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Economic News Release
PRINT:Print
QCEW QCEW Program Links

County Employment and Wages News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Wednesday, September 7, 2016	USDL-16-1806

Technical Information:	(202) 691-6567  *  QCEWInfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cew
Media Contact:		(202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov

COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
First Quarter 2016

From March 2015 to March 2016, employment increased in 318 of the 344 largest U.S. counties, the 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Williamson, Tenn., had the largest percentage increase 
with a gain of 7.9 percent over the year, above the national job growth rate of 2.0 percent. Within 
Williamson, the largest employment increase occurred in professional and business services, which 
gained 3,598 jobs over the year (11.9 percent). Midland, Texas, had the largest over-the-year percentage 
decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a loss of 9.0 percent. Within 
Midland, natural resources and mining had the largest decrease in employment, with a loss of 3,292 jobs 
(-15.0 percent). County employment and wage data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and 
Wages (QCEW) program, which provides the only detailed quarterly and annual universe count of 
establishments, employment, and wages at the county, MSA, state, and national levels by detailed 
industry. These detailed data are published within 6 months following the end of each calendar quarter.

The U.S. average weekly wage decreased 0.5 percent over the year, declining to $1,043 in the first 
quarter of 2016. This is one of only seven declines in the history of the series which dates back to 1978. 
McLean, Ill., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 
13.3 percent. Within McLean, an average weekly wage loss of $659 (-31.4 percent) in financial 
activities made the largest contribution to the county’s decrease in average weekly wages. Clayton, Ga., 
experienced the largest percentage increase in average weekly wages with a gain of 15.5 percent over 
the year. Within Clayton, trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest impact on the county’s 
average weekly wage growth with an increase of $305 (23.7 percent) over the year.

Large County Employment

In March 2016, national employment was 140.1 million (as measured by the QCEW program). Over the 
year, employment increased 2.0 percent, or 2.7 million. In March 2016, the 344 U.S. counties with 
75,000 or more jobs accounted for 72.6 percent of total U.S. employment and 78.8 percent of total 
wages. These 344 counties had a net job growth of 2.1 million over the year, accounting for 77.9 percent 
of the overall U.S. employment increase. The five counties with the largest increases in employment 
levels had a combined over-the-year employment gain of 277,300 jobs, which was 10.3 percent of the 
overall job increase for the U.S. (See table A.)

Employment declined in 25 of the largest counties from March 2015 to March 2016. Midland, Texas, 
had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-9.0 percent), followed by Lafayette, 
La.; Gregg, Texas; McLean, Ill.; and Weld, Colo. (See table 1.)

Table A.  Large counties ranked by March 2016 employment, March 2015-16 employment increase, and 
March 2015-16 percent increase in employment 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Employment in large counties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       March 2016 employment      |      Increase in employment,     |  Percent increase in employment, 
            (thousands)           |           March 2015-16          |           March 2015-16
                                  |            (thousands)           |                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 United States           140,070.8| United States             2,683.0| United States                 2.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 Los Angeles, Calif.       4,309.9| Los Angeles, Calif.          79.7| Williamson, Tenn.             7.9
 Cook, Ill.                2,515.9| Maricopa, Ariz.              58.9| Utah, Utah                    6.7
 New York, N.Y.            2,396.8| Dallas, Texas                49.4| Loudoun, Va.                  6.2
 Harris, Texas             2,256.9| New York, N.Y.               44.8| Rutherford, Tenn.             5.5
 Maricopa, Ariz.           1,864.4| King, Wash.                  44.5| Lee, Fla.                     5.1
 Dallas, Texas             1,614.7| Orange, Calif.               35.8| Benton, Ark.                  5.0
 Orange, Calif.            1,545.7| San Francisco, Calif.        32.1| Osceola, Fla.                 5.0
 San Diego, Calif.         1,388.4| Fulton, Ga.                  31.4| San Francisco, Calif.         4.8
 King, Wash.               1,294.1| Riverside, Calif.            31.0| Riverside, Calif.             4.7
 Miami-Dade, Fla.          1,107.3| San Diego, Calif.            30.9| Washoe, Nev.                  4.7
                                  | Cook, Ill.                   30.9| Horry, S.C.                   4.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Large County Average Weekly Wages

Average weekly wages for the nation decreased to $1,043, a 0.5 percent decrease, during the year ending 
in the first quarter of 2016. Among the 344 largest counties, 167 had over-the-year decreases in average 
weekly wages. McLean, Ill., had the largest percentage wage decrease among the largest U.S. counties 
(-13.3 percent). (See table B.)

Of the 344 largest counties, 164 experienced over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Clayton, 
Ga., had the largest percentage increase in average weekly wages (15.5 percent), followed by King, 
Wash.; San Mateo, Calif.; Ventura, Calif.; and Merrimack, N.H. (See table 1.)

Table B.  Large counties ranked by first quarter 2016 average weekly wages, first quarter 2015-16
decrease in average weekly wages, and first quarter 2015-16 percent decrease in average weekly wages 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Average weekly wage in large counties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Average weekly wage,      |    Decrease in average weekly    |    Percent decrease in average 
         first quarter 2016       |    wage, first quarter 2015-16   |         weekly wage, first
                                  |                                  |          quarter 2015-16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 United States              $1,043| United States                 -$5| United States                -0.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 New York, N.Y.             $2,783| Washington, Pa.             -$146| McLean, Ill.                -13.3
 Santa Clara, Calif.         2,210| McLean, Ill.                 -137| Washington, Pa.             -12.0
 San Mateo, Calif.           2,195| Mercer, N.J.                 -129| Lafayette, La.              -10.3
 San Francisco, Calif.       2,054| Lafayette, La.                -98| Mercer, N.J.                 -8.5
 Somerset, N.J.              2,022| Somerset, N.J.                -93| Williamson, Texas            -7.8
 Fairfield, Conn.            1,899| Williamson, Texas             -85| Orange, Calif.               -6.4
 Suffolk, Mass.              1,890| Orange, Calif.                -78| Allegheny, Pa.               -6.2
 Washington, D.C.            1,766| Midland, Texas                -76| Tulsa, Okla.                 -5.9
 Arlington, Va.              1,734| Allegheny, Pa.                -75| Gregg, Texas                 -5.9
 Morris, N.J.                1,696| Morris, N.J.                  -74| St. Louis, Minn.             -5.8
                                  | Harris, Texas                 -74|                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten Largest U.S. Counties

Among the 10 largest counties, 9 had over-the-year percentage increases in employment in March 2016. 
King, Wash., had the largest gain (3.6 percent). Within King, professional and business services had the 
largest over-the-year employment level increase, with a gain of 9,047 jobs, or 4.4 percent. Harris, Texas, 
had the only percentage decrease in employment among the 10 largest counties (-1.2 percent). (See table 
2.)

