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News Release Information

22-697-SAN
Monday, April 03, 2023

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

County Employment and Wages in Washington – Third Quarter 2022

Employment increased in Washington’s 10 largest counties from September 2021 to September 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 employment increases ranged from 5.0 percent each in King and Whatcom Counties to 2.7 percent each in Kitsap and Snohomish Counties. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Chart 1

National employment increased 4.3 percent over the year, with 346 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Orleans, LA, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 10.7 percent.  Deschutes, OR, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.4 percent.

Among the 10 largest counties in Washington, employment was highest in King County (1,470,700) in September 2022. Together, the 10 largest Washington counties accounted for 84.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.8 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 29 counties in Washington with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 29 smaller counties were below the national average in the third quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 10 large Washington counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Kitsap County (+12.7 percent) had the largest increase among the eight counties with a weekly wage gain greater than the 6.7-percent national average, with gains in the other seven counties ranging from 10.0 percent in Whatcom to 7.0 percent in Yakima. The two counties with wage gains below the national average were Benton (+3.9 percent) and King (+2.3 percent).

Chart 2

Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 345 had over-the-year wage increases. Midland, TX, had the largest percentage wage increase (+13.9 percent).  San Mateo, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-19.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in two of Washington’s largest counties placed in the top fifth of the national ranking. King County ($2,244, 5th) and Snohomish County ($1,422, 61st) had weekly wages that exceeded the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2022. Yakima County ($935, 348th) had the lowest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 91 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2022. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,061. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 264 counties. At $812 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Washington’s smaller counties

All 29 counties in Washington with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages lower than the national average of $1,334. Among these counties, Cowlitz County had the highest average weekly wage at $1,245. Wahkiakum County reported the lowest weekly wage among all counties in the state, averaging $831 in the third quarter of 2022.

When all 39 counties in Washington were considered, 12 had wages below $1,000. Twelve counties had average weekly wages ranging from $1,000 to $1,099, 7 had wages from $1,100 to $1,199, and 8 had wages at or above $1,200. (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 fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 7, 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.

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 10 largest counties in Washington, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 -- $1,334 -- 6.7 --

Washington

235.3 3,572.9 4.4 -- 1,657 2 5.2 45

Benton

5.3 96.3 4.1 109 1,270 125 3.9 323

Clark

15.0 177.1 4.8 66 1,315 101 8.9 97

King

84.7 1,470.7 5.0 61 2,244 5 2.3 340

Kitsap

6.8 92.1 2.7 226 1,313 103 12.7 2

Pierce

20.7 327.3 3.8 136 1,272 122 8.6 112

Snohomish

20.6 286.8 2.7 226 1,422 61 8.8 101

Spokane

15.4 240.2 3.5 150 1,174 195 9.0 91

Thurston

8.5 125.5 4.9 65 1,301 111 9.4 74

Whatcom

7.3 93.2 5.0 61 1,155 215 10.0 47

Yakima

6.2 125.3 3.1 194 935 348 7.0 210

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 Washington, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment September 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,608,876 151,239,638 $1,334

Washington

235,298 3,572,927 1,657

Adams

692 9,929 932

Asotin

542 6,839 961

Benton

5,314 96,295 1,270

Chelan

3,222 46,072 1,011

Clallam

2,279 24,270 997

Clark

14,958 177,059 1,315

Columbia

210 1,570 1,135

Cowlitz

2,649 41,567 1,245

Douglas

1,140 13,373 902

Ferry

253 1,662 962

Franklin

2,330 38,090 1,033

Garfield

79 694 1,102

Grant

2,673 45,339 1,086

Grays Harbor

1,902 23,971 1,018

Island

2,144 17,926 1,060

Jefferson

1,104 9,119 1,050

King

84,655 1,470,733 2,244

Kitsap

6,815 92,050 1,313

Kittitas

1,427 16,354 1,009

Klickitat

802 7,354 1,117

Lewis

2,205 27,384 1,043

Lincoln

473 2,862 944

Mason

1,220 14,572 1,033

Okanogan

1,640 17,463 847

Pacific

710 6,730 873

Pend Oreille

324 3,140 1,014

Pierce

20,677 327,268 1,272

San Juan

1,096 6,471 1,009

Skagit

3,827 52,366 1,172

Skamania

254 2,148 974

Snohomish

20,605 286,773 1,422

Spokane

15,378 240,207 1,174

Stevens

1,025 11,502 961

Thurston

8,480 125,512 1,301

Wahkiakum

125 790 831

Walla Walla

1,811 29,703 1,040

Whatcom

7,315 93,198 1,155

Whitman

1,295 19,426 1,128

Yakima

6,227 125,272 935

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, third quarter 2022
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 $1,334 -- 6.7 --

