Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 606-6567 USDL 98-443 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 606-5902 Thursday, November 12, 1998 Employment and Average Annual Pay For Large Counties, 1996 Of the 290 largest counties in the United States, 132 had rates of employment growth in 1996 above the national average of 2.1 percent, 131 had equal or lower rates of growth, and 27 had declines in employment, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The western states dominated the fastest-growing counties, while the counties with the largest declines were all in the eastern United States. Employment and annual pay data by county are compiled from reports submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws, covering 118.0 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. (See Technical Note beginning on page 3.) The attached tables and charts contain data for the nation and for the 290 counties with employment of 75,000 or more. (Some areas in this release are not officially designated as counties. See technical note.) Employment The 290 counties with 75,000 or more employees represented 69.1 percent of total covered employment and wages. Clark County, Nev., had the largest percent increase in employment (9.1 percent), followed by the counties of Placer, Calif. (8.6 percent), Maricopa, Ariz., and Washington, Ore. (both 8.4 percent), and Collin, Tex. (7.0 percent). (See table 1 and chart 1.) (The increase in employment in Maricopa County, Ariz., was partially attributed to reporting changes in state government rather than actual employment increases. Excluding these changes, employment still grew by 7.2 percent.) The largest absolute gains in employment were recorded in the counties of Maricopa, Ariz. (100,210), Dallas, Tex. (57,015), Los Angeles, Calif. (55,680), Santa Clara, Calif. (48,848), and Clark, Nev. (45,666). Employment declined in 27 counties. The largest percent decline in employment was in the District of Columbia (-2.7 percent), followed by the counties of Gaston, N.C (-2.0 percent), Albany, N.Y. (-1.9 percent), Passaic, N.J. (-1.7 percent), and Mercer, N.J. (-1.7 percent). The largest absolute declines in employment occurred in the District of Columbia (-16,708), Albany County, N.Y. (-4,239), Orleans County, La. (-3,731), St. Louis City, Mo. (-3,620), and Mercer County, N.J. (-3,365). (See table 2 and chart 2.) Average Annual Pay Average annual pay was higher than the national average in 115 of the largest 290 counties. New York County, N.Y., had the highest level of average annual pay at $55,312, followed by the counties of Fairfield, Conn. ($45,607), Santa Clara, Calif. ($44,824), the District of Columbia ($44,458), and Morris, N.J. ($42,763). There were 175 counties with - 2 - average annual pay below the national average. The lowest level of average annual pay was reported in Horry County, S.C. ($18,551), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Tex. ($18,928), Cameron, Tex. ($19,056), Tulare, Calif. ($19,768), and Yakima, Wash. ($19,780). (See table 2.) Boulder County, Colo., led the growth in average annual pay with an increase of 8.9 percent. New York County, N.Y., was second at 7.7 percent, followed by the counties of Travis, Tex. (7.1 percent), Arapahoe, Colo. (7.0 percent), and Westchester, N.Y. (6.8 percent). Sacramento County, Calif., had the slowest rate of positive growth (0.8 percent), and average annual pay was unchanged over the year in Ada County, Idaho. In contrast, declines in average annual pay occurred in the counties of Kern, Calif. (-1.4 percent), Anchorage, Alaska (-0.4 percent), and Genesee, Mich. (-0.3 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. News releases providing 1996 average annual pay data by state and industry and metropolitan areas were issued on Sept. 11, 1997 (USDL 97-315), and Oct. 30, 1997 (USDL 97-379), respectively. 