Average weekly wages decreased over the year in 8 of the 10 largest U.S. counties. Orange, Calif., 
experienced the largest percentage loss in average weekly wages (-6.4 percent). Within Orange, 
professional and business services had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly wage decline. 
Within professional and business services, average weekly wages decreased by $388, or -22.4 percent, 
over the year. King, Wash., had the largest percentage gain in average weekly wages among the 10 
largest counties (5.1 percent).

For More Information

The tables included in this release contain data for the nation and for the 344 U.S. counties with annual 
average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2015. March 2016 employment and 2016 first quarter 
average weekly wages for all states are provided in table 3 of this release.

The data are derived from reports submitted by every employer subject to unemployment insurance (UI) 
laws. The 9.7 million employer reports cover 140.1 million full- and part-time workers. Data for the first 
quarter of 2016 will be available electronically later at www.bls.gov/cew/. For additional information 
about the quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note. Additional information 
about the QCEW data may be obtained by calling (202) 691-6567.

Several BLS regional offices issue QCEW news releases targeted to local data users. For links to these 
releases, see www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm.

_____________
The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2016 is scheduled to be released 
on Wednesday, December 7, 2016.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                                                          |
|                  County Changes for the 2016 County Employment and Wages News Releases                   |
|                                                                                                          |
|  Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2015 are included in this release and      |
|  will be included in future 2016 releases. Four counties have been added to the publication tables:      |
|  Merced, Calif.; Napa, Calif.; Bay, Fla.; and Merrimack, N.H. Two counties, Black Hawk, Iowa, and        |
|  Ector, Texas, which were published in the 2015 releases, will be excluded from this and future 2016     |
|  releases because their 2015 annual average employment levels were less than 75,000.                     |
|                                                                                                          |
|                                                                                                          |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                                                          |
|                            Change in Oregon Public University Classification                             |
|                                                                                                          |
|  Prior to this release, public universities in the state of Oregon were classified in QCEW under state   |
|  government ownership. Beginning with data in this release for first quarter 2016, QCEW classifies       |
|  these establishments in local government ownership. The industry classification for these institutions  |
|  has not changed.                                                                                        |
|                                                                                                          |
|  This change in ownership resulted from the passage in 2011 and 2013 of state legislation which          |
|  created a new legal entity called "universities with governing boards." Public universities in Oregon   |
|  were reorganized in 2014 and 2015 under this new legal entity. They are now independent public          |
|  bodies that can establish their budgets without state approval. This new political subdivision will be  |
|  classified under local government ownership.                                                            |
|                                                                                                          |
|  For more information, contact the Oregon Labor Market Information group at sf202_or@bls.gov.            |
|                                                                                                          |
|                                                                                                          |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------






Technical Note

These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program, 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 
summaries are a result of the administration of state unemployment insurance programs that 
require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based on the employment and wages of workers 
covered by UI. QCEW data in this release are based on the 2012 North American Industry 
Classification System. Data for 2016 are preliminary and subject to revision.

For purposes of this release, large counties are defined as having employment levels of 75,000 or 
greater. In addition, data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, are provided, but not used in calculating U.S. 
averages, rankings, or in the analysis in the text. Each year, these large counties are selected on the 
basis of the preliminary annual average of employment for the previous year. The 345 counties 
presented in this release were derived using 2015 preliminary annual averages of employment. For 
2016 data, four counties have been added to the publication tables: Merced, Calif.; Napa, Calif.; 
Bay, Fla.; and Merrimack, N.H. These counties will be included in all 2016 quarterly releases. Two 
counties, Black Hawk, Iowa, and Ector, Texas, which were published in the 2015 releases, will be 
excluded from this and future 2016 releases because their 2015 annual average employment levels 
were less than 75,000. The counties in table 2 are selected and sorted each year based on the annual 
average employment from the preceding year.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the 
individual states. These potential differences result from the states' continuing receipt of UI data 
over time and ongoing review and editing. The individual states determine their data release 
timetables.

Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES employment measures

The Bureau publishes three different establishment-based employment measures for any given 
quarter. Each of these measures--QCEW, Business Employment Dynamics (BED), and Current 
Employment Statistics (CES)--makes use of the quarterly UI employment reports in producing 
data; however, each measure has a somewhat different universe coverage, estimation procedure, 
and publication product.

Differences in coverage and estimation methods can result in somewhat different measures of 
employment change over time. It is important to understand program differences and the intended 
uses of the program products. (See table.) Additional information on each program can be obtained 
from the program Web sites shown in the table.

Summary of Major Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES Employment Measures

