4.9 Howard, MD.............. 114,170 4.8 28 34,932 5.9 Montgomery, MD.......... 413,460 3.3 72 39,626 5.2 Prince Georges, MD...... 293,672 1.8 184 33,887 3.8 Baltimore City, MD...... 378,823 0.0 268 35,095 3.9 Barnstable, MA.......... 81,767 2.4 137 26,965 7.3 Bristol, MA............. 211,331 1.7 191 28,263 4.4 Essex, MA............... 290,314 2.1 160 33,384 3.0 Hampden, MA............. 195,354 1.1 233 29,737 3.6 Middlesex, MA........... 804,467 2.6 114 42,919 7.4 Norfolk, MA............. 309,406 2.3 145 37,328 5.4 Plymouth, MA............ 161,112 1.9 180 30,985 5.9 Suffolk, MA............. 577,151 2.5 125 47,114 6.1 Worcester, MA........... 310,778 2.5 126 32,851 4.2 Genesee, MI............. 168,319 -4.0 285 34,612 2.8 Ingham, MI.............. 172,165 -0.8 279 31,747 -0.4 Kalamazoo, MI........... 118,045 -1.4 283 31,681 5.5 Kent, MI................ 330,982 0.5 257 32,115 5.7 Macomb, MI.............. 329,835 -0.3 272 38,110 3.6 Oakland, MI............. 730,112 2.8 101 41,473 7.1 Ottawa, MI.............. 110,337 1.5 206 30,219 4.4 Saginaw, MI............. 94,125 -1.0 281 32,465 3.2 Washtenaw, MI........... 186,120 2.0 174 36,547 5.9 Wayne, MI............... 840,947 -0.8 280 39,713 6.7 Anoka, MN............... 100,651 3.7 59 31,431 5.8 Dakota, MN.............. 140,502 2.7 107 31,492 6.8 Hennepin, MN............ 845,029 2.9 89 39,020 6.7 Olmsted, MN............. 77,055 5.3 16 33,142 5.0 Ramsey, MN.............. 321,661 1.7 192 35,168 4.8 St. Louis, MN........... 92,815 1.9 181 26,593 4.9 Harrison, MS............ 84,164 4.2 44 23,412 7.3 Hinds, MS............... 143,575 2.9 90 27,962 2.5 Clay, MO................ 83,661 1.0 237 29,069 4.8 Greene, MO.............. 135,853 1.8 185 25,370 4.5 Jackson, MO............. 388,592 0.9 244 32,496 5.2 St. Charles, MO......... 89,330 2.2 153 27,458 5.8 St. Louis, MO........... 632,614 2.0 175 34,650 3.8 St. Louis City, MO...... 253,012 -0.7 278 36,163 4.1 Douglas, NE............. 316,991 3.5 63 29,397 3.0 Lancaster, NE........... 139,875 3.2 75 26,608 5.7 Clark, NV............... 615,200 5.1 19 30,217 5.7 Washoe, NV.............. 179,750 2.7 108 29,827 4.9 Hillsborough, NH........ 183,983 2.9 91 34,236 5.6 Rockingham, NH.......... 118,890 3.2 76 31,915 7.5 Atlantic, NJ............ (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Bergen, NJ.............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Burlington, NJ.......... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Camden, NJ.............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Essex, NJ............... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Gloucester, NJ.......... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Hudson, NJ.............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Mercer, NJ.............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Middlesex, NJ........... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Monmouth, NJ............ (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Morris, NJ.............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Ocean, NJ............... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Passaic, NJ............. (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Somerset, NJ............ (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Union, NJ............... (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) Bernalillo, NM.......... 297,378 0.8 248 28,272 4.8 Albany, NY.............. 223,506 1.1 234 32,857 4.9 Bronx, NY............... 205,181 0.2 262 31,201 3.5 Broome, NY.............. 97,213 1.1 235 28,018 2.8 Dutchess, NY............ 104,263 1.2 228 33,581 7.9 Erie, NY................ 449,905 0.4 260 29,753 5.0 Kings, NY............... 418,235 1.7 193 28,929 3.9 Monroe, NY.............. 394,257 0.9 245 34,360 2.5 Nassau, NY.............. 577,691 1.6 200 36,648 4.2 New York, NY............ 2,263,321 2.6 115 62,838 7.1 Niagara, NY............. 78,451 -0.3 273 29,122 2.2 Oneida, NY.............. 106,490 1.7 194 25,742 2.3 Onondaga, NY............ 248,093 1.2 229 30,475 3.3 Orange, NY.............. 113,672 2.5 127 27,299 3.9 Queens, NY.............. 466,756 2.8 102 32,625 3.9 Richmond, NY............ 83,333 2.9 92 30,187 7.0 Rockland, NY............ 101,532 4.0 46 35,316 4.9 Suffolk, NY............. 538,858 2.9 93 34,792 4.1 Westchester, NY......... 388,195 2.2 154 41,702 4.7 Buncombe, NC............ 104,291 1.6 201 25,913 4.6 Catawba, NC............. 96,004 3.0 85 26,186 5.3 Cumberland, NC.......... 104,872 3.0 86 24,500 4.1 Durham, NC.............. 157,793 2.9 94 39,330 2.7 Forsyth, NC............. 175,802 2.3 146 31,253 4.4 Gaston, NC.............. 81,215 -0.5 275 25,872 4.3 Guilford, NC............ 272,718 2.1 161 30,088 5.8 Mecklenburg, NC......... 471,101 4.0 47 36,887 7.4 New Hanover, NC......... 83,414 4.1 45 25,864 3.5 Wake, NC................ 358,873 5.5 13 30,970 5.5 Cass, ND................ 78,112 3.1 78 25,767 5.7 Butler, OH.............. 116,636 2.5 128 29,896 3.8 Cuyahoga, OH............ 808,148 1.5 207 33,828 3.9 Franklin, OH............ 667,000 2.7 109 32,135 6.0 Hamilton, OH............ 567,167 1.4 217 34,675 6.4 Lake, OH................ 99,922 2.0 176 29,237 3.3 Lorain, OH.............. 100,560 -1.1 282 30,820 6.7 Lucas, OH............... 236,111 1.2 230 30,487 2.1 Mahoning, OH............ 113,265 2.6 116 24,606 2.1 Montgomery, OH.......... 302,661 0.2 263 32,288 2.8 Stark, OH............... 172,331 2.0 177 27,562 5.0 Summit, OH.............. 259,952 0.8 249 31,249 5.2 Trumbull, OH............ 94,988 -3.0 284 31,326 -0.1 Oklahoma, OK............ 393,521 2.8 103 27,105 3.6 Tulsa, OK............... 331,528 4.8 29 29,402 4.5 Clackamas, OR........... 126,150 2.1 162 29,934 4.3 Lane, OR................ 136,028 3.4 67 26,132 4.1 Marion, OR.............. 123,578 1.0 238 26,059 4.1 Multnomah, OR........... 443,202 1.4 218 33,346 3.3 Washington, OR.......... 209,557 3.5 64 36,668 5.0 Allegheny, PA........... 692,422 1.6 202 33,693 3.3 Berks, PA............... 162,663 0.5 258 30,547 3.8 Bucks, PA............... 232,776 2.4 138 31,506 4.2 Chester, PA............. 201,970 3.8 53 39,414 6.4 Cumberland, PA.......... 126,274 2.1 163 30,730 6.3 Dauphin, PA............. 168,422 1.3 226 31,783 4.9 Delaware, PA............ 215,782 1.6 203 34,152 6.9 Erie, PA................ 126,413 1.2 231 27,488 2.6 Lackawanna, PA.......... 95,608 -0.1 269 25,556 4.7 Lancaster, PA........... 210,652 1.7 195 28,515 4.6 Lehigh, PA.............. 162,361 2.1 164 32,712 3.7 Luzerne, PA............. 137,327 0.7 253 26,500 3.6 Montgomery, PA.......... 461,040 2.7 110 39,427 6.4 Northampton, PA......... 84,338 2.3 147 28,693 2.3 Philadelphia, PA........ 649,416 1.4 219 37,529 5.3 Westmoreland, PA........ 131,668 0.7 254 26,719 3.4 York, PA................ 160,192 0.8 250 29,280 4.1 Providence, RI.......... 282,341 1.9 182 31,134 5.0 Charleston, SC.......... 