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 summaries of employment and wages submitted by states to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are based on place of employment rather than residence. UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to state. In 1996, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 118.0 million jobs. The estimated 112.9 million workers in these jobs (because they include multiple jobholders) represented 97.3 percent of wage and salary civilian employment. Covered workers received $3.415 trillion in pay, representing 94.0 percent of the wage and salary component of personal income and 44.7 percent of the gross domestic product. Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1996 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; 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 1995 data as the base, which may differ from the preliminary data issued in 1996. 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. The 1995 data have been adjusted for code changes in order to be comparable with 1996 data. Due to extensive code changes, Manatee County, Fla. was not included in the rankings. 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. Data shown as counties include areas 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 and New Jersey for comparative purposes even though townships are the more common designation used in those states. Additional statistics and other information Average annual employment and pay data by state and county 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 202-606-6567 (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. The bulletin for 1996, which was issued in November 1997, is available for sale from the BLS Publication Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone: 202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-326-2577. Table 1. Employment and average annual pay for 1996 and 1995-96 percent changes for all covered workers 1/ in the 290 largest counties Employment Average annual pay County 2/ 1996 Percent change, Ranked by 1996 Percent change, 1995-96 3/ percent change, 1995-96 3/ 1995-96 United States 117,963,132 2.1 - $28,945 3.9 Jefferson, Ala 368,166 1.5 170 29,219 4.5 Madison, Ala 142,246 2.8 94 31,069 2.0 Mobile, Ala 165,413 1.8 150 25,517 4.0 Montgomery, Ala 126,463 1.8 151 25,074 3.1 Anchorage, Alaska. 119,068 0.8 226 33,501 -0.4 Maricopa, Ariz. 1,288,322 8.4 4 27,859 3.7 Pima, Ariz. 289,520 -0.5 271 24,705 4.6 Pulaski, Ariz. 233,590 2.2 132 26,400 3.5 Alameda, Calif. 620,756 2.6 103 34,470 3.6 Contra Costa, Calif. 296,920 1.5 165 34,339 4.1 Fresno, Calif. 307,775 2.1 136 21,936 1.8 Kern, Calif. 224,739 3.4 60 24,315 -1.4 Los Angeles, Calif. 3,818,890 1.5 174 33,476 3.2 Marin, Calif. 101,732 1.5 169 33,396 5.9 Monterey, Calif. 146,843 4.4 30 24,852 2.4 Orange, Calif. 1,183,965 2.2 131 32,179 4.1 Placer, Calif. 81,494 8.6 3 25,947 2.5 Riverside, Calif. 370,671 2.8 92 24,411 2.5 Sacramento, Calif. 506,000 2.8 91 30,648 0.8 San Bernardino, Calif. 447,552 2.9 82 26,001 1.3 San Diego, Calif. 1,016,278 3.2 67 28,845 3.6 San Francisco, Calif. 543,998 3.8 47 41,512 4.6 San Joaquin, Calif. 177,886 2.3 125 24,763 1.6 San Luis Obispo, Calif. 80,861 3.7 48 23,970 4.1 San Mateo, Calif. 316,268 4.2 32 39,570 6.5 Santa Barbara, Calif. 162,293 3.9 37 26,251 1.7 Santa Clara, Calif. 886,405 5.8 12 44,824 5.7 Santa Cruz, Calif. 97,002 2.9 79 26,098 4.2 Solano, Calif. 100,555 0.4 243 25,704 1.1 Sonoma, Calif. 162,626 5.4 17 26,938 2.9 Stanislaus, Calif. 140,691 3.9 40 23,738 1.5 Tulare, Calif. 121,744 2.6 104 19,768 1.7 Ventura, Calif. 257,425 1.9 149 28,289 3.8 Yolo, Calif. 