Alabama

150.1 2,031.6 3.2 1,120 35 9.1 9

Alaska

24.9 325.2 2.5 1,304 15 8.2 29

Arizona

205.4 3,080.6 3.9 1,251 20 7.7 36

Arkansas

100.1 1,262.1 4.4 1,036 50 7.5 38

California

1,741.3 18,051.1 4.9 1,601 5 1.5 50

Colorado

247.1 2,813.9 3.3 1,432 8 8.5 22

Connecticut

140.6 1,652.8 2.8 1,491 6 6.5 42

Delaware

39.7 465.7 5.1 1,292 18 8.4 25

District of Columbia

49.0 756.6 2.7 2,134 1 4.5 48

Florida

860.6 9,417.2 5.6 1,220 23 9.0 11

Georgia

378.4 4,726.4 5.1 1,255 19 8.5 22

Hawaii

52.8 623.2 4.5 1,208 24 5.1 46

Idaho

86.7 834.7 3.8 1,063 45 11.5 1

Illinois

410.9 5,982.2 3.9 1,361 12 6.9 40

Indiana

188.3 3,140.6 3.9 1,123 34 8.6 19

Iowa

111.1 1,541.1 1.9 1,118 36 10.1 3

Kansas

95.6 1,401.3 3.7 1,085 41 8.8 15

Kentucky

142.9 1,941.5 3.8 1,082 43 9.4 6

Louisiana

150.7 1,866.3 4.5 1,103 39 8.2 29

Maine

62.2 637.7 2.5 1,117 37 8.4 25

Maryland

188.3 2,669.1 2.5 1,418 9 7.9 32

Massachusetts

292.6 3,628.8 3.6 1,651 3 3.6 49

Michigan

296.0 4,334.0 3.5 1,236 21 7.2 39

Minnesota

201.6 2,880.9 3.4 1,346 13 7.9 32

Mississippi

81.5 1,151.8 2.4 933 51 8.7 17

Missouri

236.9 2,849.2 3.2 1,149 31 8.9 14

Montana

61.2 505.5 3.9 1,059 46 10.0 4

Nebraska

80.5 989.2 2.4 1,117 37 9.9 5

Nevada

107.0 1,496.1 7.5 1,205 26 6.2 43

New Hampshire

63.8 677.3 3.4 1,365 11 1.2 51

New Jersey

320.9 4,176.5 5.0 1,461 7 5.6 44

New Mexico

70.9 838.1 3.5 1,087 40 9.1 9

New York

683.2 9,355.0 4.8 1,608 4 4.8 47

North Carolina

348.9 4,737.5 4.9 1,207 25 8.5 22

North Dakota

34.5 419.8 2.9 1,190 28 10.7 2

Ohio

328.9 5,402.7 2.9 1,187 29 8.1 31

Oklahoma

123.9 1,646.6 3.8 1,047 48 8.6 19

Oregon

179.5 1,932.6 1.1 1,301 16 6.6 41

Pennsylvania

390.7 5,913.7 3.8 1,296 17 7.6 37

Rhode Island

46.5 487.3 3.1 1,225 22 8.3 27

South Carolina

166.6 2,200.9 4.7 1,079 44 9.4 6

South Dakota

39.1 448.5 2.9 1,052 47 9.0 11

Tennessee

204.0 3,202.4 5.1 1,198 27 7.9 32

Texas

805.5 13,371.1 5.9 1,333 14 8.6 19

Utah

134.1 1,663.9 4.4 1,186 30 9.0 11

Vermont

30.8 300.6 2.4 1,142 32 7.9 32

Virginia

330.1 3,979.4 3.4 1,380 10 9.3 8

Washington

235.3 3,572.9 4.4 1,657 2 5.2 45

West Virginia

56.8 678.8 1.9 1,042 49 8.3 27

Wisconsin

200.7 2,899.1 2.8 1,140 33 8.7 17

Wyoming

29.9 278.2 2.3 1,083 42 8.8 15

Puerto Rico

50.0 924.6 3.9 616 (3) 8.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 34.3 -1.0 1,030 (3) 9.2 (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 Washington, third quarter 2022

U.S. average = $1,334

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, April 03, 2023