Technical information: (202) 691-6567 USDL 08-0455
http://www.bls.gov/cew/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, April 9, 2008
COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES: THIRD QUARTER 2007
In September 2007, Orleans County, La., had the largest over-the-
year percentage increase in employment among the largest counties in
the U.S., according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Orleans County,
which includes the city of New Orleans, experienced an over-the-year
employment gain of 8.6 percent, compared with national job growth of
0.9 percent. Clayton County, Ga., had the largest over-the-year gain
in average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2007, with an
increase of 23.9 percent due to increases in wage disbursements in
the trade, transportation, and utilities supersector during the
quarter. The U.S. average weekly wage rose by 4.3 percent over the
same time span.
Of the 328 largest counties in the United States, as measured by
2006 annual average employment, 130 had over-the-year percentage
growth in employment above the national average (0.9 percent) in
September 2007; 179 large counties experienced changes below the
national average. The percent change in average weekly wages was
higher than the national average (4.3 percent) in 101 of the largest
U.S. counties, but was below the national average in 207 counties.
Table A. Top 10 large counties ranked by September 2007 employment, September 2006-07 employment growth,
and September 2006-07 percent growth in employment
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Employment in large counties
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September 2007 employment | Growth in employment, | Percent growth in employment,
(thousands) | September 2006-07 | September 2006-07
| (thousands) |
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| |
United States 136,246.9| United States 1,216.7| United States 0.9
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| |
Los Angeles, Calif. 4,191.6| Harris, Texas 74.7| Orleans, La. 8.6
Cook, Ill. 2,541.5| New York, N.Y. 46.8| Fort Bend, Texas 7.1
New York, N.Y. 2,350.3| Dallas, Texas 32.7| Williamson, Tenn. 5.8
Harris, Texas 2,028.0| King, Wash. 26.6| Wake, N.C. 5.2
Maricopa, Ariz. 1,825.1| Wake, N.C. 22.3| Utah, Utah 5.0
Orange, Calif. 1,503.8| Mecklenburg, N.C. 21.8| Hidalgo, Texas 4.5
Dallas, Texas 1,487.3| Tarrant, Texas 19.8| Snohomish, Wash. 4.4
San Diego, Calif. 1,325.9| Salt Lake, Utah 19.5| Mecklenburg, N.C. 4.0
King, Wash. 1,182.8| Bexar, Texas 18.1| Charleston, S.C. 3.8
Miami-Dade, Fla. 1,012.4| San Francisco, Calif. 18.0| Harris, Texas 3.8
| | Arlington, Va. 3.8
| |
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The employment and 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 reports
submitted by every employer subject to unemployment insurance (UI)
laws. The number of employer reports surpassed the 9.0 million mark
this quarter; the number of employer reports crossed the 8.0 million
mark in third quarter 2001. The employer reports in third quarter
2007 cover 136.2 million full- and part-time workers. The attached
tables contain data for the nation and for the 328 U.S. counties with
annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2006. September
2007 employment and 2007 third-quarter average weekly wages for all
states are provided in table 4 of this release. Final data for all
states, metropolitan statistical areas, counties, and the nation
through the fourth quarter of 2006 are available on the BLS Web site
at http://www.bls.gov/cew/. Preliminary data for first and second
quarter 2007 also are available on the BLS Web site. Updated data for
first and second quarter 2007 and preliminary data for third quarter
2007 will be available later in April on the BLS Web site.
Large County Employment
In September 2007, national employment, as measured by the QCEW
program, was 136.2 million, up by 0.9 percent from September 2006.
The 328 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for
70.9 percent of total U.S. employment and 76.7 percent of total
wages. These 328 counties had a net job gain of 742,807 over the
year, accounting for 61.1 percent of the overall U.S. employment
increase. Employment rose in 217 of the large counties from September
2006 to September 2007. Orleans County, La., had the largest over-
the-year percentage increase in employment (8.6 percent). Fort Bend,
Texas, had the next largest increase, 7.1 percent, followed by the
counties of Williamson, Tenn. (5.8 percent), Wake, N.C. (5.2
percent), and Utah, Utah (5.0 percent). The large employment gains in
Orleans County reflected significant recovery from the substantial
job losses that occurred in 2005 and 2006, which were related to
Hurricane Katrina. (See table 1.)
Employment declined in 86 counties from September 2006 to September
2007. The largest percentage decline in employment was in Trumbull
County, Ohio (-5.7 percent). Collier, Fla., had the next largest
employment decline (-5.4 percent), followed by the counties of
Sarasota, Fla. (-4.3 percent), Manatee, Fla. (-4.2 percent), and
Atlantic, N.J. (-3.8 percent).
The largest gains in the level of employment from September 2006 to
September 2007 were recorded in the counties of Harris, Texas
(74,700), New York, N.Y. (46,800), Dallas, Texas (32,700), King,
Wash. (26,600), and Wake, N.C. (22,300). (See table A.) The largest
decline in employment levels occurred in Orange, Calif. (-19,100),
followed by the counties of Wayne, Mich. (-18,000), Oakland, Mich.
(-9,600), Pinellas, Fla. (-9,500), and Macomb, Mich. (-9,400).