76,448 0.3 251 29,067 1.6 Adams, Colo. 120,928 2.4 116 27,187 4.1 Arapahoe, Colo. 236,181 6.3 10 33,317 7.0 Boulder, Colo. 146,175 0.6 238 30,968 8.9 Denver, Colo. 418,298 1.4 187 33,038 5.2 El Paso, Colo. 203,576 5.0 22 25,771 5.2 Jefferson, Colo. 190,400 1.5 167 30,342 4.1 Larimer, Colo. 101,790 6.4 9 26,166 4.7 Fairfield, Conn 402,550 1.6 159 45,607 5.9 Hartford, Conn 478,883 0.7 227 35,621 2.5 New Haven, Conn 347,403 1.4 189 32,415 4.0 New London, Conn 116,924 1.1 210 32,003 3.6 New Castle, Del 256,442 2.4 113 33,751 5.8 District of Columbia, D.C. 609,769 -2.7 290 44,458 4.7 Alachua, Fla. 109,023 1.5 164 22,348 2.4 Brevard, Fla. 165,919 0.3 250 27,370 1.9 Broward, Fla. 592,510 3.9 41 27,546 3.2 Collier, Fla. 84,481 3.6 52 $23,728 4.3 Dade, Fla. 924,169 1.4 179 28,382 3.4 Duval, Fla. 395,093 2.2 130 27,306 4.7 Escambia, Fla. 118,087 2.7 98 23,745 3.4 Hillsborough, Fla. 514,296 3.8 46 26,244 3.5 Lee, Fla. 146,303 1.3 196 23,246 4.6 Leon, Fla. 130,398 2.5 110 24,776 5.1 Manatee, Fla. 99,892 4/ 4/ 20,955 4/ Orange, Fla. 515,473 4.9 23 26,142 2.9 Palm Beach, Fla. 419,522 3.4 58 29,057 4.1 Pinellas, Fla. 385,294 2.9 83 25,717 4.0 Polk, Fla. 169,663 1.6 160 24,106 3.7 Sarasota, Fla. 124,306 3.2 65 23,851 2.6 Seminole, Fla. 113,766 5.0 21 25,114 4.1 Volusia, Fla. 136,105 0.5 239 21,147 3.0 Bibb, Ga 86,789 2.4 112 25,692 2.8 Chatham, Ga 116,255 1.9 148 25,459 5.2 Clayton, Ga 104,490 1.9 147 30,475 5.5 Cobb, Ga 257,523 5.1 19 30,603 4.7 Dekalb, Ga 303,348 3.1 72 31,795 4.5 Fulton, Ga 684,771 5.0 20 35,303 4.9 Gwinnett, Ga 221,666 6.9 7 30,541 4.7 Muscogee, Ga 88,902 4.7 25 23,137 2.5 Richmond, Ga 101,675 0.9 219 24,636 2.6 Honolulu, Hawaii 402,681 -0.8 277 28,336 1.4 Ada, Idaho 144,979 3.7 50 27,651 -0.0 Champaign, Ill. 81,952 1.2 203 24,982 2.6 Cook, Ill. 2,602,413 1.2 200 34,672 4.1 Du Page, Ill. 521,403 2.5 108 34,497 6.0 Kane, Ill. 155,700 1.7 155 28,486 5.7 Lake, Ill. 264,990 2.8 93 34,563 3.9 McHenry, Ill. 77,216 2.1 138 26,637 4.1 Madison, Ill. 92,476 -0.0 262 25,651 1.4 Peoria, Ill. 100,547 0.7 229 26,326 2.1 Rock Island, Ill. 75,519 0.9 218 29,215 2.8 St. Clair, Ill. 85,212 1.1 208 23,626 2.7 Sangamon, Ill. 138,139 0.8 225 29,867 3.8 Will, Ill. 117,499 2.2 129 28,361 2.1 Winnebago, Ill. 139,925 1.5 177 27,777 3.4 Allen, Ind 180,257 0.4 246 27,845 3.6 Elkhart, Ind. 112,031 -1.6 284 26,333 4.7 Lake, Ind. 196,030 2.0 144 28,339 3.5 Marion, Ind 560,150 1.4 180 30,391 3.9 St. Joseph, Ind 124,113 -0.0 263 25,661 2.2 Vanderburgh, Ind 105,088 1.4 186 24,838 4.9 Linn, Iowa 107,825 2.4 115 27,523 3.6 Polk, Iowa 245,184 1.4 181 27,996 4.4 Scott, Iowa 81,985 4.0 35 25,307 2.7 Johnson, Kan 235,359 4.4 31 28,978 3.9 Sedgwick, Kan 231,049 3.7 49 28,527 5.2 Shawnee, Kan 95,800 1.4 184 $25,454 2.2 Wyandotte, Kan 77,615 -0.3 268 30,192 5.6 Fayette, Ky 158,389 3.0 78 25,935 4.5 Jefferson, Ky 408,338 1.2 204 27,777 4.3 Caddo, La 116,216 1.6 161 25,220 1.3 Calcasieu, La 79,107 4.5 29 26,059 2.6 East Baton Rouge, La 223,934 2.4 117 25,986 3.1 Jefferson, La 205,226 3.0 75 24,107 2.9 Lafayette, La 102,689 5.4 16 26,257 5.6 Orleans, La 262,373 -1.4 283 27,800 1.8 Cumberland, Maine 148,303 2.0 140 26,379 4.0 Anne Arundel, Md 168,154 0.7 233 29,182 3.7 Baltimore, Md 331,636 1.4 183 29,373 3.8 Howard, Md 100,703 3.0 74 31,355 3.5 Montgomery, Md 388,670 1.5 176 35,990 3.7 Prince George's, Md 282,629 1.1 209 30,828 3.8 Baltimore City, Md 381,699 -0.5 273 32,259 5.3 Barnstable, Mass. 77,139 2.8 89 24,154 4.6 Bristol, Mass. 203,988 0.5 242 26,007 3.8 Essex, Mass. 281,438 2.8 88 30,664 2.8 Hampden, Mass. 187,840 0.9 221 27,676 3.4 Middlesex, Mass. 754,037 2.4 118 37,662 5.2 Norfolk, Mass. 297,156 2.3 121 33,938 5.0 Plymouth, Mass. 151,831 1.3 195 28,050 4.1 Suffolk, Mass. 558,470 2.4 119 42,205 5.4 Worcester, Mass. 293,852 1.2 202 30,026 6.5 Genesee, Mich. 177,756 1.0 215 33,294 -0.3 Ingham, Mich. 178,745 1.4 178 30,083 4.0 Kalamazoo, Mich. 119,313 0.3 253 29,517 5.4 Kent, Mich. 315,790 2.3 128 29,230 4.1 Macomb, Mich. 327,687 0.6 237 34,927 1.5 Oakland, Mich. 689,052 3.8 45 36,997 5.3 Ottawa, Mich. 105,836 2.6 102 27,877 6.3 Saginaw, Mich. 94,041 1.5 173 30,545 3.2 Washtenaw, Mich. 178,621 1.3 194 32,582 3.2 Wayne, Mich. 846,414 0.8 223 36,169 1.8 Anoka, Minn 94,401 2.3 122 28,056 5.0 Dakota, Minn 132,493 3.4 57 28,530 