174,215 3.4 68 25,166 4.7 Greenville, SC.......... 219,017 2.0 178 29,093 4.8 Horry, SC............... 92,827 6.0 9 20,762 6.4 Lexington, SC........... 78,517 4.3 40 24,980 4.2 Richland, SC............ 200,874 3.2 77 27,508 5.6 Spartanburg, SC......... 119,468 1.0 239 28,423 5.2 Minnehaha, SD........... 97,524 4.4 38 26,249 5.9 Davidson, TN............ 424,989 3.8 54 31,952 3.4 Hamilton, TN............ 178,577 2.6 117 28,458 1.4 Knox, TN................ 194,462 2.3 148 28,330 5.7 Shelby, TN.............. 485,512 2.2 155 32,327 7.1 Bell, TX................ 84,157 2.4 139 23,474 3.0 Bexar, TX............... 619,235 3.1 79 27,341 5.8 Cameron, TX............. 99,328 2.5 129 20,962 4.8 Collin, TX.............. 140,797 5.4 15 37,947 8.4 Dallas, TX.............. 1,473,083 5.1 20 38,845 6.4 Denton, TX.............. 106,177 6.0 10 27,742 9.8 El Paso, TX............. 244,352 1.8 186 23,697 4.2 Fort Bend, TX........... 81,711 6.2 3 33,605 5.2 Galveston, TX........... 89,015 2.9 95 28,238 4.9 Harris, TX.............. 1,772,038 5.1 21 37,420 5.2 Hidalgo, TX............. 145,594 4.0 48 20,717 4.7 Jefferson, TX........... 121,238 2.2 156 30,957 6.0 Lubbock, TX............. 111,730 1.6 204 24,597 4.9 Mc Lennan, TX........... 95,268 1.5 208 25,470 4.5 Nueces, TX.............. 140,972 1.8 187 26,619 3.6 Smith, TX............... 79,778 2.7 111 27,572 5.6 Tarrant, TX............. 656,995 3.8 55 32,416 5.5 Travis, TX.............. 492,931 6.2 4 37,997 15.5 Davis, UT............... 79,927 2.7 112 24,969 4.1 Salt Lake, UT........... 505,786 3.1 80 29,450 4.4 Utah, UT................ 131,378 5.1 22 25,301 4.7 Weber, UT............... 84,280 0.2 264 25,073 5.3 Chittenden, VT.......... 88,131 2.1 165 31,521 5.6 Arlington, VA........... 155,859 -0.5 276 48,358 4.8 Chesterfield, VA........ 101,034 4.0 49 29,357 5.6 Fairfax, VA............. 479,883 5.0 26 45,150 11.4 Henrico, VA............. 153,347 2.1 166 31,851 5.4 Alexandria, VA.......... 86,201 2.5 130 39,015 4.8 Chesapeake, VA.......... 76,482 2.3 149 23,902 5.6 Newport News, VA........ 93,904 1.5 209 27,562 3.9 Norfolk, VA............. 147,345 -0.1 270 29,262 4.5 Richmond, VA............ 170,925 -0.6 277 35,347 4.5 Roanoke City, VA........ 75,503 1.7 196 26,701 5.5 Virginia Beach, VA...... 154,455 3.3 73 23,641 3.2 Clark, WA............... 109,482 3.4 69 29,331 4.4 King, WA................ 1,094,519 4.8 30 41,291 10.7 Pierce, WA.............. 228,334 2.6 118 27,507 3.9 Snohomish, WA........... 213,306 5.1 23 33,595 4.1 Spokane, WA............. 180,668 1.8 188 26,568 4.1 Thurston, WA............ 81,023 2.7 113 28,460 4.0 Yakima, WA.............. 94,174 1.7 197 21,483 3.7 Kanawha, WV............. 110,451 1.1 236 28,634 3.4 Brown, WI............... 133,995 2.6 119 29,799 3.0 Dane, WI................ 262,006 2.5 131 29,872 4.9 Milwaukee, WI........... 526,948 1.2 232 32,327 4.5 Outagamie, WI........... 90,102 2.6 120 28,211 2.9 Racine, WI.............. 79,343 0.5 259 31,371 3.4 Waukesha, WI............ 212,224 3.3 74 33,132 5.3 Winnebago, WI........... 87,028 2.5 132 31,258 4.1 San Juan, PR............ 320,345 1.5 210 19,575 4.9 1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. The 301 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties, comprise 70.0% of the total covered workers in the U.S. 2 Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See technical note. 3 Data are preliminary. 