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            |         QCEW        |         BED          |         CES
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Source     |--Count of UI admini-|--Count of longitudi- |--Sample survey:
            |  strative records   |  nally-linked UI ad- |  623,000 establish-
            |  submitted by 9.7   |  ministrative records|  ments
            |  million establish- |  submitted by 7.6    |
            |  ments in first     |  million private-sec-|
            |  quarter of 2016    |  tor employers       |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Coverage   |--UI and UCFE cover- |--UI coverage, exclud-|Nonfarm wage and sal-
            |  age, including all |  ing government, pri-|  ary jobs:
            |  employers subject  |  vate households, and|--UI coverage, exclud-
            |  to state and fed-  |  establishments with |  ing agriculture, pri-
            |  eral UI laws       |  zero employment     |  vate households, and
            |                     |                      |  self-employed workers
            |                     |                      |--Other employment, in-
            |                     |                      |  cluding railroads, 
            |                     |                      |  religious organiza-
            |                     |                      |  tions, and other non-
            |                     |                      |  UI-covered jobs
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Publication|--Quarterly          |--Quarterly           |--Monthly 
 frequency  |  -Within 6 months   |  -7 months after the |  -Usually first Friday
            |   after the end of  |   end of each quarter|   of following month
            |   each quarter      |                      |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Use of UI  |--Directly summarizes|--Links each new UI   |--Uses UI file as a sam-
 file       |  and publishes each |  quarter to longitu- |  pling frame and to an-
            |  new quarter of UI  |  dinal database and  |  nually realign sample-
            |  data               |  directly summarizes |  based estimates to pop-
            |                     |  gross job gains and |  ulation counts (bench- 
            |                     |  losses              |  marking)
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Principal  |--Provides a quarter-|--Provides quarterly  |--Provides current month-
 products   |  ly and annual uni- |  employer dynamics   |  ly estimates of employ-
            |  verse count of es- |  data on establish-  |  ment, hours, and earn-
            |  tablishments, em-  |  ment openings, clos-|  ings at the MSA, state,
            |  ployment, and wages|  ings, expansions,   |  and national level by
            |  at the county, MSA,|  and contractions at |  industry
            |  state, and national|  the national level  |
            |  levels by detailed |  by NAICS supersec-  |
            |  industry           |  tors and by size of |
            |                     |  firm, and at the    |
            |                     |  state private-sector|
            |                     |  total level         |
            |                     |--Future expansions   |
            |                     |  will include data   |
            |                     |  with greater indus- |
            |                     |  try detail and data |
            |                     |  at the county and   |
            |                     |  MSA level           |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Principal  |--Major uses include:|--Major uses include: |--Major uses include:
 uses       |  -Detailed locality |  -Business cycle     |  -Principal national
            |   data              |   analysis           |   economic indicator
            |  -Periodic universe |  -Analysis of employ-|  -Official time series 
            |   counts for bench- |   er dynamics under- |   for employment change
            |   marking sample    |   lying economic ex- |   measures
            |   survey estimates  |   pansions and con-  |  -Input into other ma-
            |  -Sample frame for  |   tractions          |   jor economic indi-
            |   BLS establishment |  -Analysis of employ-|   cators
            |   surveys           |   ment expansion and |
            |                     |   contraction by size|
            |                     |   of firm            |
            |                     |                      |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Program    |--www.bls.gov/cew/   |--www.bls.gov/bdm/    |--www.bls.gov/ces/
 Web sites  |                     |                      |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coverage

Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws are compiled from quarterly 
contribution reports submitted to the SWAs by employers. For federal civilian workers covered by 
the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program, employment and 
wage data are compiled from quarterly reports submitted by four major federal payroll processing 
centers on behalf of all federal agencies, with the exception of a few agencies which still report 
directly to the individual SWA. In addition to the quarterly contribution reports, employers who 
operate multiple establishments within a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple 
Worksite Report," which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of their 
establishments. QCEW employment and wage data are derived from microdata summaries of 9.5 
million employer reports of employment and wages submitted by states to the BLS in 2015. These 
reports are based on place of employment rather than place of residence.

UI and UCFE coverage is broad and has been basically comparable from state to state since 1978, 
when the 1976 amendments to the Federal Unemployment Tax Act became effective, expanding 
coverage to include most state and local government employees. In 2015, UI and UCFE programs 
covered workers in 139.5 million jobs. The estimated 134.4 million workers in these jobs (after 
adjustment for multiple jobholders) represented 96.5 percent of civilian wage and salary 
employment. Covered workers received $7.385 trillion in pay, representing 94.0 percent of the 
wage and salary component of personal income and 40.9 percent of the gross domestic product.
Major exclusions from UI coverage include self-employed workers, most agricultural workers on 
small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials in most states, most employees of 
railroads, some domestic workers, most student workers at schools, and employees of certain small 
nonprofit organizations.

State and federal UI laws change periodically. These changes may have an impact on the 
employment and wages reported by employers covered under the UI program. Coverage changes 
may affect the over-the-year comparisons presented in this news release.

Concepts and methodology

Monthly employment is based on the number of workers who worked during or received pay for 
the pay period including the 12th of the month. With few exceptions, all employees of covered 
firms are reported, including production and sales workers, corporation officials, executives, 
supervisory personnel, and clerical workers. Workers on paid vacations and part-time workers also 
are included.

Average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the 
three monthly employment levels (all employees, as described above) and dividing the result by 
13, for the 13 weeks in the quarter. These calculations are made using unrounded employment and 
wage values. The average wage values that can be calculated using rounded data from the BLS 
database may differ from the averages reported. Included in the quarterly wage data are non-wage 
cash payments such as bonuses, the cash value of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other 
gratuities, and, in some states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans such 
as 401(k) plans and stock options. Over-the-year comparisons of average weekly wages may 
reflect fluctuations in average monthly employment and/or total quarterly wages between the 
current quarter and prior year levels.

Average weekly wages are affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time workers as well as the 
number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying occupations and the incidence of pay periods 
within a quarter. For instance, the average weekly wage of the workforce could increase 
significantly when there is a large decline in the number of employees that had been receiving 
below-average wages. Wages may include payments to workers not present in the employment 
counts because they did not work during the pay period including the 12th of the month. When 
comparing average weekly wage levels between industries, states, or quarters, these factors should 
be taken into consideration.

Wages measured by QCEW may be subject to periodic and sometimes large fluctuations. This 
variability may be due to calendar effects resulting from some quarters having more pay dates than 
others. The effect is most visible in counties with a dominant employer. In particular, this effect 
has been observed in counties where government employers represent a large fraction of overall 
employment. Similar calendar effects can result from private sector pay practices. However, these 
effects are typically less pronounced for two reasons: employment is less concentrated in a single 
private employer, and private employers use a variety of pay period types (weekly, biweekly, 
semimonthly, monthly).

For example, the effect on over-the-year pay comparisons can be pronounced in federal 
government due to the uniform nature of federal payroll processing. Most federal employees are 
paid on a biweekly pay schedule. As a result, in some quarters federal wages include six pay dates, 
while in other quarters there are seven pay dates. Over-the-year comparisons of average weekly 
wages may also reflect this calendar effect. Growth in average weekly wages may be attributed, in 
part, to a comparison of quarterly wages for the current year, which include seven pay dates, with 
year-ago wages that reflect only six pay dates. An opposite effect will occur when wages in the 
current quarter reflecting six pay dates are compared with year-ago wages for a quarter including 
seven pay dates.

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, states verify with employers and update, if 
necessary, the industry, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3 year 
cycle. Changes in establishment classification codes resulting from this process are introduced with 
the data reported for the first quarter of the year. Changes resulting from improved employer 
reporting also are introduced in the first quarter.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual 
establishment records and reflect 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. For example, 
economic change would come from a firm relocating into the county; administrative change would 
come from a company correcting its county designation.

