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News Release Information

23-1355-CHI
Friday, July 14, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

County Employment and Wages in Nebraska — Fourth Quarter 2022

Employment rose in the two largest counties in Nebraska from December 2021 to December 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Douglas County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 2.6 percent over the year, with 325 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 7.9 percent. Elkhart, IN, and Hendricks, IN, both experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.7 percent each.

Among the two largest counties in Nebraska, employment was highest in Douglas County (341,500) in December 2022. Within Douglas County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the two largest Nebraska counties accounted for 51.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 91 counties in Nebraska with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 90 of the 91 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Douglas County, Nebraska, reported an average weekly wage gain (+1.0 percent) from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, while Lancaster County had a wage decline (-0.1 percent). (See chart 2.) Douglas County’s wage gain ranked 47th nationally, while Lancaster County’s decline ranked 112th.


Nationwide, wages decreased by 2.3 percent over the year. Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 240 had over-the-year wage decreases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage decrease (-22.6 percent). Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase (+6.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in both of Nebraska’s large counties were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Douglas County had an average weekly wage of $1,303, ranking 129th nationally. Lancaster County had an average weekly wage of $1,120, ranking 266th nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 86 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2022. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,329. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 269 counties. At $827 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Nebraska’s smaller counties

Among the 91 smaller counties in Nebraska—those with employment below 75,000—Stanton ($1,499) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Hooker County ($561) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 93 counties in Nebraska were considered, 17 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 23 registered wages from $800 to $899, 26 had wages from $900 to $999, and 27 had average weekly wages of $1,000 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/.

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.


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.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

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 two largest counties in Nebraska, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 -- $1,385 -- -2.3 --

Nebraska

79.1 995.5 1.7 -- 1,154 36 1.2 4

Douglas

20.0 341.5 1.3 225 1,303 129 1.0 47

Lancaster

10.7 170.9 0.3 307 1,120 266 -0.1 112

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 Nebraska, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment December 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,785,706 152,317,914 $1,385

Nebraska

79,080 995,547 1,154

Adams

1,145 15,483 992

Antelope

293 2,215 969

Arthur

17 100 566

Banner

12 113 886

Blaine

25 130 897

Boone

268 2,407 911

Box Butte

408 3,518 916

Boyd

100 532 723

Brown

180 1,356 869

Buffalo

1,964 27,452 973

Burt

263 1,763 916

Butler

285 2,600 1,018

Cass

733 5,678 958

Cedar

354 2,693 903

Chase

233 1,782 1,018

Cherry

318 2,219 744

Cheyenne

389 3,862 885

Clay

282 2,019 1,111

Colfax

328 5,022 1,069

Cuming

422 3,730 1,013

Custer

498 4,462 953

Dakota

531 13,596 1,171

Dawes

334 3,115 753

Dawson

820 11,815 966

Deuel

88 573 736

Dixon

153 1,840 1,045

Dodge

1,150 18,747 1,012

Douglas

20,000 341,499 1,303

Dundy

89 582 910

Fillmore

294 2,310 1,042

Franklin

134 845 816

Frontier

100 817 743

Furnas

231 1,782 917

Gage

782 8,471 950

Garden

83 518 772

Garfield

117 742 866

Gosper

82 497 923

Grant

55 268 749

Greeley

126 633 816

Hall

2,084 34,997 1,000

Hamilton

370 3,634 1,133

Harlan

128 838 820

Hayes

37 178 757

Hitchcock

99 663 876

Holt

540 4,149 917

Hooker

41 253 561

Howard

212 1,733 825

Jefferson

280 3,378 889

Johnson

140 1,439 1,078

Kearney

215 2,049 972

Keith

417 3,193 870

Keya Paha

37 119 624

Kimball

161 1,361 890

Knox

335 2,852 831

Lancaster

10,686 170,918 1,120

Lincoln

1,210 14,433 955

Logan

39 193 798

Loup

21 119 592

McPherson

11 67 794

Madison

1,417 22,041 1,014

Merrick

290 2,219 958

Morrill

193 1,495 966

Nance

122 912 842

Nemaha

231 3,006 1,298

Nuckolls

199 1,565 822

Otoe

527 6,208 985

Pawnee

96 751 924

Perkins

156 1,124 1,074

Phelps

434 4,792 1,133

Pierce

245 1,973 949

Platte

1,199 19,892 1,024

Polk

180 1,452 940

Red Willow

463 4,996 881

Richardson

326 2,342 819

Rock

61 453 874

Saline

409 6,684 1,040

Sarpy

4,635 74,496 1,105

Saunders

660 5,617 958

Scotts Bluff

1,382 15,800 924

Seward

536 5,938 1,055

Sheridan

246 1,686 759

Sherman

113 696 724

Sioux

30 186 762

Stanton

103 1,344 1,499

Thayer

270 2,220 1,083

Thomas

42 257 934

Thurston

169 3,236 1,092

Valley

249 1,778 896

Washington

704 7,809 1,165

Wayne

285 4,230 810

Webster

136 1,012 811

Wheeler

39 286 802

York

655 7,534 1,094

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 2022
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 $1,385 -- -2.3 --