6.5 Hennepin, Minn 806,460 2.1 137 34,404 6.4 Ramsey, Minn 311,775 0.7 228 32,513 5.3 St. Louis, Minn 89,035 2.0 143 24,667 4.4 Harrison, Miss 79,199 3.0 76 21,606 4.9 Hinds, Miss 140,678 2.3 120 25,981 3.3 Clay, Mo 78,123 2.6 100 27,132 5.0 Greene, Mo 130,154 1.8 152 23,461 3.5 Jackson, Mo 376,619 1.5 168 30,007 3.9 St. Charles, Mo 83,357 4.5 27 25,510 4.8 St. Louis, Mo 601,862 2.6 106 31,508 3.0 St. Louis City, Mo 262,491 -1.4 282 32,740 3.7 Douglas, Neb. 301,320 2.5 109 26,817 4.3 Lancaster, Neb 132,939 2.7 97 $24,018 3.1 Clark, Nev 548,276 9.1 2 27,708 4.2 Washoe, Nev 169,684 4.1 33 27,679 4.4 Hillsborough, N.H 173,703 2.9 81 30,880 4.4 Rockingham, N.H 110,245 3.7 51 27,550 1.8 Atlantic, N.J 135,446 0.6 236 28,727 3.7 Bergen, N.J 425,488 2.0 139 38,324 3.5 Burlington, N.J 161,143 2.3 123 31,811 4.5 Camden, N.J 194,600 -0.2 267 30,873 3.6 Essex, N.J 350,701 -0.9 279 38,403 3.8 Gloucester, N.J 79,605 0.7 232 28,101 3.8 Hudson, N.J 224,802 -0.9 278 36,833 6.4 Mercer, N.J 194,166 -1.7 286 37,598 2.7 Middlesex, N.J 365,480 1.8 154 38,507 4.5 Monmouth, N.J 214,275 1.5 175 32,183 2.8 Morris, N.J 244,735 1.5 172 42,763 6.3 Ocean, N.J 121,759 1.3 198 25,939 3.6 Passaic, N.J 173,189 -1.7 287 33,194 1.5 Somerset, N.J 153,670 2.6 99 42,755 3.9 Union, N.J 223,652 0.2 255 38,072 3.2 Bernalillo, N.M 290,369 2.0 141 25,829 2.9 Albany, N.Y. 221,531 -1.9 288 30,010 4.6 Bronx, N.Y. 204,496 -0.6 274 29,590 1.4 Broome, N.Y. 94,024 -1.7 285 26,447 3.7 Dutchess, N.Y. 101,539 1.5 171 30,546 2.8 Erie, N.Y. 443,176 -0.0 261 27,622 3.3 Kings, N.Y. 411,148 -0.6 275 27,820 1.7 Monroe, N.Y. 389,140 0.4 247 32,352 3.8 Nassau, N.Y. 563,334 0.7 231 33,695 3.8 New York, N.Y. 2,141,730 2.0 142 55,312 7.7 Niagara, N.Y. 80,096 -0.9 281 27,522 2.5 Oneida, N.Y. 103,819 -0.9 280 24,085 2.0 Onondaga, N.Y. 244,052 0.7 235 28,388 1.5 Orange, N.Y. 108,869 0.9 220 26,028 2.3 Queens, N.Y. 446,612 1.0 216 30,639 2.1 Richmond, N.Y. 78,358 3.2 70 27,624 3.5 Rockland, N.Y. 96,364 0.3 249 32,866 2.7 Suffolk, N.Y. 511,361 0.5 241 31,988 4.1 Westchester, N.Y. 374,342 0.5 240 38,239 6.8 Buncombe, N.C. 98,700 2.9 85 23,881 3.5 Catawba, N.C. 92,139 1.1 206 23,757 3.9 Cumberland, N.C. 99,020 2.4 114 22,508 4.4 Durham, N.C. 148,245 3.3 62 35,284 4.1 Forsyth, N.C. 168,835 3.0 77 28,516 2.9 Gaston, N.C. 80,964 -2.0 289 23,877 2.1 Guilford, N.C. 260,150 2.3 126 27,551 4.3 Mecklenburg, N.C. 432,218 4.6 26 32,556 5.6 New Hanover, N.C. 75,687 5.5 15 24,191 3.8 Wake, N.C. 318,605 4.9 24 27,792 4.7 Butler, Ohio 106,056 0.7 234 27,629 3.9 Cuyahoga, Ohio. 784,652 1.2 205 $30,970 3.4 Franklin, Ohio. 638,319 2.3 124 28,592 3.8 Hamilton, Ohio. 553,076 1.6 162 31,032 3.6 Lake, Ohio. 95,759 1.1 207 27,236 4.3 Lorain, Ohio. 101,695 0.3 252 28,226 2.9 Lucas, Ohio. 231,488 1.0 213 28,567 3.5 Mahoning, Ohio. 106,385 0.2 256 23,298 3.2 Montgomery, Ohio. 312,198 0.1 258 30,280 3.4 Stark, Ohio. 166,131 1.6 163 25,286 1.8 Summit, Ohio. 256,676 1.0 217 28,716 3.7 Trumbull, Ohio. 97,073 -0.0 260 30,392 1.4 Oklahoma, Okla. 377,670 3.0 73 25,250 2.6 Tulsa, Okla. 303,412 3.9 38 26,746 3.1 Clackamas, Ore. 115,170 3.8 42 27,206 5.8 Lane, Ore. 128,436 2.8 90 24,152 4.1 Marion, Ore. 119,816 2.3 127 24,054 2.7 Multnomah, Ore. 426,380 3.4 61 30,614 5.7 Washington, Ore. 189,387 8.4 5 32,770 5.3 Allegheny, Pa. 675,697 0.7 230 31,079 3.7 Berks, Pa. 157,960 1.2 199 28,206 2.8 Bucks, Pa. 218,535 1.3 197 29,271 4.8 Chester, Pa. 181,695 3.5 55 34,978 3.7 Cumberland, Pa. 121,872 3.8 44 27,522 2.9 Dauphin, Pa. 163,061 1.4 188 29,348 3.9 Delaware, Pa. 205,416 1.3 192 31,354 3.1 Erie, Pa. 122,834 0.4 244 25,941 2.9 Lackawanna, Pa. 95,482 -0.1 265 23,722 3.2 Lancaster, Pa. 199,750 1.3 193 26,467 3.4 Lehigh, Pa. 152,676 1.5 166 30,558 4.4 Luzerne, Pa. 133,901 0.1 257 24,412 3.5 Montgomery, Pa. 433,574 3.2 68 34,922 4.8 Northampton, Pa. 81,260 -0.7 276 27,035 1.4 Philadelphia, Pa. 648,755 -0.1 264 34,579 4.7 Westmoreland, Pa. 126,688 1.4 185 24,722 3.2 York, Pa. 157,986 0.8 222 