The over-the-year changes of employment and wages presented in this release have been adjusted 
to account for most of the administrative corrections made to the underlying establishment reports. 
This is done by modifying the prior-year levels used to calculate the over-the-year changes. 
Percent changes are calculated using an adjusted version of the final 2015 quarterly data as the 
base data. The adjusted prior-year levels used to calculate the over-the-year percent change in 
employment and wages are not published. These adjusted prior-year levels do not match the 
unadjusted data maintained on the BLS Web site. Over-the-year change calculations based on data 
from the Web site, or from data published in prior BLS news releases, may differ substantially 
from the over-the-year changes presented in this news release.

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change measures presented in this release 
account for most of the administrative changes--those occurring when employers update the 
industry, location, and ownership information of their establishments. The most common 
adjustments for administrative change are the result of updated information about the county 
location of individual establishments. Included in these adjustments are administrative changes 
involving the classification of establishments that were previously reported in the unknown or 
statewide county or unknown industry categories. Adjusted data account for improvements in 
reporting employment and wages for individual and multi-unit establishments. To accomplish this, 
adjustments were implemented to account for: administrative changes caused by multi-unit 
employers who start reporting for each individual establishment rather than as a single entity (first 
quarter of 2008); selected large administrative changes in employment and wages (second quarter 
of 2011); and state verified improvements in reporting of employment and wages (third quarter of 
2014). These adjustments allow QCEW to include county employment and wage growth rates in 
this news release that would otherwise not meet publication standards.

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change measures presented in any County 
Employment and Wages news release are valid for comparisons between the starting and ending 
points (a 12-month period) used in that particular release. Comparisons may not be valid for any 
time period other than the one featured in a release even if the changes were calculated using 
adjusted data.

County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information Processing Standards 
Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, after 
approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of the Information Technology 
Management Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106. 
Areas shown as counties include those designated as independent cities in some jurisdictions and, 
in Alaska, those designated as census areas where counties have not been created. County data also 
are presented for the New England states for comparative purposes even though townships are the 
more common designation used in New England (and New Jersey). The regions referred to in this 
release are defined as census regions.

Additional statistics and other information

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed 
industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2014 edition 
of this publication, which was published in September 2015, contains selected data produced by 
Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the 
first quarter 2015 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2014 edition 
of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at 
http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn14.htm. The 2015 edition of Employment and Wages Annual 
Averages Online will be available in September 2016.

News releases on quarterly measures of gross job flows also are available upon request from the 
Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover (Business Employment Dynamics), 
telephone (202) 691-6467; (http://www.bls.gov/bdm/); (e-mail: BDMInfo@bls.gov).

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. 
Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.






Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 345 largest counties,
first quarter 2016

                                                   Employment               Average weekly wage(2)

                          Establishments,
        County(1)          first quarter                Percent    Ranking            Percent   Ranking
                                2016          March     change,      by      First    change,     by
                            (thousands)       2016       March     percent  quarter    first    percent
                                          (thousands)  2015-16(3)  change     2016    quarter   change
                                                                                     2015-16(3)

United States(4).........       9,693.5     140,070.8       2.0        -    $1,043      -0.5       -

Jefferson, AL............          18.1         337.5       0.9       273    1,030      -3.5      311
Madison, AL..............           9.3         189.9       3.4        55    1,066       1.1       88
Mobile, AL...............           9.9         168.4       0.8       283      819      -1.7      254
Montgomery, AL...........           6.4         130.0       1.5       224      810       0.7      114
Shelby, AL...............           5.6          83.5       1.6       211      991       0.3      144
Tuscaloosa, AL...........           4.4          90.9       0.1       316      800       0.5      129
Anchorage Borough, AK....           8.4         149.3      -1.1       331    1,065      -2.9      300
Maricopa, AZ.............          94.8       1,864.4       3.3        63      972      -1.5      247
Pima, AZ.................          18.7         359.2       1.2       251      829       1.3       72
Benton, AR...............           6.0         113.4       5.0         6    1,266      -2.8      298

Pulaski, AR..............          14.4         246.4       1.9       176      896       1.0       98
Washington, AR...........           5.9         102.4       3.6        44      798       3.2       14
Alameda, CA..............          60.6         739.0       2.0       168    1,353       1.3       72
Butte, CA................           8.1          79.1       2.4       130      723       0.1      155
Contra Costa, CA.........          31.2         354.0       3.4        55    1,285      -1.2      233
Fresno, CA...............          33.1         365.1       2.4       130      774       0.8      108
Kern, CA.................          17.9         294.7      -0.8       326      847      -2.4      287
Los Angeles, CA..........         464.3       4,309.9       1.9       176    1,138       2.1       34
Marin, CA................          12.3         112.5       1.7       200    1,282       3.8        8
Merced, CA...............           6.3          72.8       0.9       273      742       1.2       79

Monterey, CA.............          13.4         169.4       0.3       310      852       0.5      129
Napa, CA.................           5.7          73.6       0.7       289      957       1.8       47
Orange, CA...............         113.9       1,545.7       2.4       130    1,143      -6.4      338
Placer, CA...............          12.3         153.6       4.6        12      995       1.0       98
Riverside, CA............          58.7         686.0       4.7         9      823      -4.5      325
Sacramento, CA...........          54.7         630.6       2.7       109    1,102      -0.3      191
San Bernardino, CA.......          54.9         694.1       2.4       130      822       1.2       79
San Diego, CA............         105.9       1,388.4       2.3       142    1,108      -2.0      270
San Francisco, CA........          59.4         696.4       4.8         8    2,054      -2.1      277
San Joaquin, CA..........          17.4         234.2       3.6        44      821       0.7      114

San Luis Obispo, CA......          10.2         115.7       1.4       235      821       2.0       38
San Mateo, CA............          27.4         383.9       2.6       116    2,195       4.8        3
Santa Barbara, CA........          15.1         192.4       0.3       310      933       0.1      155
Santa Clara, CA..........          69.7       1,025.7       3.1        78    2,210       1.9       42
Santa Cruz, CA...........           9.5          98.3       2.0       168      881       3.2       14
Solano, CA...............          10.8         134.2       3.5        50    1,070       1.9       42
Sonoma, CA...............          19.5         198.9       2.4       130      923       0.0      165
Stanislaus, CA...........          14.9         179.3       2.7       109      840       1.7       59
Tulare, CA...............           9.8         152.7       1.9       176      708       2.8       18
Ventura, CA..............          25.8         319.6       0.2       314    1,083       4.4        4

