Employment rose in the 13 largest counties in Illinois from December 2020 to December 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Madison County and McLean County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 7.9 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 5.2 percent over the year, with 334 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Hinds, MS, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.9 percent.

Among the 13 largest counties in Illinois, employment was highest in Cook County (2,504,100) in December 2021. Within Cook County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 13 largest Illinois counties accounted for 80.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 89 counties in Illinois with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 87 of the 89 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Twelve of the 13 largest Illinois counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Seven counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 5.9 percent. Lake County had the largest gain (+13.1 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Illinois’ other 12 large counties ranged from 8.5 percent to -0.3 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 334 had over-the-year wage increases. Palm Beach, FL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+15.6 percent). Kitsap, WA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-5.5 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 3 of the 13 largest counties in Illinois were above the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. These three counties ranked among the top 20 percent nationwide: Lake ($1,842, 17^th), Cook ($1,671, 31^st), and DuPage ($1,567, 51^st).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 84 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2021. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,005. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 259 counties. At $826 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Illinois’ smaller counties

Among the 89 smaller counties in Illinois—those with employment below 75,000—Rock Island County ($1,617) and Putnam County ($1,490) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Pope County ($659) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 102 counties in Illinois were considered, 22 reported average weekly wages of less than $850, 25 registered wages from $850 to $949, 29 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 26 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

Technical Note

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 13 largest counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		December 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Fourth quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,194.1	148,293.6	5.2	--	$1,418	--	5.9	--
Illinois	400.5	5,877.3	5.4	--	1,473	11	6.9	11
Champaign	4.2	93.4	5.2	112	1,122	266	2.5	281
Cook	143.0	2,504.1	5.3	105	1,671	31	6.4	85
DuPage	35.2	598.2	4.1	181	1,567	51	7.7	49
Kane	13.0	206.4	5.8	76	1,225	190	5.3	146
Lake	20.6	328.1	3.4	229	1,842	17	13.1	4
McHenry	8.0	94.9	4.3	167	1,112	275	8.5	24
McLean	3.3	82.3	6.9	36	1,197	211	2.0	300
Madison	5.4	109.1	7.9	17	1,056	313	6.7	80
Peoria	4.1	101.5	4.5	160	1,335	122	-0.3	337
St. Clair	5.1	90.3	4.1	181	1,114	272	8.1	40
Sangamon	4.9	127.5	4.9	136	1,216	198	1.0	319
Will	16.0	255.4	5.0	123	1,159	240	5.7	120
Winnebago	6.0	120.9	4.6	153	1,136	257	7.8	45
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment December 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,194,120	148,293,597	$1,418
Illinois	400,506	5,877,314	1,473
Adams	1,745	31,901	1,071
Alexander	90	846	837
Bond	301	4,226	898
Boone	895	15,534	954
Brown	128	4,495	1,095
Bureau	787	10,859	992
Calhoun	91	727	666
Carroll	407	4,107	984
Cass	271	5,104	999
Champaign	4,244	93,426	1,122
Christian	713	9,077	925
Clark	323	4,414	839
Clay	333	4,676	888
Clinton	920	12,046	928
Coles	1,046	23,033	898
Cook	142,973	2,504,060	1,671
Crawford	422	6,992	1,076
Cumberland	193	2,873	947
De Kalb	2,038	35,705	1,064
De Witt	375	4,830	1,382
Douglas	581	7,478	979
Du Page	35,203	598,229	1,567
Edgar	348	7,199	1,032
Edwards	150	1,964	820
Effingham	1,233	23,154	997
Fayette	468	5,357	833
Ford	345	4,919	1,036
Franklin	714	8,844	813
Fulton	674	8,269	828
Gallatin	126	929	932
Greene	241	2,330	819
Grundy	1,207	20,779	1,306
Hamilton	204	1,977	921
Hancock	431	3,967	847
Hardin	64	703	696
Henderson	145	1,117	690
Henry	1,020	13,372	970
Iroquois	688	7,149	887
Jackson	1,168	24,253	980
Jasper	235	2,104	933
Jefferson	848	19,009	1,026
Jersey	405	5,125	848
Jo Daviess	735	7,027	967
Johnson	188	2,295	950
Kane	13,011	206,359	1,225
Kankakee	2,232	41,392	1,033
Kendall	2,381	29,141	954
Knox	1,000	16,193	880
Lake	20,554	328,144	1,842
La Salle	2,523	40,792	1,055
Lawrence	251	4,105	971
Lee	711	12,511	1,039
Livingston	863	12,910	1,052
Logan	567	8,410	990
McDonough	570	10,125	894
McHenry	7,983	94,935	1,112
McLean	3,346	82,271	1,197
Macon	2,085	45,469	1,175
Macoupin	904	10,166	965
Madison	5,413	109,116	1,056
Marion	822	12,373	875
Marshall	274	2,863	925
Mason	295	2,772	792
Massac	206	2,833	919
Menard	216	1,699	877
Mercer	294	3,163	836
Monroe	830	8,573	912
Montgomery	681	8,412	880
Morgan	730	13,676	980
Moultrie	338	5,073	943
Ogle	1,029	14,691	1,102
Peoria	4,135	101,484	1,335
Perry	343	4,557	876
Piatt	371	3,454	887
Pike	426	3,949	850
Pope	47	497	659
Pulaski	106	1,216	804
Putnam	162	1,661	1,490
Randolph	634	11,721	1,024
Richland	412	5,789	897
Rock Island	2,982	72,745	1,617
St. Clair	5,067	90,318	1,114
Saline	500	7,475	824
Sangamon	4,901	127,480	1,216
Schuyler	174	1,519	809
Scott	94	900	889
Shelby	467	4,909	838
Stark	135	1,478	1,001
Stephenson	1,070	16,924	1,038
Tazewell	2,608	45,290	1,008
Union	332	5,104	771
Vermilion	1,373	25,682	1,012
Wabash	266	3,201	973
Warren	382	5,887	891
Washington	409	6,459	1,049
Wayne	382	4,055	767
White	347	3,782	848
Whiteside	1,195	20,730	953
Will	15,967	255,393	1,159
Williamson	1,396	27,765	969
Winnebago	6,020	120,932	1,136
Woodford	764	10,289	1,053
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

