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News Release Information

23-1499-SAN
Thursday, July 06, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

County Employment and Wages in Oregon – Fourth Quarter 2022

Employment rose in all 7 of the largest counties in Oregon 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 Chris Rosenlund noted that Washington County, Clackamas County, and Marion County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 3.5 percent, 2.5 percent, and 2.5 percent, respectively. (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 7 largest counties in Oregon, employment was highest in Multnomah County (503,200) in December 2022. Within Multnomah County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 7 largest Oregon counties accounted for 75.7 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 29 counties in Oregon with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all these smaller counties were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Six of the seven large counties in Oregon reported weekly wage losses from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Over-the-year wage losses in these counties ranged from -4.3 percent in Washington County to -1.8 percent in Jackson County. Deschutes was the only large county to report a wage gain (+0.8 percent).

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 the 2 of the 7 largest counties in Oregon were above the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Washington County ($1,616) had the highest average weekly wage in the state and ranked 34th highest in the nation, followed by Multnomah County ($1,488, 61st).

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 Oregon’s smaller counties

All 29 smaller counties in Oregon—those with employment below 75,000—had average weekly wages lower than the national average of $1,385. Gilliam County had the highest wage ($1,350), followed by Crook County ($1,320). Wheeler County ($696) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 36 counties in Oregon were considered, 12 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 10 registered wages from $950 to $1,049, 5 had wages from $1,050 to $1,149, and 9 had average weekly wages of $1,150 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 seven largest counties in Oregon, 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 --

Oregon

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

Clackamas

18.4 172.5 2.5 114 1,325 117 -3.6 306

Deschutes

11.8 89.1 2.1 149 1,206 195 0.8 59

Jackson

8.8 89.9 1.2 239 1,062 313 -1.8 216

Lane

14.4 155.7 1.2 239 1,090 295 -2.2 242

Marion

13.0 163.9 2.5 114 1,143 250 -2.0 231

Multnomah

43.1 503.2 1.1 250 1,488 61 -2.4 255

Washington

23.8 309.0 3.5 48 1,616 34 -4.3 319

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

United States (2)

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

Oregon

188,004 1,960,072 1,302

Baker

765 5,746 910

Benton

3,238 37,885 1,289

Clackamas

18,425 172,513 1,325

Clatsop

1,967 18,280 940

Columbia

1,590 12,047 1,023

Coos

2,245 22,983 945

Crook

895 7,384 1,320

Curry

949 6,597 889

Deschutes

11,825 89,072 1,206

Douglas

3,742 38,532 1,001

Gilliam

147 1,160 1,350

Grant

342 2,542 974

Harney

366 2,658 912

Hood River

1,531 13,760 964

Jackson

8,771 89,866 1,062

Jefferson

719 6,691 1,034

Josephine

2,937 30,169 887

Klamath

2,504 22,923 969

Lake

359 2,496 928

Lane

14,376 155,727 1,090

Lincoln

2,179 17,732 951

Linn

4,186 48,955 1,039

Malheur

1,203 13,017 886

Marion

12,959 163,882 1,143

Morrow

415 6,271 1,309

Multnomah

43,107 503,177 1,488

Polk

2,463 21,359 928

Sherman

124 959 1,171

Tillamook

1,150 9,646 966

Umatilla

2,614 31,065 1,021

Union

1,088 10,377 942

Wallowa

484 2,651 939

Wasco

1,179 10,542 1,055

Washington

23,784 308,980 1,616

Wheeler

74 326 696

Yamhill

3,910 38,098 1,050

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 Oregon, fourth quarter 2022

U.S. average = $1,385

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, July 06, 2023