Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

23-1443-NEW
Thursday, June 29, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — Fourth Quarter 2022

Employment in Puerto Rico’s only large municipio, San Juan, increased 4.7 percent from December 2021 to December 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and county-equivalent entities, like municipios in Puerto Rico, are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that in December 2022, San Juan’s employment level of 263,000 accounted for 27.0 percent of total employment in the commonwealth. (See 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.

The average weekly wage in San Juan Municipio was $805 in the fourth quarter of 2022, a 3.9-percent increase over the year. In the United States, the average weekly wage decreased 2.3 percent to $1,385. 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).

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 77 municipios in Puerto Rico with employment below 75,000. All 77 municipios had wages below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022 (See table 2.) Juncos, located on the eastern part of the island, had the highest average weekly wage at $930. Eight municipios had average weekly wages below $450, with the lowest wages reported in Guánica ($381) and Las Marías ($386). (See chart 1.)

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 largest municipio in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22 (2)
Fourth quarter
2022
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22 (2)

United States (3)

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

Puerto Rico

50.8 976.7 4.3 665 2.9

San Juan

12.1 263.6 4.7 805 3.9

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) 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 municipios in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment December 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

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

Puerto Rico

50,846 976,743 665

Adjuntas

237 1,892 436

Aguada

596 5,008 464

Aguadilla

986 19,683 778

Aguas Buenas

165 1,783 492

Aibonito

344 6,498 617

Añasco

306 6,838 614

Arecibo

1,173 22,922 618

Arroyo

106 2,714 625

Barceloneta

302 11,138 678

Barranquitas

374 3,466 523

Bayamón

3,050 57,917 625

Cabo Rojo

647 6,963 439

Caguas

2,385 47,817 603

Camuy

385 4,767 441

Canóvanas

375 5,741 555

Carolina

2,074 51,821 581

Cataño

320 11,342 715

Cayey

505 10,416 603

Ceiba

106 1,469 526

Ciales

155 1,850 484

Cidra

415 6,451 582

Coamo

330 3,980 488

Comerío

137 1,909 490

Corozal

347 3,914 484

Culebra

63 476 501

Dorado

694 12,318 666

Fajardo

521 10,234 581

Florida

67 1,109 458

Guánica

110 2,981 381

Guayama

487 10,101 618

Guayanilla

133 2,315 557

Guaynabo

2,652 57,888 814

Gurabo

421 9,238 600

Hatillo

614 10,036 474

Hormigueros

202 3,594 471

Humacao

830 18,432 632

Isabela

537 7,012 519

Jayuya

172 3,109 580

Juana Díaz

366 7,089 602

Juncos

270 8,407 930

Lajas

243 3,810 434

Lares

328 4,230 464

Las Marías

98 964 386

Las Piedras

303 7,520 617

Loíza

97 1,858 614

Luquillo

155 2,129 518

Manatí

661 14,909 667

Maricao

63 1,546 510

Maunabo

59 1,380 732

Mayagüez

1,587 32,016 598

Moca

474 5,743 433

Morovis

213 2,675 469

Naguabo

187 2,378 502

Naranjito

344 4,149 537

Orocovis

229 3,124 466

Patillas

118 1,655 559

Peñuelas

187 2,667 579

Ponce

2,339 49,190 660

Quebradillas

261 2,586 462

Rincón

241 2,379 475

Río Grande

380 5,839 572

Sabana Grande

210 3,431 475

Salinas

231 3,741 597

San Germán

401 8,195 529

San Juan

12,103 263,616 805

San Lorenzo

307 5,081 612

San Sebastián

651 6,303 433

Santa Isabel

251 6,521 550

Toa Alta

435 4,307 529

Toa Baja

787 14,488 586

Trujillo Alto

619 10,772 469

Utuado

308 3,852 523

Vega Alta

345 4,353 569

Vega Baja

519 8,922 618

Vieques

130 1,483 515

Villalba

163 3,754 576

Yabucoa

208 2,794 494

Yauco

461 7,011 515

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023