26,955 3.4 Providence, R.I. 274,573 0.2 254 28,414 3.2 Charleston, S.C. 160,690 1.0 212 23,127 2.9 Greenville, S.C. 208,316 3.2 66 26,701 3.3 Horry, S.C. 84,257 5.5 14 18,551 3.6 Richland, S.C. 191,318 2.6 101 25,001 3.3 Spartanburg, S.C. 116,070 0.8 224 25,950 3.3 Minnehaha, S.D. 90,946 3.2 69 23,769 3.5 Davidson, Tenn. 401,534 1.9 146 29,123 3.4 Hamilton, Tenn. 172,833 1.9 145 26,581 2.4 Knox, Tenn. 187,813 1.4 190 25,552 3.2 Shelby, Tenn. 461,459 1.3 191 28,786 3.9 Bell, Tex. 79,537 2.7 96 22,755 4.1 Bexar, Tex. 579,009 2.6 105 24,755 3.2 Cameron, Tex. 93,797 1.7 156 19,056 2.6 Collin, Tex. 123,797 7.0 6 33,441 6.2 Dallas, Tex. 1,331,830 4.5 28 $34,277 4.7 Denton, Tex. 91,930 5.5 13 24,532 6.3 El Paso, Tex. 232,418 -0.4 269 21,834 4.1 Galveston, Tex. 87,055 1.4 182 27,370 3.8 Harris, Tex. 1,609,940 2.8 87 33,466 4.8 Hidalgo, Tex. 134,290 2.1 134 18,928 5.0 Jefferson, Tex. 113,088 -0.5 272 27,756 1.2 Lubbock, Tex. 106,692 0.1 259 22,721 5.5 Mc Lennan, Tex. 89,298 1.2 201 23,302 3.4 Nueces, Tex. 134,439 2.5 107 25,048 3.8 Tarrant, Tex. 607,969 3.4 59 29,155 3.9 Travis, Tex. 443,979 3.5 56 30,286 7.1 Salt Lake, Utah 472,182 5.2 18 26,593 4.5 Utah, Utah 119,880 6.1 11 23,480 2.8 Weber, Utah 81,266 6.8 8 22,829 5.0 Chittenden, Vt 85,223 3.1 71 28,564 4.8 Arlington, Va 157,213 2.1 135 40,899 5.5 Chesterfield, Va 95,767 3.8 43 26,864 2.9 Fairfax, Va 433,982 3.6 53 37,928 6.2 Henrico, Va 140,464 3.3 63 28,842 4.8 Alexandria, Va 82,993 2.1 133 35,304 2.9 Newport News, Va 87,899 2.9 84 26,208 1.7 Norfolk, Va 144,673 1.0 211 27,191 3.0 Richmond, Va 169,390 -0.4 270 32,290 4.3 Virginia Beach, Va 142,387 3.9 39 21,567 3.4 Clark, Wash. 100,378 4.0 34 26,994 5.9 King, Wash. 990,665 3.9 36 34,356 6.7 Pierce, Wash. 214,045 1.7 157 25,548 3.5 Snohomish, Wash. 188,697 3.3 64 30,474 5.3 Spokane, Wash. 173,400 1.6 158 24,536 4.0 Thurston, Wash. 76,613 2.9 80 26,575 1.9 Yakima, Wash. 90,464 -0.2 266 19,780 2.6 Kanawha, W.Va. 107,849 1.8 153 26,890 3.5 Brown, Wis. 127,204 2.7 95 27,118 3.1 Dane, Wis. 250,220 2.4 111 27,191 3.1 Milwaukee, Wis. 518,063 0.4 245 29,284 4.2 Outagamie, Wis. 89,178 3.5 54 26,466 3.1 Racine, Wis. 78,873 0.4 248 27,973 4.1 Waukesha, Wis. 198,635 2.8 86 29,777 4.1 Winnebago, Wis. 82,021 1.0 214 28,456 4.0 1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. The 290 counties comprise 69.1 percent of total covered employment and wages. 2/ Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See technical note. 3/ Percent changes were computed from annual employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See technical note. 4/ Data for this county are not comparable from year to year due to a large number of county reclassifications. Table 2. County rankings of employment and average annual pay for 1996 and 1995-96 percent changes for all covered workers 1/ in the 290 largest counties Employment Average annual pay 1996 Net change, 1996 Ranked by Ranked by 1995-96 3/ 1996 level percent change, 1995-96 Los Angeles, Calif. 3,818,890 55,680 $33,476 43 198 Cook, Ill. 2,602,413 31,119 34,672 30 108 New York, N.Y. 2,141,730 41,999 55,312 1 2 Harris, Tex. 1,609,940 44,353 33,466 44 56 Dallas, Tex. 1,331,830 57,015 34,277 38 62 Maricopa, Ariz. 1,288,322 100,210 27,859 144 147 Orange, Calif. 1,183,965 25,165 32,179 62 98 San Diego, Calif. 1,016,278 31,481 28,845 116 155 King, Wash. 990,665 37,352 34,356 36 6 Dade, Fla. 924,169 13,129 28,382 131 180 Santa Clara, Calif. 886,405 48,848 44,824 3 23 Wayne, Mich. 846,414 7,002 36,169 21 265 Hennepin, Minn. 806,460 16,443 34,404 35 10 Cuyahoga, Ohio 784,652 8,950 30,970 73 178 Middlesex, Mass. 754,037 17,404 37,662 17 40 Oakland, Mich. 689,052 25,242 36,997 19 37 Fulton, Ga 684,771 32,917 35,303 25 50 Allegheny, Pa. 675,697 4,798 31,079 70 143 Philadelphia, Pa. 648,755 (422) 34,579 31 67 Franklin, Ohio 638,319 14,270 28,592 121 136 Alameda, Calif. 