For release 10:00 a.m. (EST), Wednesday, January 13, 2010 USDL-10-0009
Technical Information: (202) 691-6567 * QCEWInfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cew
Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
Second Quarter 2009
From June 2008 to June 2009, employment declined in 324 of the 334
largest U.S. counties according to preliminary data, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. Elkhart County, Ind., located
about 100 miles east of Chicago, posted the largest percentage
decline, with a loss of 21.9 percent over the year, compared with a
national job decrease of 5.1 percent. Nearly 70 percent of the
employment decline in Elkhart occurred in manufacturing, which lost
18,400 jobs over the year (-32.2 percent). Yakima County, Wash.,
experienced the largest over-the-year percentage increase in
employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a gain of 1.5
percent.
The U.S. average weekly wage fell over the year by 0.1 percent in the
second quarter of 2009. This is the second consecutive over-the-year
decline in average weekly wages and one of only four declines dating
back to 1978, when these quarterly data were first comparable. (See
Technical Note.) Large employment and wage losses in both the
financial activities and manufacturing supersectors contributed
significantly to the overall decline in the U.S. average weekly wages
this quarter. Average weekly wages fell 1.8 percent in financial
activities and 0.3 percent in manufacturing. Among the large counties
in the U.S., Weld County, Colo., had the largest over-the-year
decrease in average weekly wages in the second quarter of 2009, with
a loss of 9.0 percent. Within Weld, trade, transportation, and
utilities had the largest over-the-year decline in average weekly
wages with a loss of 32.0 percent. Olmsted, Minn., experienced the
largest growth in average weekly wages with a gain of 10.8 percent.
Table A. Top 10 large counties ranked by June 2009 employment, June 2008-09 employment
decrease, and June 2008-09 percent decrease in employment
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Employment in large counties
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June 2009 employment | Decrease in employment, | Percent decrease in employment,
(thousands) | June 2008-09 | June 2008-09
| (thousands) |
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| |
United States 129,674.8| United States -6,941.9| United States -5.1
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| |
Los Angeles, Calif. 3,947.3| Los Angeles, Calif. -256.7| Elkhart, Ind. -21.9
Cook, Ill. 2,395.8| Maricopa, Ariz. -149.9| Macomb, Mich. -13.2
New York, N.Y. 2,280.5| Cook, Ill. -137.7| Trumbull, Ohio -12.2
Harris, Texas 2,009.3| Orange, Calif. -119.7| Wayne, Mich. -11.6
Maricopa, Ariz. 1,588.7| New York, N.Y. -113.2| Collier, Fla. -11.3
Dallas, Texas 1,416.7| Clark, Nev. -98.5| Ottawa, Mich. -11.0
Orange, Calif. 1,380.6| Wayne, Mich. -85.5| Clark, Nev. -10.7
San Diego, Calif. 1,258.2| San Diego, Calif. -77.5| Washoe, Nev. -10.5
King, Wash. 1,138.3| Dallas, Texas -71.6| Oakland, Mich. -9.6
Miami-Dade, Fla. 932.3| Oakland, Mich. -65.6| Sarasota, Fla. -9.2
| |
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Of the 334 largest counties in the United States (as measured by 2008
annual average employment), 157 had over-the-year percentage declines
in employment greater than or equal to the national average (-5.1
percent) in June 2009; 167 large counties experienced smaller
declines than the national average, while 2 counties experienced no
change and 3 counties experienced employment gains. The percent
change in average weekly wages was equal to or lower than the
national average (-0.1 percent) in 140 of the largest U.S. counties
and was above the national average in 190 counties.
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 9.1 million employer reports cover 129.7 million full- and
part-time workers.
Large County Employment
In June 2009, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program,
was 129.7 million, down by 5.1 percent from June 2008. The 334 U.S.
counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 71.2 percent of
total U.S. employment and 76.6 percent of total wages. These 334
counties had a net job decline of 5,117,900 over the year, accounting
for 73.7 percent of the overall U.S. employment decrease.
Employment declined in 324 counties from June 2008 to June 2009. The
largest percentage decline in employment was in Elkhart, Ind. (-21.9
percent). Macomb, Mich., had the next largest percentage decline (-
13.2 percent), followed by the counties of Trumbull, Ohio (-12.2
percent), Wayne, Mich. (-11.6 percent), and Collier, Fla. (-11.3
percent). The largest decline in employment levels occurred in Los
Angeles, Calif. (-256,700), followed by the counties of Maricopa,
Ariz. (-149,900), Cook, Ill. (-137,700), Orange, Calif. (-119,700),
and New York, N.Y. (-113,200). (See table A.) Combined employment
losses in these five counties over the year totaled 777,200 or
11.2 percent of the employment decline for the U.S. as a whole.
Employment rose in three of the large counties from June 2008 to June
2009. None of the large counties grew by more than two percent over
the year. Yakima, Wash., had the largest over-the-year percentage
increase in employment (1.5 percent) among the largest counties in
the U.S. Arlington, Va., had the next largest increase (1.4 percent),
followed by Bronx, N.Y. (1.2 percent). The largest gains in the level
of employment from June 2008 to June 2009 were recorded in the
counties of Bronx, N.Y. (2,800), Arlington, Va. (2,300), and Yakima,
Wash. (1,600).