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

State	Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		December 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2020–21	Fourth quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,194.1	148,293.6	5.2	$1,418	--	5.9	--
Alabama	141.2	2,007.0	3.1	1,153	36	4.9	34
Alaska	24.1	299.4	3.1	1,311	19	4.1	43
Arizona	190.2	3,057.8	5.1	1,281	23	5.5	27
Arkansas	97.0	1,236.1	3.4	1,064	49	6.4	14
California	1,701.9	17,622.2	7.4	1,804	4	4.8	37
Colorado	232.9	2,776.4	6.2	1,484	10	7.8	3
Connecticut	134.0	1,639.9	3.9	1,611	6	3.9	45
Delaware	37.0	452.0	4.5	1,337	16	5.9	23
District of Columbia	46.1	749.4	5.1	2,320	1	1.0	50
Florida	834.7	9,241.1	6.7	1,297	20	9.7	2
Georgia	351.2	4,629.8	5.0	1,292	21	7.0	9
Hawaii	50.4	613.8	9.2	1,229	28	0.8	51
Idaho	81.8	802.3	5.1	1,111	42	7.4	6
Illinois	400.5	5,877.3	5.4	1,473	11	6.9	11
Indiana	179.4	3,089.3	3.4	1,153	36	7.0	9
Iowa	107.3	1,527.4	2.2	1,157	35	5.3	30
Kansas	92.5	1,381.0	2.4	1,132	41	5.8	24
Kentucky	136.5	1,919.8	4.5	1,110	43	5.0	33
Louisiana	146.1	1,853.9	2.9	1,142	40	6.0	21
Maine	59.7	613.7	3.3	1,163	34	6.4	14
Maryland	178.1	2,648.4	3.9	1,499	9	3.8	46
Massachusetts	281.8	3,556.9	5.5	1,832	2	3.7	47
Michigan	274.9	4,250.8	6.3	1,291	22	2.7	49
Minnesota	191.0	2,823.7	5.2	1,378	13	4.0	44
Mississippi	78.5	1,147.3	2.4	944	51	4.8	37
Missouri	226.1	2,804.8	2.9	1,179	33	4.5	40
Montana	56.7	489.0	4.6	1,108	44	7.1	8
Nebraska	77.5	978.5	1.5	1,144	38	6.1	19
Nevada	98.3	1,432.6	11.5	1,246	25	5.8	24
New Hampshire	61.2	662.2	3.9	1,580	7	12.3	1
New Jersey	315.6	4,123.7	6.8	1,563	8	3.0	48
New Mexico	66.5	819.1	6.5	1,097	47	4.4	41
New York	674.4	9,195.8	5.8	1,829	3	6.8	13
North Carolina	324.7	4,646.6	4.7	1,241	26	7.8	3
North Dakota	33.3	407.9	3.4	1,192	31	4.9	34
Ohio	318.8	5,352.6	2.9	1,221	29	5.2	31
Oklahoma	117.8	1,604.5	2.1	1,080	48	6.9	11
Oregon	173.4	1,915.0	4.8	1,332	17	6.1	19
Pennsylvania	379.7	5,807.9	4.5	1,352	15	5.1	32
Rhode Island	44.1	475.5	5.7	1,315	18	4.4	41
South Carolina	155.8	2,147.9	3.5	1,101	46	6.4	14
South Dakota	37.6	435.5	2.7	1,108	44	5.7	26
Tennessee	191.7	3,123.3	3.9	1,258	24	7.3	7
Texas	779.4	13,012.7	6.1	1,376	14	6.3	17
Utah	126.9	1,624.1	4.3	1,231	27	6.2	18
Vermont	28.7	298.7	4.3	1,189	32	4.9	34
Virginia	303.4	3,918.0	3.1	1,424	12	4.8	37
Washington	276.1	3,427.0	6.3	1,683	5	6.0	21
West Virginia	54.7	674.4	3.1	1,053	50	5.5	27
Wisconsin	194.0	2,832.6	2.4	1,202	30	5.4	29
Wyoming	28.8	267.2	2.7	1,143	39	7.7	5
Puerto Rico	48.2	935.3	6.8	645	(3)	3.9	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.4	35.0	-0.4	1,090	(3)	3.0	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.