620,756 15,691 34,470 34 154 District of Columbia, D.C. 609,769 (16,708) 44,458 4 61 Tarrant, Tex. 607,969 19,861 29,155 111 123 St. Louis, Mo 601,862 15,144 31,508 67 211 Broward, Fla. 592,510 21,984 27,546 161 194 Bexar, Tex. 579,009 14,617 24,755 239 197 Nassau, N.Y. 563,334 3,951 33,695 41 132 Marion, Ind. 560,150 7,926 30,391 90 122 Suffolk, Mass. 558,470 12,866 42,205 7 33 Hamilton, Ohio 553,076 8,602 31,032 72 152 Clark, Nev. 548,276 45,666 27,708 152 92 San Francisco, Calif. 543,998 19,739 41,512 8 68 Du Page, Ill. 521,403 12,855 34,497 33 17 Milwaukee, Wis. 518,063 2,202 29,284 105 93 Orange, Fla. 515,473 24,137 26,142 200 213 Hillsborough, Fla. 514,296 18,707 26,244 197 168 Suffolk, N.Y. 511,361 2,543 31,988 64 104 Sacramento, Calif. 506,000 13,746 30,648 79 285 Hartford, Conn 478,883 3,512 35,621 23 244 Salt Lake, Utah. 472,182 23,378 26,593 185 77 Shelby, Tenn. 461,459 6,073 28,786 118 126 San Bernardino, Calif. 447,552 12,650 26,001 205 281 Queens, N.Y. 446,612 4,382 30,639 80 255 Travis, Tex. 443,979 15,004 30,286 92 3 Erie, N.Y. 443,176 (104) 27,622 158 186 Fairfax, Va 433,982 15,067 37,928 16 15 Montgomery, Pa. 433,574 13,411 34,922 29 55 Mecklenburg, N.C. 432,218 19,020 32,556 55 26 Multnomah, Ore 426,380 13,826 30,614 81 25 Bergen, N.J. 425,488 8,478 38,324 13 164 Palm Beach, Fla. 419,522 13,866 $29,057 114 102 Denver, Colo 418,298 5,630 33,038 50 41 Kings, N.Y. 411,148 (2,479) 27,820 146 267 Jefferson, Ky 408,338 4,763 27,777 150 89 Honolulu, Hawaii 402,681 (3,153) 28,336 134 277 Fairfield, Conn 402,550 6,423 45,607 2 18 Davidson, Tenn. 401,534 7,631 29,123 112 182 Duval, Fla. 395,093 8,489 27,306 167 66 Monroe, N.Y. 389,140 1,462 32,352 58 141 Montgomery, Md 388,670 5,611 35,990 22 146 Pinellas, Fla. 385,294 10,886 25,717 215 113 Baltimore City, Md 381,699 (1,950) 32,259 60 38 Oklahoma, Okla 377,670 11,079 25,250 228 240 Jackson, Mo 376,619 5,635 30,007 98 121 Westchester, N.Y. 374,342 1,908 38,239 14 5 Riverside, Calif. 370,671 10,069 24,411 247 242 Jefferson, Ala 368,166 5,459 29,219 108 76 Middlesex, N.J. 365,480 6,371 38,507 11 78 Essex, N.J. 350,701 (3,161) 38,403 12 133 New Haven, Conn 347,403 4,645 32,415 57 115 Baltimore, Md 331,636 4,539 29,373 103 129 Macomb, Mich. 327,687 2,032 34,927 28 274 Wake, N.C. 318,605 14,916 27,792 148 63 San Mateo, Calif. 316,268 12,828 39,570 10 7 Kent, Mich. 315,790 6,969 29,230 107 109 Montgomery, Ohio 312,198 268 30,280 93 174 Ramsey, Minn. 311,775 2,286 32,513 56 35 Fresno, Calif. 307,775 6,331 21,936 280 262 Tulsa, Okla 303,412 11,371 26,746 182 203 Dekalb, Ga 303,348 8,989 31,795 66 75 Douglas, Neb. 301,320 7,222 26,817 181 85 Norfolk, Mass. 297,156 6,809 33,938 39 47 Contra Costa, Calif. 296,920 4,476 34,339 37 107 Worcester, Mass. 293,852 3,480 30,026 96 9 Bernalillo, N.M. 290,369 5,759 25,829 213 222 Pima, Ariz. 289,520 (1,402) 24,705 241 70 Prince George's, Md 282,629 2,954 30,828 77 135 Essex, Mass. 281,438 7,720 30,664 78 223 Providence, R.I. 274,573 548 28,414 129 195 Lake, Ill. 264,990 7,118 34,563 32 125 St. Louis City, Mo 262,491 (3,620) 32,740 53 148 Orleans, La 262,373 (3,731) 27,800 147 263 Guilford, N.C. 260,150 5,776 27,551 159 90 Cobb, Ga 257,523 12,389 30,603 82 60 Ventura, Calif. 257,425 4,729 28,289 135 140 Summit, Ohio 256,676 2,416 28,716 120 149 New Castle, Del 256,442 6,049 33,751 40 21 Dane, Wis. 250,220 5,956 27,191 171 202 Polk, Iowa 245,184 3,446 27,996 141 81 Morris, N.J. 244,735 3,625 42,763 5 12 Onondaga, N.Y. 244,052 1,615 $28,388 130 273 Arapahoe, Colo 236,181 13,895 33,317 47 4 Johnson, Kan. 235,359 9,879 28,978 115 120 Pulaski, Ark. 233,590 4,930 26,400 191 166 El Paso, Tex. 232,418 (836) 21,834 281 100 Lucas, Ohio 231,488 2,400 28,567 122 169 Sedgwick, Kan. 231,049 8,319 28,527 125 43 Hudson, N.J. 224,802 (1,991) 36,833 20 11 Kern, Calif. 