Table B. Top 10 large counties ranked by second quarter 2009 average weekly wages, second quarter 2008-09
decrease in average weekly wages, and second quarter 2008-09 percent decrease in average weekly wages
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Average weekly wage in large counties
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Average weekly wage, | Decrease in average weekly | Percent decrease in average
second quarter 2009 | wage, second quarter 2008-09 | weekly wage, second
| | quarter 2008-09
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| |
United States $840| United States -$1| United States -0.1
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| |
New York, N.Y. $1,520| Santa Clara, Calif. -$79| Weld, Colo. -9.0
Santa Clara, Calif. 1,449| Weld, Colo. -68| Trumbull, Ohio -7.6
Arlington, Va. 1,423| Douglas, Colo. -55| Douglas, Colo. -6.1
Washington, D.C. 1,421| Trumbull, Ohio -53| Brazoria, Texas -5.3
Fairfax, Va. 1,348| New York, N.Y. -49| Santa Clara, Calif. -5.2
Fairfield, Conn. 1,316| Brazoria, Texas -44| Rock Island, Ill. -4.8
San Mateo, Calif. 1,309| Middlesex, Mass. -43| Montgomery, Texas -4.1
San Francisco, Calif. 1,307| Hennepin, Minn. -42| Oakland, Mich. -3.9
Suffolk, Mass. 1,299| Rock Island, Ill. -41| Hennepin, Minn. -3.9
Somerset, N.J. 1,244| Somerset, N.J. -41| Catawba, N.C. -3.8
| |
| |
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Large County Average Weekly Wages
Average weekly wages for the nation fell 0.1 percent over the year in
the second quarter of 2009. This is the second consecutive over-the-
year decline in average weekly wages and one of only four declines
dating back to 1978. Among the 334 largest counties, 140 had over-
the-year decreases in average weekly wages in the second quarter. The
largest wage loss occurred in Weld, Colo., with a decline of 9.0
percent from the second quarter of 2008. Trumbull, Ohio, had the
second largest decline (-7.6 percent), followed by the counties of
Douglas, Colo. (-6.1 percent), Brazoria, Texas (-5.3 percent), and
Santa Clara, Calif. (-5.2 percent). (See table B.)
Of the 334 largest counties, 175 experienced growth in average weekly
wages. Olmsted, Minn., led the nation in growth in average weekly
wages with an increase of 10.8 percent from the second quarter of
2008. Large wage gains occurred in the education and health services
supersector where average weekly wages grew 19.9 percent over the
year. Saginaw, Mich., and Kitsap, Wash., were second with a gain of
5.1 percent each, followed by the counties of Madison, Ala. (5.0
percent) and Newport News City, Va. (4.9 percent).
The national average weekly wage in the second quarter of 2009 was
$840. Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in
109 of the 334 largest U.S. counties. New York, N.Y., held the top
position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly
wage of $1,520. Santa Clara, Calif., was second with an average
weekly wage of $1,449, followed by Arlington, Va. ($1,423),
Washington, D.C. ($1,421), and Fairfax, Va. ($1,348). There were 225
counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in
the second quarter of 2009. The lowest average weekly wage was
reported in Horry, S.C. ($520), followed by the counties of Cameron,
Texas, and Hidalgo, Texas ($544 each), Webb, Texas ($558), and
Yakima, Wash. ($589). (See table 1.)
Average weekly wages are affected not only by changes in total wages
but also by employment changes in high- and low-paying industries.
(See Technical Note.) The 0.1-percent over-the-year decrease in
average weekly wages for the nation was partially due to large
employment declines in high-paying industries such as manufacturing.
(See table 2.)
Ten Largest U.S. Counties
All of the 10 largest counties (based on 2008 annual average
employment levels) experienced over-the-year percent declines in
employment in June 2009. Maricopa, Ariz., experienced the largest
decline in employment among the 10 largest counties with an 8.6
percent decrease. Within Maricopa, every private industry group
except education and health services experienced an employment
decline, with construction experiencing the largest decline (-31.5
percent). (See table 2.) Orange, Calif., had the next largest decline
in employment, -8.0 percent, followed by Los Angeles, Calif. (-6.1
percent). Harris, Texas, experienced the smallest decline in
employment (-3.1 percent) among the 10 largest counties. New York,
N.Y. (-4.7 percent), and Dallas, Texas (-4.8 percent), had the second
and third smallest employment losses, respectively.
Seven of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw an over-the-year decrease
in average weekly wages. New York, N.Y., experienced the largest
decline in average weekly wages among the 10 largest counties with a
decrease of 3.1 percent. Within New York County, financial activities
sustained the largest total wage loss (-$1.9 billion) over the year.
Average weekly wages for this supersector fell by 5.4 percent. New
York’s average weekly wage loss was followed by Harris, Texas (-2.5
percent), and San Diego, Calif. (-1.5 percent). King, Wash., had the
only wage increase (2.0 percent). Maricopa, Ariz., and Orange,
Calif., both held the second highest position with average weekly
wages unchanged over the year.
Largest County by State
Table 3 shows June 2009 employment and the 2009 second quarter
average weekly wage in the largest county in each state, which is
based on 2008 annual average employment levels. The employment levels
in the counties in table 3 in June 2009 ranged from approximately
four million in Los Angeles County, Calif., to 43,500 in Laramie
County, Wyo. The highest average weekly wage of these counties was in
New York, N.Y. ($1,520), while the lowest average weekly wage was in
Minnehaha, S.D. ($688).
For More Information
The tables included in this release contain data for the nation
and for the 334 U.S. counties with annual average employment levels
of 75,000 or more in 2008. June 2009 employment and 2009 second-
quarter average weekly wages for all states are provided in table 4
of this release.
For additional information about the quarterly employment and wages
data, please read the Technical Note. Data for the second quarter of
2009 will be available later at http://www.bls.gov/cew/. Additional
information about the QCEW data 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 third quarter 2009 is
scheduled to be released on Thursday, April 1, 2010.