Alabama

152.6 2,057.5 2.2 1,158 35 0.4 8

Alaska

24.9 303.9 1.5 1,299 18 -0.8 26

Arizona

211.7 3,157.8 3.1 1,272 22 -0.8 26

Arkansas

101.0 1,272.9 2.9 1,065 50 -0.1 13

California

1,768.8 18,051.3 2.3 1,679 4 -6.9 51

Colorado

254.3 2,857.0 2.9 1,472 9 -0.9 31

Connecticut

142.8 1,667.9 1.6 1,593 6 -0.9 31

Delaware

40.5 464.6 2.4 1,346 15 0.4 8

District of Columbia

49.7 757.7 0.9 2,291 1 -1.1 35

Florida

882.6 9,616.3 3.9 1,284 20 -0.8 26

Georgia

397.5 4,794.5 3.7 1,289 19 -0.3 18

Hawaii

54.0 638.1 3.7 1,227 28 -0.2 16

Idaho

89.5 827.0 3.1 1,114 44 0.3 10

Illinois

409.8 5,997.3 2.0 1,432 11 -2.8 46

Indiana

189.5 3,154.4 2.1 1,131 40 -1.9 40

Iowa

110.8 1,543.9 0.9 1,153 37 -0.3 18

Kansas

96.4 1,416.2 2.6 1,125 41 -0.7 25

Kentucky

146.0 1,967.4 2.5 1,099 46 -0.9 31

Louisiana

151.5 1,880.4 1.1 1,134 39 -0.8 26

Maine

63.1 626.7 2.0 1,165 34 0.0 12

Maryland

190.0 2,668.5 0.3 1,462 10 -2.4 43

Massachusetts

293.6 3,620.2 1.8 1,790 2 -2.5 45

Michigan

302.6 4,350.0 2.3 1,274 21 -1.2 37

Minnesota

205.6 2,870.0 1.6 1,357 14 -1.5 38

Mississippi

83.3 1,161.6 1.2 947 51 0.2 11

Missouri

239.9 2,860.4 2.0 1,172 33 -0.6 21

Montana

62.6 500.6 2.4 1,118 42 0.9 5

Nebraska

79.1 995.5 1.7 1,154 36 1.2 4

Nevada

105.3 1,503.3 4.7 1,244 25 -0.1 13

New Hampshire

64.7 678.9 2.4 1,484 8 -6.1 50

New Jersey

331.2 4,235.5 2.7 1,534 7 -1.9 40

New Mexico

67.5 844.1 2.7 1,115 43 1.6 1

New York

683.5 9,449.3 2.7 1,736 3 -5.1 49

North Carolina

354.8 4,771.4 2.7 1,235 26 -0.6 21

North Dakota

34.8 416.0 2.0 1,204 30 0.9 5

Ohio

333.8 5,439.4 1.6 1,203 31 -1.6 39

Oklahoma

125.9 1,662.2 3.0 1,073 48 -0.6 21

Oregon

188.0 1,960.1 2.1 1,302 17 -2.2 42

Pennsylvania

391.9 5,944.5 2.1 1,320 16 -2.4 43

Rhode Island

47.0 485.8 2.2 1,261 23 -4.3 48

South Carolina

171.0 2,218.6 3.2 1,111 45 0.9 5

South Dakota

39.7 444.6 2.1 1,096 47 -1.0 34

Tennessee

207.8 3,221.9 3.8 1,254 24 -0.8 26

Texas

811.6 13,576.6 4.2 1,372 13 -0.2 16

Utah

137.3 1,675.6 3.2 1,230 27 -0.1 13

Vermont

31.6 304.6 1.7 1,207 29 1.4 3

Virginia

337.4 4,010.6 2.2 1,416 12 -0.6 21

Washington

236.8 3,540.6 3.2 1,631 5 -3.0 47

West Virginia

56.6 682.6 1.1 1,067 49 1.5 2

Wisconsin

204.0 2,899.1 2.1 1,188 32 -1.1 35

Wyoming

30.1 272.7 1.9 1,137 38 -0.5 20

Puerto Rico

50.8 976.7 4.3 665 (3) 2.9 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 35.7 1.6 1,021 (3) 3.8 (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.

Chart 3. Average weekly wages by county in Nebraska, fourth quarter 2022

(U.S. average = $1,385)

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, July 14, 2023