Yolo, CA.................           6.5          97.2       1.0       263    1,028       0.7      114
Adams, CO................          10.3         193.6       2.7       109      941       1.1       88
Arapahoe, CO.............          21.3         317.2       2.6       116    1,248      -0.2      187
Boulder, CO..............          14.6         174.0       2.3       142    1,176      -1.6      250
Denver, CO...............          30.4         485.3       2.8        99    1,312      -3.0      301
Douglas, CO..............          11.4         113.9       3.0        86    1,195      -2.1      277
El Paso, CO..............          18.5         259.3       3.6        44      877      -0.8      219
Jefferson, CO............          19.4         229.6       2.4       130    1,024       0.5      129
Larimer, CO..............          11.5         148.3       3.8        33      897      -1.0      222
Weld, CO.................           6.9          99.2      -2.6       339      895      -3.8      316

Fairfield, CT............          35.0         419.6       0.9       273    1,899      -1.7      254
Hartford, CT.............          27.3         501.1       0.3       310    1,363      -3.1      305
New Haven, CT............          23.6         359.4       1.0       263    1,042       0.7      114
New London, CT...........           7.3         120.6       1.4       235    1,033      -0.1      177
New Castle, DE...........          19.2         282.8       0.7       289    1,224      -3.7      314
Washington, DC...........          38.7         749.6       2.0       168    1,766       0.4      137
Alachua, FL..............           7.0         126.5       3.3        63      807       0.6      123
Bay, FL..................           5.5          78.2       1.6       211      711       0.1      155
Brevard, FL..............          15.2         197.4       2.0       168      846      -1.6      250
Broward, FL..............          67.8         780.4       2.8        99      926       0.2      147

Collier, FL..............          13.3         143.8       2.4       130      844       2.2       32
Duval, FL................          28.3         482.9       3.1        78      991      -0.2      187
Escambia, FL.............           8.1         129.2       3.1        78      783       2.1       34
Hillsborough, FL.........          40.4         667.4       3.8        33      977       0.4      137
Lake, FL.................           7.8          92.7       3.2        69      653       0.8      108
Lee, FL..................          20.9         254.1       5.1         5      771       1.3       72
Leon, FL.................           8.5         145.3       1.3       242      780       0.6      123
Manatee, FL..............          10.3         121.0       3.2        69      749       3.5       11
Marion, FL...............           8.1          98.9       2.2       150      671       1.4       70
Miami-Dade, FL...........          95.9       1,107.3       2.7       109      972      -0.3      191

Okaloosa, FL.............           6.2          81.4       3.0        86      795      -1.1      224
Orange, FL...............          40.0         789.2       3.7        41      895       0.6      123
Osceola, FL..............           6.4          88.4       5.0         6      665      -0.7      216
Palm Beach, FL...........          54.2         591.1       4.3        18      995      -0.6      211
Pasco, FL................          10.5         113.1       3.7        41      670       1.8       47
Pinellas, FL.............          32.1         416.8       2.5       124      865       0.0      165
Polk, FL.................          12.8         209.8       2.9        94      754       2.4       24
Sarasota, FL.............          15.4         164.1       2.8        99      800       1.1       88
Seminole, FL.............          14.5         180.0       4.5        14      833       0.2      147
Volusia, FL..............          13.9         167.6       3.3        63      694       0.3      144

Bibb, GA.................           4.5          81.2       2.3       142      778       0.9      102
Chatham, GA..............           8.6         147.0       2.7       109      833      -1.9      264
Clayton, GA..............           4.5         120.4       4.0        28    1,146      15.5        1
Cobb, GA.................          23.7         342.8       3.4        55    1,128       0.6      123
DeKalb, GA...............          19.7         290.6       1.5       224    1,085       1.5       66
Fulton, GA...............          46.8         808.9       4.0        28    1,562       2.8       18
Gwinnett, GA.............          26.8         339.4       3.2        69      989      -0.9      220
Hall, GA.................           4.7          81.9       4.6        12      810      -1.6      250
Muscogee, GA.............           4.9          92.8       0.1       316      851       1.2       79
Richmond, GA.............           4.8         103.9      -0.3       320      825      -0.4      201

Honolulu, HI.............          25.5         470.1       1.3       242      935       1.9       42
Ada, ID..................          14.4         222.3       4.2        21      839      -3.9      317
Champaign, IL............           4.4          87.8      -0.8       326      859       0.9      102
Cook, IL.................         154.9       2,515.9       1.2       251    1,278      -0.2      187
DuPage, IL...............          38.4         605.2       1.2       251    1,204       0.4      137
Kane, IL.................          13.8         202.0       1.0       263      860       0.2      147
Lake, IL.................          22.4         325.4       1.0       263    1,532      -3.2      307
McHenry, IL..............           8.8          93.8       1.2       251      805      -0.5      207
McLean, IL...............           3.8          82.6      -2.7       340      893     -13.3      343
Madison, IL..............           6.0          96.0       0.3       310      782      -2.1      277

Peoria, IL...............           4.6          99.1      -0.9       328    1,035      -3.2      307
St. Clair, IL............           5.5          92.5       0.5       303      761       0.9      102
Sangamon, IL.............           5.3         128.2      -0.1       319      988      -1.1      224
Will, IL.................          16.2         219.9       2.0       168      851       0.2      147
Winnebago, IL............           6.7         126.1       0.9       273      832      -1.4      243
Allen, IN................           8.8         180.4       1.9       176      835      -0.7      216
Elkhart, IN..............           4.7         126.3       3.4        55      849       1.8       47
Hamilton, IN.............           9.1         134.0       4.4        16    1,027      -0.4      201
Lake, IN.................          10.4         183.3      -0.4       321      850      -4.2      319
Marion, IN...............          23.9         583.6       1.4       235    1,069      -0.4      201

St. Joseph, IN...........           5.8         121.3       3.0        86      781      -1.1      224
Tippecanoe, IN...........           3.4          81.8       0.8       283      871       0.2      147
Vanderburgh, IN..........           4.8         105.6       0.8       283      799      -3.0      301
Johnson, IA..............           4.1          82.0       1.1       260      906       1.1       88
Linn, IA.................           6.6         128.3       0.4       306      954      -4.6      328
Polk, IA.................          16.9         288.5       2.5       124    1,058      -1.3      239
Scott, IA................           5.5          89.1       0.9       273      793       0.0      165
Johnson, KS..............          22.9         331.4       0.9       273    1,041      -4.3      322
Sedgwick, KS.............          12.7         248.3       0.9       273      871      -4.2      319
Shawnee, KS..............           5.3          95.9       0.6       295      844       3.3       13