Table B. Top 10 large counties ranked by third quarter 2007 average weekly wages, third quarter 2006-07
growth in average weekly wages, and third quarter 2006-07 percent growth in average weekly wages
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Average weekly wage in large counties
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Average weekly wage, | Growth in average weekly | Percent growth in average
third quarter 2007 | wage, third quarter 2006-07 | weekly wage, third
| | quarter 2006-07
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| |
United States $818| United States $34| United States 4.3
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| |
Santa Clara, Calif. $1,585| Clayton, Ga. $177| Clayton, Ga. 23.9
New York, N.Y. 1,544| Santa Clara, Calif. 167| Muscogee, Ga. 12.1
Washington, D.C. 1,376| New York, N.Y. 123| Santa Clara, Calif. 11.8
Arlington, Va. 1,364| Fairfield, Conn. 100| Rock Island, Ill. 11.5
San Mateo, Calif. 1,322| Suffolk, Mass. 93| Davidson, Tenn. 9.1
Suffolk, Mass. 1,299| Rock Island, Ill. 87| Weld, Colo. 8.7
Fairfield, Conn. 1,298| King, Wash. 84| New York, N.Y. 8.7
San Francisco, Calif. 1,286| Muscogee, Ga. 75| Fairfield, Conn. 8.3
Fairfax, Va. 1,243| Davidson, Tenn. 72| Kitsap, Wash. 8.3
Somerset, N.J. 1,210| Washington, D.C. 69| Butler, Ohio 8.1
| |
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Large County Average Weekly Wages
The national average weekly wage in the third quarter of 2007 was
$818. Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in
112 of the largest 328 U.S. counties. Santa Clara, Calif., held the
top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average
weekly wage of $1,585. New York County, N.Y., was second with an
average weekly wage of $1,544, followed by Washington, D.C. ($1,376),
Arlington, Va. ($1,364), and San Mateo, Calif. ($1,322). (See table
B.)
There were 215 counties with an average weekly wage below the
national average in the third quarter of 2007. The lowest average
weekly wage was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($518), followed by
the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($529), Horry, S.C. ($536), Webb,
Texas ($548), and Yakima, Wash. ($568). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the national average weekly wage rose by 4.3
percent. Among the largest counties, Clayton County, Ga., led the
nation in growth in average weekly wages, with an increase of 23.9
percent from the third quarter of 2006. Muscogee, Ga., was second
with growth of 12.1 percent, followed by the counties of Santa Clara,
Calif. (11.8 percent), Rock Island, Ill. (11.5 percent), and
Davidson, Tenn. (9.1 percent).
Ten large counties experienced over-the-year declines in average
weekly wages. Among the five largest decreases in wages, Trumbull,
Ohio, had the greatest decline (-10.6 percent), followed by the
counties of Vanderburgh, Ind. (-6.1 percent), Genesee, Mich. (-4.0
percent), Saginaw, Mich. (-3.1 percent), and Montgomery, Ohio (-3.0
percent).
Ten Largest U.S. Counties
Seven of the 10 largest counties (based on 2006 annual average
employment levels) experienced over-the-year percent increases in
employment in September 2007. Harris, Texas, experienced the largest
percent gain in employment among the 10 largest counties with a 3.8
percent increase. Within Harris County, the largest gains in
employment were in construction (5.5 percent) and education and
health services (5.4 percent). King, Wash., had the next largest
increase in employment, 2.3 percent, followed by Dallas, Texas (2.2
percent). September employment levels remained stable over the year
in both San Diego, Calif., and Cook, Ill. (0.0 percent each). Orange,
Calif., experienced a 1.3 percent decrease in employment over the
year. Within Orange County, five industry groups experienced
employment declines, with financial activities experiencing the
largest decline, -9.8 percent. (See table 2.)
Each of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw an over-the-year increase
in average weekly wages. New York, N.Y., had the fastest growth in
wages among the 10 largest counties, with a gain of 8.7 percent.
Within New York County, average weekly wages increased the most in
the financial activities industry (16.3 percent), followed by the
natural resources and mining industry (11.8 percent). Because natural
resources and mining is a small industry in New York County, its
over-the-year average weekly wage growth had little impact on the
county’s overall average weekly wage growth. King, Wash., was second
in wage growth with a gain of 8.0 percent, followed by Harris, Texas
(6.7 percent). The smallest wage gain among the 10 largest counties
occurred in Orange, Calif. (2.6 percent), followed by Cook, Ill. (3.3
percent), and Los Angeles, Calif. (3.4 percent).
Largest County by State
Table 3 shows September 2007 employment and the 2007 third quarter
average weekly wage in the largest county in each state, which is
based on 2006 annual average employment levels. (This table includes
two counties--Yellowstone, Mont., and Laramie, Wyo.--that had
employment levels below 75,000 in 2006.) The employment levels in the
counties in table 3 in September 2007 ranged from approximately 4.19
million in Los Angeles County, Calif., to 43,900 in Laramie County,
Wyo. The highest average weekly wage of these counties was in New
York, N.Y. ($1,544), while the lowest average weekly wage was in
Yellowstone, Mont. ($672).
For More Information
For additional information about the quarterly employment and wages
data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at
http://www.bls.gov/cew/. Additional information about the QCEW data
also may be obtained by calling (202) 691-6567.
Several BLS regional offices are issuing QCEW news releases
targeted to local data users. For links to these releases, see
http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm.
____________________________________________________
The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2007 is
scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 24, 2008.
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