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News Release Information

23-1966-CHI
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

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

County Employment and Wages in Ohio — First Quarter 2023

Employment rose in 13 of the 14 largest counties in Ohio from March 2022 to March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Delaware County and Greene County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 3.8 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 2.5 percent over the year, with 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 8.5 percent. Elkhart, IN, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.6 percent.

Among the 14 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin (759,300) in March 2023. Within Franklin County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 14 largest Ohio counties accounted for 65.4 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 counties in Ohio with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 74 of the smaller counties were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 14 large Ohio counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Stark County had the largest gain (+12.7 percent), followed by Greene County (+11.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Ohio’s other 12 large counties ranged from 10.4 percent to 3.6 percent.


Nationwide, wages increased by 6.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 353 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (24.3 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.3 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 2 of the 14 largest counties in Ohio were above the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023: Hamilton ($1,516) and Delaware ($1,479). However, neither of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2023. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,922. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 273 counties. At $782 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Ohio’s smaller counties

All 74 smaller counties in Ohio—those with employment below 75,000— reported an average weekly wage below the national average. Meigs County ($767) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 88 counties in Ohio were considered, 7 reported average weekly wages of less than $850, 24 registered wages from $850 to $949, 27 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 30 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/.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

County Changes for the 2023 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2022 are included in this release and will be included in future 2023 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Napa, CA; York, ME; Gaston, NC; Orange, NC; and Merrimack, NH. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.


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.

Chart 3. Average weekly wages by county in Ohio, first quarter 2023

(U.S. average = $1,465)

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 14 largest counties in Ohio, first quarter 2023
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,883.2 151,418.1 2.5 -- $1,465 -- 6.6 --

Ohio

338.0 5,392.9 1.7 -- 1,265 25 7.3 30

Butler

9.0 158.0 2.2 142 1,222 201 7.8 167

Cuyahoga

39.6 692.1 1.0 265 1,450 93 6.6 237

Delaware

6.9 92.7 3.8 41 1,479 83 7.9 161

Franklin

39.6 759.3 1.9 174 1,409 103 6.4 251

Greene

4.1 78.3 3.4 56 1,357 126 11.7 17

Hamilton

27.2 510.8 2.1 153 1,516 72 3.6 337

Lake

6.8 95.7 1.2 249 1,103 291 10.0 51

Lorain

6.9 95.9 1.3 239 1,047 321 10.4 36

Lucas

11.0 195.4 1.2 249 1,226 199 8.2 143

Mahoning

6.3 92.5 -0.5 334 960 347 8.8 108

Montgomery

13.2 245.2 0.9 274 1,179 235 9.8 62

Stark

9.4 152.1 0.7 289 1,050 320 12.7 10

Summit

15.8 258.3 2.0 165 1,228 197 3.8 333

Warren

6.3 98.4 1.8 189 1,273 175 4.9 303

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 Ohio, first quarter 2023
Area Establishments Employment March 2023 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,883,196 151,418,052 $1,465