4 Percent changes were computed from annual employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See technical note. 5 Rankings for percent change in employment are based on the 285 counties that are comparable over the year. 6 Totals for the United States were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the third and fourth quarters in 1998 and do not include data for Puerto Rico. 7 Data are not available for release. 8 New Jersey counties are not available for 1998. Please see text for more information. Table 2. County rankings of employment and average annual pay for 1998 and 1997-98 percent changes for all covered workers(1) in the 302 largest counties Employment Average annual pay County(2) Net Ranked by 1998(3) change, 1998(3) Ranked by percent 1997-1998(4) 1998 level change, 1997-1998(5) Los Angeles, CA....... 3,968,899 93,336 $36,608 43 152 Cook, IL.............. 2,673,161 52,260 38,471 28 167 New York, NY.......... 2,263,321 58,041 62,838 1 27 Harris, TX............ 1,772,038 86,524 37,420 37 113 Dallas, TX............ 1,473,083 71,103 38,845 25 49 Maricopa, AZ.......... 1,431,227 79,481 31,323 118 40 Orange, CA............ 1,296,883 61,822 35,714 46 66 San Diego, CA......... 1,112,513 49,921 32,221 92 55 King, WA.............. 1,094,519 50,063 41,291 13 4 Santa Clara, CA....... 962,060 28,000 51,409 3 73 Dade, FL.............. 949,468 14,528 30,828 131 130 Hennepin, MN.......... 845,029 24,188 39,020 22 38 Wayne, MI............. 840,947 -7,150 39,713 15 37 Cuyahoga, OH.......... 808,148 12,206 33,828 68 219 Middlesex, MA......... 804,467 20,706 42,919 10 19 Oakland, MI........... 730,112 19,826 41,473 12 26 Fulton, GA............ 716,276 29,716 40,740 14 15 Allegheny, PA......... 692,422 10,953 33,693 70 252 Franklin, OH.......... 667,000 17,425 32,135 96 60 Tarrant, TX........... 656,995 23,942 32,416 88 96 Alameda, CA........... 651,554 14,616 38,825 26 58 Philadelphia, PA...... 649,416 8,702 37,529 35 102 St. Louis, MO......... 632,614 12,264 34,650 58 224 Bexar, TX............. 619,235 18,821 27,341 217 72 Broward, FL........... 617,610 13,871 29,939 149 121 Clark, NV............. 615,200 29,928 30,217 145 79 Washington, DC........ 594,313 758 48,727 4 189 Marion, IN............ 584,601 13,279 34,221 64 29 Nassau, NY............ 577,691 9,284 36,648 42 192 Suffolk, MA........... 577,151 14,176 47,114 7 57 San Francisco, CA..... 576,006 19,491 47,321 6 34 Orange, FL............ 569,464 32,733 28,877 180 67 Hamilton, OH.......... 567,167 7,721 34,675 57 45 Du Page, IL........... 556,291 22,223 39,129 21 23 Hillsborough, FL...... 554,845 29,590 29,058 176 82 Suffolk, NY........... 538,858 14,972 34,792 56 199 Sacramento, CA........ 532,076 15,239 34,109 66 54 Milwaukee, WI......... 526,948 6,364 32,327 90 173 Salt Lake, UT......... 505,786 15,315 29,450 159 181 Travis, TX............ 492,931 28,746 37,997 30 1 Hartford, CT.......... 490,912 6,403 39,458 17 120 Shelby, TN............ 485,512 10,532 32,327 89 28 Fairfax, VA........... 479,883 22,735 45,150 9 3 San Bernardino, CA.... 475,124 11,532 28,073 201 166 Mecklenburg, NC....... 471,101 18,046 36,887 40 20 Queens, NY............ 466,756 12,756 32,625 85 218 Montgomery, PA........ 461,040 12,294 39,427 18 47 Palm Beach, FL........ 450,045 15,883 31,735 106 43 Erie, NY.............. 449,905 1,611 29,753 155 124 Denver, CO............ 446,305 15,503 37,489 36 24 Multnomah, OR......... 443,202 6,321 33,346 75 251 Jefferson, KY......... 426,473 8,905 