Wyandotte, KS............           3.6          89.0       1.8       192      951      -1.9      264
Boone, KY................           4.3          82.3       3.8        33      853       2.2       32
Fayette, KY..............          10.7         187.6       1.7       200      861      -2.4      287
Jefferson, KY............          25.1         454.0       2.8        99    1,013      -0.3      191
Caddo, LA................           7.2         114.3      -1.0       330      776      -2.0      270
Calcasieu, LA............           5.0          94.2       2.8        99      889       3.6       10
East Baton Rouge, LA.....          15.0         269.8       1.0       263      930      -1.5      247
Jefferson, LA............          13.4         191.9      -1.2       332      875      -1.0      222
Lafayette, LA............           9.3         132.1      -5.5       342      857     -10.3      341
Orleans, LA..............          12.0         193.1       1.8       192      981      -2.0      270

St. Tammany, LA..........           7.8          87.1       2.0       168      852      -3.0      301
Cumberland, ME...........          13.5         173.0       1.9       176      935       1.1       88
Anne Arundel, MD.........          15.0         260.9       2.1       158    1,068      -0.5      207
Baltimore, MD............          21.2         372.6       1.7       200      993       0.0      165
Frederick, MD............           6.4          98.5       1.8       192      940      -2.5      293
Harford, MD..............           5.8          89.6       1.5       224      961      -2.1      277
Howard, MD...............           9.9         165.6       2.6       116    1,233      -0.4      201
Montgomery, MD...........          32.7         459.0       1.4       235    1,403      -0.6      211
Prince George's, MD......          15.8         306.6       1.5       224    1,022      -1.9      264
Baltimore City, MD.......          13.6         333.3       1.2       251    1,210      -2.6      295

Barnstable, MA...........           9.3          85.7       3.0        86      846       0.7      114
Bristol, MA..............          17.1         219.1       2.3       142      896      -4.3      322
Essex, MA................          24.0         317.1       1.7       200    1,069       1.8       47
Hampden, MA..............          17.5         204.2       1.5       224      921       0.7      114
Middlesex, MA............          53.4         873.3       1.8       192    1,568      -3.5      311
Norfolk, MA..............          24.7         343.1       2.4       130    1,191       0.4      137
Plymouth, MA.............          15.2         184.0       2.4       130      916       1.8       47
Suffolk, MA..............          27.8         646.0       2.7       109    1,890      -1.2      233
Worcester, MA............          24.0         334.6       1.7       200      996       1.8       47
Genesee, MI..............           6.9         131.5       0.8       283      808      -1.8      260

Ingham, MI...............           6.0         147.7       2.9        94      951       0.0      165
Kalamazoo, MI............           5.0         115.8       2.2       150      961       0.8      108
Kent, MI.................          14.2         388.1       3.0        86      870       1.6       63
Macomb, MI...............          17.6         314.2       2.3       142    1,028       2.7       20
Oakland, MI..............          39.0         706.1       2.3       142    1,147      -0.1      177
Ottawa, MI...............           5.6         120.0       4.5        14      816      -2.4      287
Saginaw, MI..............           4.0          83.7       1.9       176      801       1.9       42
Washtenaw, MI............           8.1         205.6       2.1       158    1,047       1.2       79
Wayne, MI................          30.6         699.6       1.0       263    1,156       1.1       88
Anoka, MN................           6.7         118.0       1.4       235      901      -1.2      233

Dakota, MN...............           9.3         181.9       0.5       303      997      -1.7      254
Hennepin, MN.............          38.3         888.5       2.2       150    1,361      -1.9      264
Olmsted, MN..............           3.2          95.1       4.1        25    1,162       1.1       88
Ramsey, MN...............          12.6         323.1       1.0       263    1,215      -3.1      305
St. Louis, MN............           5.1          94.5      -0.9       328      786      -5.8      334
Stearns, MN..............           4.1          83.4       0.4       306      822       3.5       11
Washington, MN...........           5.2          78.5       3.2        69      856      -1.7      254
Harrison, MS.............           4.5          83.7       1.6       211      702      -1.1      224
Hinds, MS................           5.9         120.5       0.7       289      850       1.1       88
Boone, MO................           4.8          92.2       2.6       116      770      -0.3      191

Clay, MO.................           5.5          99.8       3.8        33      896       1.2       79
Greene, MO...............           8.5         161.7       1.7       200      740      -1.9      264
Jackson, MO..............          20.9         359.3       1.6       211    1,030       2.1       34
St. Charles, MO..........           9.0         141.3       2.5       124      856       0.1      155
St. Louis, MO............          36.0         592.2       1.6       211    1,074      -2.3      284
St. Louis City, MO.......          13.1         222.2       1.3       242    1,147      -2.4      287
Yellowstone, MT..........           6.5          80.4       1.6       211      822      -1.4      243
Douglas, NE..............          18.8         332.8       1.9       176      947      -1.5      247
Lancaster, NE............          10.0         166.6       1.9       176      802       0.6      123
Clark, NV................          55.6         923.8       2.8        99      866       1.5       66

Washoe, NV...............          14.8         205.6       4.7         9      853       0.2      147
Hillsborough, NH.........          12.2         197.7       1.9       176    1,085       1.3       72
Merrimack, NH............           5.1          75.6       1.2       251      907       4.3        5
Rockingham, NH...........          10.8         142.8       3.1        78      982       0.0      165
Atlantic, NJ.............           6.6         121.7       1.2       251      838       0.5      129
Bergen, NJ...............          33.1         440.3       1.3       242    1,227      -0.3      191
Burlington, NJ...........          11.1         198.0       2.3       142    1,035      -2.2      282
Camden, NJ...............          12.1         198.7       3.5        50      960       0.2      147
Essex, NJ................          20.6         338.4       1.9       176    1,362       0.3      144
Gloucester, NJ...........           6.3         103.1       3.3        63      840      -1.2      233