Ohio

337,953 5,392,910 1,265

Adams

686 6,217 930

Allen

2,588 49,239 1,098

Ashland

1,214 18,404 898

Ashtabula

2,236 29,300 882

Athens

1,367 20,671 894

Auglaize

1,123 21,569 1,063

Belmont

1,681 20,712 920

Brown

734 7,707 775

Butler

9,006 157,969 1,222

Carroll

568 5,930 875

Champaign

727 10,302 978

Clark

2,620 46,762 983

Clermont

5,008 60,805 1,135

Clinton

960 18,595 1,239

Columbiana

2,264 27,989 888

Coshocton

736 9,676 953

Crawford

948 12,428 912

Cuyahoga

39,562 692,052 1,450

Darke

1,360 18,281 940

Defiance

922 14,851 1,041

Delaware

6,917 92,655 1,479

Erie

2,087 33,027 985

Fairfield

3,462 45,004 938

Fayette

673 10,557 910

Franklin

39,580 759,336 1,409

Fulton

1,133 17,599 1,014

Gallia

765 11,345 899

Geauga

3,180 34,727 1,053

Greene

4,106 78,263 1,357

Guernsey

975 14,269 963

Hamilton

27,161 510,756 1,516

Hancock

1,964 43,924 1,397

Hardin

546 7,357 932

Harrison

344 3,522 1,168

Henry

689 10,505 965

Highland

848 10,948 808

Hocking

590 6,669 793

Holmes

1,549 20,810 958

Huron

1,413 21,219 954

Jackson

750 10,141 820

Jefferson

1,433 20,513 925

Knox

1,308 19,922 1,009

Lake

6,805 95,737 1,103

Lawrence

1,015 13,396 869

Licking

3,907 68,345 1,068

Logan

1,032 18,925 961

Lorain

6,879 95,948 1,047

Lucas

10,999 195,444 1,226

Madison

1,023 22,300 970

Mahoning

6,274 92,535 960

Marion

1,248 23,023 1,001

Medina

5,155 60,026 1,099

Meigs

368 3,471 767

Mercer

1,221 19,788 938

Miami

2,579 41,400 1,018

Monroe

387 2,905 862

Montgomery

13,192 245,203 1,179

Morgan

231 2,886 903

Morrow

567 5,114 833

Muskingum

1,975 34,446 993

Noble

294 2,945 986

Ottawa

1,229 12,636 1,085

Paulding

424 4,845 975

Perry

607 6,106 904

Pickaway

1,068 16,364 1,095

Pike

586 10,408 1,155

Portage

3,752 55,415 1,073

Preble

798 11,459 1,045

Putnam

863 12,053 998

Richland

2,940 47,769 937

Ross

1,507 29,812 1,084

Sandusky

1,467 24,965 1,004

Scioto

1,500 24,349 930

Seneca

1,226 19,007 904

Shelby

1,125 26,868 1,072

Stark

9,375 152,107 1,050

Summit

15,792 258,324 1,228

Trumbull

4,473 63,042 952

Tuscarawas

2,424 36,444 941

Union

1,542 33,630 1,240

Van Wert

654 11,390 944

Vinton

214 2,180 840

Warren

6,337 98,404 1,273

Washington

1,664 24,751 1,116

Wayne

2,995 47,608 1,037

Williams

916 16,519 995

Wood

3,388 73,387 1,125

Wyandot

586 10,227 1,020

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, first quarter 2023
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,883.2 151,418.1 2.5 $1,465 -- 6.6 --

Alabama

153.8 2,055.3 2.6 1,164 38 8.9 12

Alaska

25.1 311.3 2.4 1,301 24 10.3 1

Arizona

214.7 3,143.1 2.7 1,330 21 7.5 27

Arkansas

102.2 1,272.5 3.1 1,127 44 6.4 41

California

1,790.3 17,842.7 0.9 1,735 5 5.5 46

Colorado

261.7 2,838.6 2.5 1,559 9 7.1 33

Connecticut

145.6 1,641.7 1.4 1,817 4 5.9 44

Delaware

41.0 462.3 3.0 1,431 15 4.8 50

District of Columbia

49.5 754.0 1.1 2,341 1 5.1 48

Florida

883.1 9,640.2 4.1 1,330 21 9.3 6

Georgia

376.4 4,775.6 3.0 1,376 17 6.1 43

Hawaii

55.1 634.3 3.3 1,218 30 7.2 31

Idaho

91.8 818.1 1.6 1,084 47 10.1 2

Illinois

409.8 5,936.4 2.1 1,567 8 5.5 46

Indiana

191.0 3,124.3 1.8 1,203 33 6.2 42

Iowa

110.7 1,526.1 0.9 1,176 36 8.3 15

Kansas

97.7 1,405.6 2.6 1,155 39 7.6 24

Kentucky

148.0 1,956.2 2.9 1,138 43 9.3 6

Louisiana

152.7 1,882.2 1.9 1,150 40 9.1 9

Maine

63.9 616.7 1.7 1,188 34 7.7 22

Maryland

189.1 2,647.5 2.0 1,541 10 9.0 10

Massachusetts

294.5 3,583.5 1.8 1,917 3 5.0 49

Michigan

311.0 4,305.8 2.0 1,308 23 6.8 35

Minnesota

207.8 2,836.9 1.9 1,461 14 6.5 40

Mississippi

84.7 1,153.8 1.6 944 51 7.2 31

Missouri

243.5 2,854.3 2.4 1,224 29 8.5 14

Montana

64.3 498.1 2.6 1,079 49 9.3 6

Nebraska

75.9 990.7 2.5 1,165 37 8.0 18

Nevada

106.3 1,497.2 3.8 1,246 27 7.4 28

New Hampshire

64.2 671.9 1.8 1,462 13 7.4 28

New Jersey

329.7 4,169.3 2.3 1,699 7 5.7 45

New Mexico

69.4 844.1 2.8 1,105 46 8.9 12

New York

693.2 9,368.7 2.9 2,015 2 2.1 51

North Carolina

366.3 4,782.7 3.1 1,348 18 6.8 35

North Dakota

34.9 413.0 2.9 1,216 31 9.8 3

Ohio

338.0 5,392.9 1.7 1,265 25 7.3 30

Oklahoma

128.2 1,660.1 3.6 1,109 45 9.0 10

Oregon

193.8 1,959.8 1.4 1,339 19 6.7 37

Pennsylvania

391.2 5,898.8 2.0 1,408 16 7.6 24

Rhode Island

47.7 478.4 2.1 1,334 20 6.6 39

South Carolina

173.4 2,221.1 3.4 1,139 42 9.5 5

South Dakota

39.3 440.8 2.0 1,084 47 7.0 34

Tennessee

210.7 3,201.7 2.9 1,264 26 7.8 20

Texas

820.5 13,568.7 4.3 1,480 11 8.1 17

Utah

134.7 1,666.9 2.4 1,245 28 7.9 19

Vermont

31.5 304.6 2.3 1,188 34 7.6 24

Virginia

347.7 4,002.1 2.6 1,477 12 8.2 16

Washington

238.7 3,540.1 2.5 1,721 6 7.7 22

West Virginia

56.8 682.4 1.8 1,062 50 9.6 4

Wisconsin

202.0 2,874.3 1.9 1,211 32 6.7 37

Wyoming

30.2 270.6 2.4 1,145 41 7.8 20

Puerto Rico

51.7 936.1 1.8 640 (3) 10.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.8 36.1 2.2 971 (3) 3.6 (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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023