224,739 7,296 24,315 248 290 East Baton Rouge, La 223,934 5,175 25,986 206 204 Union, N.J. 223,652 377 38,072 15 190 Gwinnett, Ga 221,666 14,328 30,541 86 65 Albany, N.Y. 221,531 (4,239) 30,010 97 69 Bucks, Pa. 218,535 2,761 29,271 106 58 Monmouth, N.J. 214,275 3,117 32,183 61 224 Pierce, Wash. 214,045 3,610 25,548 221 167 Greenville, S.C. 208,316 6,488 26,701 183 185 Delaware, Pa. 205,416 2,624 31,354 69 207 Jefferson, La 205,226 5,990 24,107 252 214 Bronx, N.Y. 204,496 (1,139) 29,590 101 278 Bristol, Mass. 203,988 1,002 26,007 204 137 El Paso, Colo 203,576 9,720 25,771 214 42 Lancaster, Pa. 199,750 2,550 26,467 188 183 Waukesha, Wis. 198,635 5,482 29,777 100 111 Lake, Ind. 196,030 3,764 28,339 133 170 Camden, N.J. 194,600 (393) 30,873 76 157 Mercer, N.J. 194,166 (3,365) 37,598 18 232 Richland, S.C. 191,318 4,886 25,001 233 187 Jefferson, Colo 190,400 2,854 30,342 91 99 Washington, Ore 189,387 14,668 32,770 52 34 Snohomish, Wash. 188,697 5,953 30,474 88 36 Hampden, Mass. 187,840 1,641 27,676 154 179 Knox, Tenn. 187,813 2,509 25,552 220 200 Chester, Pa. 181,695 6,154 34,978 27 142 Allen, Ind. 180,257 742 27,845 145 153 Ingham, Mich. 178,745 2,554 30,083 95 112 Washtenaw, Mich. 178,621 2,276 32,582 54 192 San Joaquin, Calif. 177,886 3,967 24,763 238 271 Genesee, Mich. 177,756 1,802 33,294 48 288 Hillsborough, N.H. 173,703 4,926 30,880 75 83 Spokane, Wash. 173,400 2,814 24,536 244 117 Passaic, N.J. 173,189 (3,074) 33,194 49 275 Hamilton, Tenn. 172,833 3,304 26,581 186 247 Washoe, Nev. 169,684 6,617 27,679 153 82 Polk, Fla. 169,663 2,679 24,106 253 144 Richmond, Va 169,390 (653) 32,290 59 87 Forsyth, N.C. 168,835 4,906 28,516 126 221 Anne Arundel, Md 168,154 1,159 29,182 110 151 Stark, Ohio 166,131 2,567 25,286 227 264 Brevard, Fla. 165,919 557 27,370 165 259 Mobile, Ala 165,413 3,001 $25,517 222 116 Dauphin, Pa. 163,061 2,193 29,348 104 128 Sonoma, Calif. 162,626 8,319 26,938 178 217 Santa Barbara, Calif. 162,293 6,114 26,251 196 266 Burlington, N.J. 161,143 3,685 31,811 65 74 Charleston, S.C. 160,690 1,667 23,127 274 216 Fayette, Ky 158,389 4,572 25,935 212 73 York, Pa. 157,986 1,307 26,955 177 181 Berks, Pa. 157,960 1,894 28,206 137 228 Arlington, Va 157,213 3,245 40,899 9 31 Kane, Ill. 155,700 2,676 28,486 127 24 Somerset, N.J. 153,670 3,946 42,755 6 127 Lehigh, Pa. 152,676 2,300 30,558 83 84 Plymouth, Mass. 151,831 1,931 28,050 140 110 Cumberland, Maine 148,303 2,949 26,379 192 114 Durham, N.C. 148,245 4,799 35,284 26 95 Monterey, Calif. 146,843 6,226 24,852 235 248 Lee, Fla. 146,303 1,852 23,246 272 72 Boulder, Colo 146,175 869 30,968 74 1 Ada, Idaho 144,979 5,195 27,651 155 287 Norfolk, Va 144,673 1,503 27,191 170 210 Virginia Beach, Va 142,387 5,300 21,567 283 175 Madison, Ala 142,246 3,820 31,069 71 258 Stanislaus, Calif. 140,691 5,235 23,738 264 272 Hinds, Miss. 140,678 3,224 25,981 207 189 Henrico, Va 140,464 4,436 28,842 117 57 Winnebago, Ill. 139,925 2,005 27,777 149 184 Sangamon, Ill. 138,139 1,064 29,867 99 130 Volusia, Fla. 136,105 731 21,147 284 209 Atlantic, N.J. 135,446 874 28,727 119 145 Nueces, Tex. 134,439 3,319 25,048 232 134 Hidalgo, Tex. 134,290 2,792 18,928 289 48 Luzerne, Pa. 133,901 186 24,412 246 172 Lancaster, Neb. 132,939 3,476 24,018 256 201 Dakota, Minn. 132,493 4,414 28,530 124 8 Leon, Fla. 130,398 3,123 24,776 237 44 Greene, Mo 130,154 2,341 23,461 269 171 Lane, Ore 128,436 3,507 24,152 251 105 Brown, Wis. 127,204 3,394 27,118 174 205 Westmoreland, Pa. 126,688 1,723 24,722 240 191 Montgomery, Ala 126,463 2,278 25,074 231 206 Sarasota, Fla. 124,306 3,903 23,851 260 238 St. Joseph, Ind. 124,113 (58) 25,661 218 251 Collin, Tex. 123,797 8,121 33,441 45 16 Erie, Pa. 122,834 537 25,941 210 215 Cumberland, Pa. 121,872 4,468 27,522 163 218 Ocean, N.J. 121,759 1,533 25,939 211 160 Tulare, Calif. 