30,506 136 56 Davidson, TN.......... 424,989 15,404 31,952 100 246 Fairfield, CT......... 420,423 9,071 53,169 2 51 Kings, NY............. 418,235 6,811 28,929 178 216 Riverside, CA......... 415,178 20,470 26,855 230 59 Montgomery, MD........ 413,460 13,274 39,626 16 108 Duval, FL............. 411,785 9,176 31,236 123 16 Pinellas, FL.......... 408,454 13,409 28,486 187 154 Honolulu, HI.......... 398,674 -1,958 30,248 142 272 Monroe, NY............ 394,257 3,506 34,360 62 276 Oklahoma, OK.......... 393,521 10,551 27,105 224 237 Jackson, MO........... 388,592 3,504 32,496 86 109 Westchester, NY....... 388,195 8,221 41,702 11 156 Jefferson, AL......... 380,596 8,320 31,309 119 253 Baltimore City, MD.... 378,823 -16 35,095 54 215 New Haven, CT......... 361,565 5,929 35,182 52 229 Wake, NC.............. 358,873 18,641 30,970 128 95 San Mateo, CA......... 345,934 15,354 45,402 8 31 Baltimore, MD......... 345,836 4,740 31,906 102 133 Tulsa, OK............. 331,528 15,191 29,402 161 169 Kent, MI.............. 330,982 1,494 32,115 97 77 Macomb, MI............ 329,835 -1,077 38,110 29 236 Ramsey, MN............ 321,661 5,268 35,168 53 145 San Juan, PR.......... 320,345 4,802 19,575 287 142 Contra Costa, CA...... 318,410 11,135 37,941 32 91 Douglas, NE........... 316,991 10,800 29,397 162 259 Dekalb, GA............ 313,199 4,458 35,216 51 257 Fresno, CA............ 310,987 2,747 24,020 273 119 Worcester, MA......... 310,778 7,593 32,851 82 191 Norfolk, MA........... 309,406 6,878 37,328 39 99 Pima, AZ.............. 308,270 7,438 26,773 232 118 Montgomery, OH........ 302,661 552 32,288 91 266 Bernalillo, NM........ 297,378 2,444 28,272 193 147 Prince Georges, MD.... 293,672 5,187 33,887 67 223 Essex, MA............. 290,314 5,894 33,384 74 258 Lake, IL.............. 285,327 6,909 38,904 24 36 Providence, RI........ 282,341 5,165 31,134 126 127 Cobb, GA.............. 282,019 13,640 35,491 47 7 New Castle, DE........ 274,788 7,974 37,395 38 93 Guilford, NC.......... 272,718 5,691 30,088 147 71 Johnson, KS........... 267,602 16,873 32,207 93 84 Ventura, CA........... 265,311 8,458 31,962 99 144 Dane, WI.............. 262,006 6,444 29,872 152 141 Arapahoe, CO.......... 261,008 11,123 38,521 27 8 Orleans, LA........... 260,071 272 30,956 130 117 Summit, OH............ 259,952 2,132 31,249 122 110 Polk, IA.............. 254,664 6,916 31,179 125 131 St. Louis City, MO.... 253,012 -1,791 36,163 45 198 Gwinnett, GA.......... 251,481 14,479 34,369 61 52 Sedgwick, KS.......... 249,305 7,189 31,451 111 177 Onondaga, NY.......... 248,093 2,874 30,475 138 249 El Paso, TX........... 244,352 4,418 23,697 276 195 Pulaski, AR........... 240,306 3,232 28,805 182 143 Lucas, OH............. 236,111 2,780 30,487 137 280 Bucks, PA............. 232,776 5,386 31,506 109 193 Kern, CA.............. 232,372 4,504 26,281 243 227 East Baton Rouge, LA.. 232,053 9,257 28,283 192 122 Pierce, WA............ 228,334 5,866 27,507 213 221 Albany, NY............ 223,506 2,468 32,857 81 136 El Paso, CO........... 220,396 7,795 29,407 160 14 Greenville, SC........ 219,017 4,222 29,093 174 148 Delaware, PA.......... 215,782 3,364 34,152 65 33 Jefferson, LA......... 213,623 3,664 26,683 236 106 Snohomish, WA......... 213,306 10,287 33,595 72 205 Waukesha, WI.......... 212,224 6,759 33,132 77 104 Bristol, MA........... 211,331 3,471 28,263 194 178 Lancaster, PA......... 210,652 3,620 28,515 186 165 Washington, OR........ 209,557 7,054 