Hudson, NJ...............          14.7         248.6       3.2        69    1,523      -1.4      243
Mercer, NJ...............          11.2         241.8       2.9        94    1,395      -8.5      340
Middlesex, NJ............          22.1         409.0       2.2       150    1,299      -2.1      277
Monmouth, NJ.............          20.2         251.8       3.1        78    1,006       1.2       79
Morris, NJ...............          17.1         283.9       2.1       158    1,696      -4.2      319
Ocean, NJ................          13.0         156.8       3.7        41      809       2.3       29
Passaic, NJ..............          12.4         164.9       1.0       263      981       1.3       72
Somerset, NJ.............          10.1         181.4       2.9        94    2,022      -4.4      324
Union, NJ................          14.3         216.4       (5)        -     1,324       (5)       -
Bernalillo, NM...........          18.3         319.4       1.3       242      841      -0.4      201

Albany, NY...............          10.4         230.0       0.7       289    1,023       2.0       38
Bronx, NY................          18.7         300.2       1.2       251      927       2.5       23
Broome, NY...............           4.6          86.2       0.5       303      758       0.4      137
Dutchess, NY.............           8.5         109.5       0.6       295      954      -0.6      211
Erie, NY.................          24.8         459.9       1.1       260      893       0.9      102
Kings, NY................          61.1         678.4       3.8        33      825       1.5       66
Monroe, NY...............          18.9         381.3       1.7       200      923      -1.1      224
Nassau, NY...............          54.1         614.0       2.2       150    1,128       2.4       24
New York, NY.............         130.3       2,396.8       1.9       176    2,783      -1.9      264
Oneida, NY...............           5.4         102.3       0.7       289      771       1.3       72

Onondaga, NY.............          13.1         241.0       0.9       273      916       1.9       42
Orange, NY...............          10.4         138.3       1.6       211      826       1.8       47
Queens, NY...............          52.2         639.1       3.0        86      963       2.6       21
Richmond, NY.............           9.8         113.5       2.6       116      865       4.2        6
Rockland, NY.............          10.6         118.1       1.8       192    1,007      -0.5      207
Saratoga, NY.............           5.9          82.4       2.1       158      881       0.0      165
Suffolk, NY..............          52.7         635.9       1.5       224    1,060       1.2       79
Westchester, NY..........          36.7         417.1       1.9       176    1,416       0.1      155
Buncombe, NC.............           8.9         125.6       4.3        18      738       1.7       59
Catawba, NC..............           4.4          84.6       4.0        28      748      -1.2      233

Cumberland, NC...........           6.3         119.6       1.5       224      751       1.8       47
Durham, NC...............           8.1         193.1       1.8       192    1,315      -3.7      314
Forsyth, NC..............           9.3         181.3       1.2       251    1,019       0.4      137
Guilford, NC.............          14.4         275.3       1.6       211      871      -3.4      310
Mecklenburg, NC..........          36.8         652.1       4.1        25    1,365      -1.8      260
New Hanover, NC..........           7.8         107.2       3.4        55      802       2.4       24
Wake, NC.................          32.9         517.6       4.2        21    1,053       1.2       79
Cass, ND.................           6.9         114.3       0.6       295      895      -2.2      282
Butler, OH...............           7.6         147.9       3.6        44      900      -0.1      177
Cuyahoga, OH.............          35.6         707.5       0.9       273    1,048      -2.0      270

Delaware, OH.............           5.0          82.7       3.3        63    1,096       0.0      165
Franklin, OH.............          31.1         724.2       3.1        78    1,041       0.1      155
Hamilton, OH.............          23.6         501.2       1.6       211    1,106      -1.1      224
Lake, OH.................           6.3          93.3       0.8       283      833       0.0      165
Lorain, OH...............           6.2          95.3       1.0       263      782      -2.7      297
Lucas, OH................          10.1         207.5       2.4       130      886       0.5      129
Mahoning, OH.............           5.9          96.6       0.2       314      683      -2.6      295
Montgomery, OH...........          12.0         251.5       2.4       130      843      -1.3      239
Stark, OH................           8.6         155.9       0.6       295      726      -4.5      325
Summit, OH...............          14.1         261.1       0.6       295      946       1.0       98

Warren, OH...............           4.7          88.8       3.9        31      912       0.2      147
Cleveland, OK............           5.5          81.3       0.7       289      700      -0.3      191
Oklahoma, OK.............          27.4         444.8      -0.6       324      951      -5.2      332
Tulsa, OK................          22.0         347.1      -0.5       322      921      -5.9      335
Clackamas, OR............          14.5         154.7       3.2        69      916       0.5      129
Jackson, OR..............           7.2          83.3       3.6        44      751       0.9      102
Lane, OR.................          12.0         148.5       2.5       124      749      -0.9      220
Marion, OR...............          10.4         145.3       3.5        50      784       1.7       59
Multnomah, OR............          33.9         487.5       3.4        55    1,065       3.7        9
Washington, OR...........          18.8         277.9       2.8        99    1,247      -2.3      284

Allegheny, PA............          35.7         678.1       0.4       306    1,128      -6.2      337
Berks, PA................           9.0         169.4       1.5       224      878      -0.5      207
Bucks, PA................          19.8         255.3       1.9       176      929      -0.1      177
Butler, PA...............           5.0          84.0       1.5       224      902      -1.8      260
Chester, PA..............          15.5         244.9       1.8       192    1,343      -2.5      293
Cumberland, PA...........           6.4         130.2       2.2       150      907      -0.7      216
Dauphin, PA..............           7.5         177.2       1.4       235      984      -4.7      329
Delaware, PA.............          14.0         216.9       1.3       242    1,117      -1.3      239
Erie, PA.................           7.1         121.0      -1.4       334      769      -0.1      177
Lackawanna, PA...........           5.8          96.3       0.6       295      751       0.0      165

Lancaster, PA............          13.3         230.3       2.7       109      823       1.1       88
Lehigh, PA...............           8.7         183.0       2.3       142    1,004       0.0      165
Luzerne, PA..............           7.5         142.1       1.3       242      772      -2.4      287
Montgomery, PA...........          27.5         477.3       2.1       158    1,371      -0.3      191
Northampton, PA..........           6.7         109.1       3.1        78      881      -0.1      177
Philadelphia, PA.........          35.1         654.2       1.5       224    1,206      -1.7      254
Washington, PA...........           5.5          84.4      -2.5       338    1,066     -12.0      342
Westmoreland, PA.........           9.3         131.3       1.0       263      791       0.1      155
York, PA.................           9.0         174.7       1.6       211      862       0.8      108
Providence, RI...........          17.5         280.7       1.5       224    1,038      -3.2      307