121,744 3,075 19,768 287 269 Adams, Colo 120,928 2,801 27,187 172 106 Utah, Utah. 119,880 6,863 23,480 268 229 Marion, Ore 119,816 2,648 $24,054 255 231 Kalamazoo, Mich. 119,313 316 29,517 102 32 Anchorage, Alaska 119,068 891 33,501 42 289 Escambia, Fla. 118,087 3,079 23,745 263 177 Will, Ill. 117,499 2,556 28,361 132 254 New London, Conn 116,924 1,221 32,003 63 156 Chatham, Ga 116,255 2,148 25,459 224 39 Caddo, La 116,216 1,812 25,220 229 282 Spartanburg, S.C. 116,070 949 25,950 208 188 Clackamas, Ore 115,170 4,253 27,206 169 22 Seminole, Fla. 113,766 5,448 25,114 230 101 Jefferson, Tex. 113,088 (562) 27,756 151 283 Elkhart, Ind. 112,031 (1,780) 26,333 193 64 Rockingham, N.H. 110,245 3,933 27,550 160 261 Alachua, Fla. 109,023 1,664 22,348 279 249 Orange, N.Y. 108,869 955 26,028 203 250 Kanawha, W.Va 107,849 1,912 26,890 179 163 Linn, Iowa 107,825 2,504 27,523 162 158 Lubbock, Tex. 106,692 83 22,721 277 30 Mahoning, Ohio 106,385 165 23,298 271 199 Butler, Ohio 106,056 730 27,629 156 124 Ottawa, Mich. 105,836 2,696 27,877 143 13 Vanderburgh, Ind. 105,088 1,424 24,838 236 51 Clayton, Ga 104,490 1,959 30,475 87 29 Oneida, N.Y. 103,819 (946) 24,085 254 257 Lafayette, La 102,689 5,297 26,257 195 28 Larimer, Colo 101,790 6,137 26,166 199 59 Marin, Calif. 101,732 1,511 33,396 46 19 Lorain, Ohio 101,695 307 28,226 136 220 Richmond, Ga 101,675 893 24,636 243 237 Dutchess, N.Y. 101,539 1,504 30,546 84 225 Howard, Md 100,703 2,954 31,355 68 162 Solano, Calif. 100,555 447 25,704 216 284 Peoria, Ill. 100,547 714 26,326 194 253 Clark, Wash. 100,378 3,907 26,994 176 20 Manatee, Fla. 99,892 4/ 20,955 285 4/ Cumberland, N.C. 99,020 2,300 22,508 278 80 Buncombe, N.C. 98,700 2,751 23,881 258 165 Trumbull, Ohio 97,073 (6) 30,392 89 280 Santa Cruz, Calif. 97,002 2,776 26,098 201 91 Rockland, N.Y. 96,364 324 32,866 51 233 Shawnee, Kan. 95,800 1,306 25,454 225 252 Chesterfield, Va 95,767 3,516 26,864 180 219 Lake, Ohio 95,759 1,058 27,236 168 86 Lackawanna, Pa. 95,482 (126) 23,722 266 193 Anoka, Minn. 94,401 2,161 28,056 139 45 Saginaw, Mich. 94,041 1,384 30,545 85 196 Broome, N.Y. 94,024 (1,582) 26,447 190 150 Cameron, Tex. 93,797 1,591 19,056 288 236 Madison, Ill. 92,476 (41) 25,651 219 279 Catawba, N.C. 92,139 1,037 $23,757 262 119 Denton, Tex. 91,930 4,820 24,532 245 14 Minnehaha, S.D. 90,946 2,802 23,769 261 161 Yakima, Wash. 90,464 (153) 19,780 286 235 Mc Lennan, Tex. 89,298 1,065 23,302 270 176 Outagamie, Wis. 89,178 3,044 26,466 189 208 St. Louis, Minn. 89,035 1,716 24,667 242 79 Muscogee, Ga 88,902 3,993 23,137 273 243 Newport News, Va 87,899 2,476 26,208 198 268 Galveston, Tex. 87,055 1,217 27,370 166 131 Bibb, Ga 86,789 2,049 25,692 217 226 Chittenden, Vt 85,223 2,582 28,564 123 54 St. Clair, Ill. 85,212 920 23,626 267 230 Collier, Fla. 84,481 2,937 23,728 265 88 Horry, S.C. 84,257 4,398 18,551 290 159 St. Charles, Mo 83,357 3,606 25,510 223 53 Alexandria, Va 82,993 1,738 35,304 24 212 Winnebago, Wis. 82,021 833 28,456 128 118 Scott, Iowa 81,985 3,135 25,307 226 234 Champaign, Ill. 81,952 959 24,982 234 241 Placer, Calif. 81,494 6,476 25,947 209 246 Weber, Utah. 81,266 5,180 22,829 275 49 Northampton, Pa. 81,260 (538) 27,035 175 276 Gaston, N.C. 80,964 (1,612) 23,877 259 256 San Luis Obispo, Calif. 80,861 2,918 23,970 257 103 Niagara, N.Y. 80,096 (765) 27,522 164 245 Gloucester, N.J. 79,605 557 28,101 138 138 Bell, Tex. 79,537 2,083 22,755 276 96 Harrison, Miss. 79,199 2,303 21,606 282 52 Calcasieu, La 79,107 3,385 26,059 202 239 Racine, Wis. 78,873 285 27,973 142 94 Richmond, N.Y. 78,358 2,395 27,624 157 173 Clay, Mo 78,123 1,998 27,132 173 46 Wyandotte, Kan. 77,615 (228) 30,192 94 27 McHenry, Ill. 77,216 1,558 26,637 184 97 Barnstable, Mass. 77,139 2,109 24,154 250 71 Thurston, Wash. 76,613 2,190 26,575 187 260 Yolo, Calif. 76,448 249 29,067 113 270 New Hanover, N.C. 75,687 3,929 24,191 249 139 Rock Island, Ill. 75,519 708 29,215 109 227 1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. The 290 counties comprise 69.1 percent of total covered employment and wages. 2/ Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See technical note. 3/ Percent changes were computed from annual employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See technical note. 4/ Data for this county are not comparable from year to year due to a large number of county reclassifications.