36,668 41 126 Bronx, NY............. 205,181 491 31,201 124 242 Lake, IN.............. 203,256 2,488 30,448 139 116 Chester, PA........... 201,970 7,404 39,414 19 46 Richland, SC.......... 200,874 6,140 27,508 212 86 Jefferson, CO......... 199,697 2,702 32,879 80 240 Hampden, MA........... 195,354 2,203 29,737 156 235 Knox, TN.............. 194,462 4,427 28,330 191 81 Allen, IN............. 188,314 4,369 30,022 148 208 San Joaquin, CA....... 186,654 2,400 26,972 227 254 Washtenaw, MI......... 186,120 3,707 36,547 44 64 Hillsborough, NH...... 183,983 5,204 34,236 63 85 Spokane, WA........... 180,668 3,276 26,568 240 206 Washoe, NV............ 179,750 4,702 29,827 153 135 Sonoma, CA............ 178,816 7,131 30,653 134 41 Hamilton, TN.......... 178,577 4,511 28,458 189 283 Anne Arundel, MD...... 178,218 4,310 32,191 94 107 Polk, FL.............. 176,689 5,847 26,189 245 162 Forsyth, NC........... 175,802 3,911 31,253 121 180 Charleston, SC........ 174,215 5,684 25,166 264 158 Brevard, FL........... 174,116 2,430 29,462 158 212 Stark, OH............. 172,331 3,401 27,562 209 125 Ingham, MI............ 172,165 -1,336 31,747 105 285 Richmond, VA.......... 170,925 -1,044 35,347 49 172 Mobile, AL............ 170,831 2,203 27,207 222 263 Kane, IL.............. 169,729 3,552 31,377 115 68 Dauphin, PA........... 168,422 2,137 31,783 104 138 Genesee, MI........... 168,319 -7,092 34,612 60 264 Santa Barbara, CA..... 166,131 139 29,277 167 92 Fayette, KY........... 165,174 4,479 28,190 197 209 Berks, PA............. 162,663 822 30,547 135 226 Lehigh, PA............ 162,361 3,312 32,712 84 230 Plymouth, MA.......... 161,112 2,942 30,985 127 63 Ada, ID............... 160,625 9,272 29,185 171 267 York, PA.............. 160,192 1,219 29,280 166 203 Boulder, CO........... 158,811 7,449 37,821 33 2 Cumberland, ME........ 157,926 3,397 28,897 179 132 Durham, NC............ 157,793 4,442 39,330 20 269 Arlington, VA......... 155,859 -848 48,358 5 151 Virginia Beach, VA.... 154,455 4,922 23,641 277 256 Monterey, CA.......... 154,097 2,829 27,294 220 161 Lee, FL............... 153,569 6,638 25,267 263 175 Henrico, VA........... 153,347 3,221 31,851 103 100 Stanislaus, CA........ 152,595 5,644 26,036 250 183 Madison, AL........... 149,383 4,089 33,732 69 174 Norfolk, VA........... 147,345 -99 29,262 169 171 Hidalgo, TX........... 145,594 5,659 20,717 286 159 Hinds, MS............. 143,575 4,015 27,962 203 275 Sangamon, IL.......... 143,515 6,223 32,794 83 163 Winnebago, IL......... 142,498 716 30,360 141 176 Nueces, TX............ 140,972 2,533 26,619 237 239 Collin, TX............ 140,797 7,219 37,947 31 9 Dakota, MN............ 140,502 3,759 31,492 110 35 Lancaster, NE......... 139,875 4,273 26,608 238 78 Luzerne, PA........... 137,327 981 26,500 241 238 Volusia, FL........... 137,201 1,171 22,793 281 232 Leon, FL.............. 136,152 1,768 27,207 223 42 Lane, OR.............. 136,028 4,413 26,132 247 201 Greene, MO............ 135,853 2,353 25,370 261 168 Brown, WI............. 133,995 3,364 29,799 154 261 Westmoreland, PA...... 131,668 946 26,719 234 245 Utah, UT.............. 131,378 6,403 25,301 262 160 Montgomery, AL........ 130,743 2,729 26,782 231 244 Adams, CO............. 130,296 4,634 30,228 143 74 St. Joseph, IN........ 128,672 1,677 27,683 206 190 Sarasota, FL.......... 127,856 2,997 26,490 242 155 Seminole, FL.......... 127,533 (6) 27,594 207 (6) Will, IL.............. 126,893 4,712 