The average weekly wage in Multnomah County increased 5.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2006, the largest advance among Oregon’s six counties with 75,000 or more jobs (as measured by 2005 annual average employment). Over the year, Washington and Marion Counties registered wage growth of 5.1 and 4.9 percent, respectively. Wage increases in these three counties exceeded the 4.2-percent national average. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that two of the State’s largest counties, Washington ($948) and Multnomah ($868), had wage levels higher than the $861 nationwide average in the fourth quarter of 2006. For the State as a whole, the average weekly wage was $763, ranking Oregon 26th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Wage Levels

Of the 6 large counties in Oregon, Washington County ranked 60th highest in average weekly wages among the nation’s 325 large counties and Multnomah County ranked 99th. Clackamas County ($794) had the 3rd highest wage in the State and placed in the middle of the national ranking at 164th. The average weekly wage for the remaining three counties of Lane ($672), Marion ($669), and Jackson ($626) placed them in the bottom third of the nationwide ranking.

Across the country, average weekly wages were higher than that for the nation in 105 of the largest 325 counties. New York County, N.Y., held the top position with an average weekly wage of $1,781. Santa Clara, Calif., was second with an average wage of $1,569, followed by Fairfield, Conn. ($1,515), Suffolk, Mass. ($1,481), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,460).

There were 219 large counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the fourth quarter of 2006. The lowest average weekly wage was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($527), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($542), Yakima, Wash. ($570), Webb, Texas ($571), and Horry, S.C. ($578).

Wage Changes

Among Oregon’s 6 large counties, 3 had average weekly wages that ranked in the top 100 for wage growth in the United States. Multnomah County (5.6 percent) ranked 46th highest, Washington County (5.1 percent) ranked 64th and Marion County (4.9 percent), 75th. Average wage gains in Clackamas (4.1 percent) and Jackson (3.8 percent) Counties ranked 137th and 168th, respectively. Lane County’s 2.6-percent gain was the slowest among the six, ranking in the bottom quartile at 258th.

Among the 325 largest counties, Rockingham, N.H., led the nation in wage growth with an annual increase of 18.0 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005. Sedgwick, Kan., and Trumbull, Ohio, tied for second with wage gains of 14.0 percent each. Rounding out the five counties with the fastest-growing wages were Travis County, Tex. (10.9 percent), and Waukesha, Wis. (10.4 percent).

Across the nation, eight large counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. New Castle, Del., had the largest decrease (-5.7 percent), followed by the counties of Elkhart, Ind. (-5.3 percent), Orleans, La. (-4.4 percent), York, Pa. (-4.3 percent), and Harrison, Miss. (-2.4 percent).

State Average Weekly Wages

At the state level, Oregon had an average weekly wage of $763 in the fourth quarter of 2006, $98 below that for the nation, ranking it 26th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (See table 2.) Across the country, the five highest average wage levels were in the District of Columbia ($1,424), New York ($1,104), Connecticut ($1,101), Massachusetts ($1,072), and New Jersey ($1,055). Average weekly wages in this group were 22 percent or more above the national average. In contrast, four states had average weekly wage levels less than 75 percent of national earnings: South Dakota ($614), Montana ($625), Mississippi ($630) and North Dakota ($643). (See table 2.)

With wage growth of 4.8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005, Oregon ranked 17th among the 50 states and District of Columbia. The highest over-the-year percentage increase in wages for the fourth quarter of 2006 was recorded by Wyoming (11.3 percent), followed by New Hampshire (8.1 percent). The only state to record an over-the-year decline in wages was Delaware (-4.1 percent). (See table 2.)

Additional Statistics and Other Information