Employment rose in 7 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota from September 2022 to September 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 Washington County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Minnesota, September 2023

County	Percent change, September 2023
Washington	2.1
Anoka	2.0
Dakota	2.0
Stearns	1.9
Ramsey	1.3
Olmsted	1.2
Hennepin	1.1
St. Louis	-0.2

National employment increased 1.5 percent over the year, with 309 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Hall, GA, had the largest increase in employment (+5.4 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-7.3 percent).

Among the eight largest counties in Minnesota, employment was highest in Hennepin County (915,500) in September 2023. Within Hennepin County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the eight largest Minnesota counties accounted for 66.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 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 79 counties in Minnesota with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 79 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Six of the eight large Minnesota counties reported average weekly wage losses from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Ramsey County had the largest loss (-2.9 percent), followed by Stearns County (-2.8 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Minnesota’s other six large counties ranged from 3.4 percent to -2.5 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Minnesota, third quarter 2023

County	Percent change, third quarter 2023
Ramsey	-2.9
Stearns	-2.8
Washington	-2.5
Anoka	-2.4
Hennepin	-1.7
Dakota	-1.1
St. Louis	0.3
Olmsted	3.4

Nationwide, wages increased by 0.1 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 169 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+7.7 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.0 percent).

Weekly wages in 5 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in Hennepin County ($1,609, 26^th) ranked among the top 50 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 92 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2023. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,288). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($793).

Among the 79 smaller counties in Minnesota—those with employment below 75,000—Dodge County ($1,267) reported the highest average weekly wage in the state and Cass County ($785) reported the lowest.

When all 87 counties in Minnesota were considered, 17 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 31 registered wages from $900 to $999, 28 had wages from $1000 to $1,099, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1.)

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 for the County Employment and Wages News Release or visit the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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.

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.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

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.