30,362 140 214 Erie, PA.............. 126,413 1,525 27,488 214 271 Cumberland, PA........ 126,274 2,633 30,730 133 53 Clackamas, OR......... 126,150 2,608 29,934 150 187 Tulare, CA............ 125,983 2,848 21,812 282 129 Anchorage, AK......... 125,585 3,687 35,441 48 282 Marion, OR............ 123,578 1,259 26,059 249 202 Escambia, FL.......... 121,615 2,359 25,432 260 184 Jefferson, TX......... 121,238 2,555 30,957 129 61 New London, CT........ 120,596 868 34,612 59 153 Spartanburg, SC....... 119,468 1,165 28,423 190 111 Chatham, GA........... 118,939 945 28,164 198 17 Rockingham, NH........ 118,890 3,691 31,915 101 18 Caddo, LA............. 118,235 964 27,085 225 210 Kalamazoo, MI......... 118,045 -1,640 31,681 107 94 Elkhart, IN........... 116,680 3,278 28,724 183 83 Butler, OH............ 116,636 2,865 29,896 151 225 Lafayette, LA......... 116,334 6,651 28,939 177 270 Linn, IA.............. 115,148 4,830 31,394 114 10 Clayton, GA........... 114,423 6,811 33,010 79 213 Howard, MD............ 114,170 5,243 34,932 55 62 Orange, NY............ 113,672 2,764 27,299 219 217 Mahoning, OH.......... 113,265 2,828 24,606 269 281 Alachua, FL........... 112,611 2,928 24,956 268 75 Manatee, FL........... 112,233 781 23,747 275 6 Lubbock, TX........... 111,730 1,795 24,597 270 140 Kanawha, WV........... 110,451 1,160 28,634 185 247 Larimer, CO........... 110,450 5,264 29,159 172 44 Ottawa, MI............ 110,337 1,607 30,219 144 179 Clark, WA............. 109,482 3,642 29,331 165 182 Solano, CA............ 107,224 2,495 28,090 200 196 Vanderburgh, IN....... 106,803 1,499 28,118 199 25 Marin, CA............. 106,618 2,812 37,613 34 11 Oneida, NY............ 106,490 1,744 25,742 255 277 Denton, TX............ 106,177 6,041 27,742 205 5 Richmond, GA.......... 105,195 2,104 27,008 226 98 Cumberland, NC........ 104,872 3,098 24,500 271 200 Buncombe, NC.......... 104,291 1,602 25,913 251 164 Dutchess, NY.......... 104,263 1,228 33,581 73 12 Peoria, IL............ 103,151 1,370 29,272 168 76 Rockland, NY.......... 101,532 3,922 35,316 50 137 Chesterfield, VA...... 101,034 3,870 29,357 164 89 Anoka, MN............. 100,651 3,569 31,431 112 69 Lorain, OH............ 100,560 -1,149 30,820 132 39 Santa Cruz, CA........ 100,226 2,006 28,862 181 50 Lake, OH.............. 99,922 1,920 29,237 170 250 Cameron, TX........... 99,328 2,386 20,962 284 149 Muscogee, GA.......... 97,609 1,704 25,685 257 222 Minnehaha, SD......... 97,524 4,141 26,249 244 65 Shawnee, KS........... 97,366 1,494 27,479 215 105 Broome, NY............ 97,213 1,037 28,018 202 265 Catawba, NC........... 96,004 2,791 26,186 246 101 Lackawanna, PA........ 95,608 -73 25,556 258 157 Mc Lennan, TX......... 95,268 1,424 25,470 259 170 Trumbull, OH.......... 94,988 -2,896 31,326 117 284 Yakima, WA............ 94,174 1,567 21,483 283 231 Saginaw, MI........... 94,125 -914 32,465 87 255 Newport News, VA...... 93,904 1,417 27,562 210 220 Horry, SC............. 92,827 5,288 20,762 285 48 St. Louis, MN......... 92,815 1,694 26,593 239 134 Collier, FL........... 92,769 (6) 26,739 233 (6) Madison, IL........... 92,351 510 27,269 221 233 Placer, CA............ 91,443 3,963 29,375 163 13 Outagamie, WI......... 90,102 2,318 28,211 196 262 St. Charles, MO....... 89,330 1,952 27,458 216 70 San Luis Obispo, CA... 89,247 2,313 25,733 256 188 Galveston, TX......... 89,015 2,550 28,238 195 139 Bibb, GA.............. 88,910 -309 27,527 211 197 Chittenden, VT........ 88,131 1,810 31,521 108 88 St. Clair, IL......... 87,383 758 26,094 248 32 Winnebago, WI......... 87,028 2,127 31,258 120 207 Scott, IA............. 86,878 2,792 27,333 218 241 Alexandria, VA........ 86,201 2,105 39,015 23 150 Northampton, PA....... 84,338 1,902 28,693 184 278 Weber, UT............. 84,280 184 25,073 265 103 Harrison, MS.......... 84,164 3,412 23,412 280 22 Bell, TX.............. 84,157 1,992 23,474 279 260 Champaign, IL......... 83,940 777 26,941 229 185 Clay, MO.............. 83,661 829 29,069 175 146 Calcasieu, LA......... 83,584 1,250 27,751 204 274 New Hanover, NC....... 83,414 3,314 25,864 253 243 Richmond, NY.......... 83,333 2,325 30,187 146 30 Barnstable, MA........ 81,767 1,935 26,965 228 21 Fort Bend, TX......... 81,711 4,784 33,605 71 112 Gaston, NC............ 81,215 -414 25,872 252 186 Thurston, WA.......... 81,023 2,150 28,460 188 211 McHenry, IL........... 80,253 1,556 29,611 157 115 Davis, UT............. 79,927 2,103 24,969 267 204 Smith, TX............. 79,778 2,062 27,572 208 87 Marion, FL............ 79,708 2,892 23,570 278 114 Racine, WI............ 79,343 411 31,371 116 248 Rock Island, IL....... 79,017 2,143 33,098 78 273 Yolo, CA.............. 78,860 2,151 32,024 98 228 Wyandotte, KS......... 78,533 270 32,150 95 234 Lexington, SC......... 78,517 3,216 24,980 266 194 Niagara, NY........... 78,451 -227 29,122 173 279 McLean, IL............ 78,169 3,978 31,410 113 268 Cass, ND.............. 78,112 2,351 25,767 254 80 Olmsted, MN........... 77,055 3,860 33,142 76 123 Chesapeake, VA........ 76,482 1,686 23,902 274 90 Washington, AR........ 75,520 1,511 24,472 272 128 Roanoke City, VA...... 75,503 1,248 26,701 235 97 Atlantic, NJ.......... (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Bergen, NJ............ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Burlington, NJ........ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Camden, NJ............ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Essex, NJ............. (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Gloucester, NJ........ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Hudson, NJ............ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Mercer, NJ............ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Middlesex, NJ......... (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Monmouth, NJ.......... (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Morris, NJ............ (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Ocean, NJ............. (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Passaic, NJ........... (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Somerset, NJ.......... (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) Union, NJ............. (7) (7) (7) (7) (7) 1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. The 301 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties, comprise 70.0% of the total covered workers in the U.S. 2 Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See technical note. 3 Data are preliminary. 4 Net changes were computed from annual employment data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See technical note. 5 Rankings for percent change in annual pay are based on the 285 counties that are comparable over the year. 6 Data are not available for release. 7 New Jersey counties are not available for 1998. Please see text for more information.