Charleston, SC...........          14.4         238.2       3.4        55      894       1.6       63
Greenville, SC...........          14.0         259.1       2.5       124      860      -0.1      177
Horry, SC................           8.8         118.3       4.7         9      587       0.5      129
Lexington, SC............           6.6         114.2       2.8        99      757       1.6       63
Richland, SC.............           9.6         214.8       1.7       200      868       0.7      114
Spartanburg, SC..........           6.1         130.3       3.5        50      848       2.3       29
York, SC.................           5.3          85.7       2.5       124      806       0.4      137
Minnehaha, SD............           7.0         122.4       1.3       242      881       1.7       59
Davidson, TN.............          21.2         462.0       3.9        31    1,097       1.8       47
Hamilton, TN.............           9.2         194.7       2.8        99      882       0.8      108

Knox, TN.................          11.8         233.4       2.6       116      875       2.0       38
Rutherford, TN...........           5.2         117.8       5.5         4      848      -1.1      224
Shelby, TN...............          20.1         487.2       1.6       211      991      -1.7      254
Williamson, TN...........           8.1         121.3       7.9         1    1,198      -4.9      330
Bell, TX.................           5.0         118.0       4.1        25      842       2.6       21
Bexar, TX................          38.0         832.4       2.1       158      934      -0.3      191
Brazoria, TX.............           5.3         102.7      -0.6       324    1,065      -0.4      201
Brazos, TX...............           4.2          99.5       2.1       158      725      -0.1      177
Cameron, TX..............           6.3         136.5       0.6       295      592       0.0      165
Collin, TX...............          22.1         370.4       3.3        63    1,272       2.3       29

Dallas, TX...............          71.8       1,614.7       3.2        69    1,291      -1.2      233
Denton, TX...............          13.3         222.1       4.2        21      923       2.1       34
El Paso, TX..............          14.3         292.1       1.7       200      691      -0.3      191
Fort Bend, TX............          11.8         170.7       1.4       235      982      -3.9      317
Galveston, TX............           5.8         105.1       3.8        33      919       3.0       16
Gregg, TX................           4.2          74.4      -4.4       341      829      -5.9      335
Harris, TX...............         109.3       2,256.9      -1.2       332    1,381      -5.1      331
Hidalgo, TX..............          11.8         249.5       1.6       211      614       1.0       98
Jefferson, TX............           5.8         122.2      -1.5       335    1,080      -0.6      211
Lubbock, TX..............           7.2         135.3       1.7       200      759      -0.1      177

McLennan, TX.............           5.0         108.2       2.1       158      804       1.8       47
Midland, TX..............           5.3          83.2      -9.0       343    1,261      -5.7      333
Montgomery, TX...........          10.4         167.0       1.6       211    1,025      -2.8      298
Nueces, TX...............           8.1         159.0      -2.3       337      846      -3.6      313
Potter, TX...............           3.9          78.3       0.4       306      787      -1.1      224
Smith, TX................           5.9         100.8       2.4       130      794      -0.6      211
Tarrant, TX..............          40.3         837.2       2.1       158    1,005      -1.6      250
Travis, TX...............          37.0         690.3       2.9        94    1,173       2.4       24
Webb, TX.................           5.0          97.1       0.8       283      650      -2.0      270
Williamson, TX...........           9.5         154.0       3.5        50    1,009      -7.8      339

Davis, UT................           8.0         117.3       3.2        69      796       0.9      102
Salt Lake, UT............          42.5         659.8       3.8        33      973       0.7      114
Utah, UT.................          14.8         215.2       6.7         2      794       0.8      108
Weber, UT................           5.8         101.3       2.0       168      726       1.3       72
Chittenden, VT...........           6.6          99.7       0.1       316      954       1.4       70
Arlington, VA............           9.5         170.9       3.1        78    1,734      -0.2      187
Chesterfield, VA.........           8.8         132.3       4.3        18      840      -2.3      284
Fairfax, VA..............          37.8         588.1       2.2       150    1,622      -1.8      260
Henrico, VA..............          11.5         187.6       2.6       116    1,028      -4.5      325
Loudoun, VA..............          12.1         155.9       6.2         3    1,193      -1.1      224

Prince William, VA.......           9.2         123.7       4.4        16      838       1.2       79
Alexandria City, VA......           6.7          93.8       0.6       295    1,400      -0.1      177
Chesapeake City, VA......           6.1          97.3       1.9       176      763       0.1      155
Newport News City, VA....           3.9          95.5      -1.9       336    1,016      -2.4      287
Norfolk City, VA.........           5.9         140.2       1.1       260      987      -2.0      270
Richmond City, VA........           7.8         152.6       3.2        69    1,173      -3.0      301
Virginia Beach City, VA..          12.1         173.0       3.0        86      765      -1.3      239
Benton, WA...............           5.6          82.2       1.9       176      986       1.8       47
Clark, WA................          13.9         147.4       4.2        21      906       0.7      114
King, WA.................          84.6       1,294.1       3.6        44    1,456       5.1        2

Kitsap, WA...............           6.6          85.4       2.2       150      887       0.1      155
Pierce, WA...............          21.4         288.8       3.4        55      895       0.6      123
Snohomish, WA............          20.2         280.1       2.8        99    1,124       2.0       38
Spokane, WA..............          15.4         212.3       3.0        86      852       0.1      155
Thurston, WA.............           8.0         107.9       3.8        33      900       2.4       24
Whatcom, WA..............           7.1          86.3       2.1       158      825       1.1       88
Yakima, WA...............           7.7         105.1       2.0       168      680       3.0       16
Kanawha, WV..............           5.9         101.9      -0.5       322      855      -0.3      191
Brown, WI................           6.7         151.1       1.7       200      906       1.8       47
Dane, WI.................          15.0         322.9       2.6       116    1,005       0.5      129

Milwaukee, WI............          25.9         482.0       0.9       273      997      -2.0      270
Outagamie, WI............           5.2         104.6       1.9       176      856       1.5       66
Waukesha, WI.............          12.9         233.9       1.3       242    1,022      -1.4      243
Winnebago, WI............           3.7          91.1       1.8       192      991       4.2        6
San Juan, PR.............          10.8         245.1      -1.6       (6)      634       0.0      (6)

(1) Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See Technical Note.
(2) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(3) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
county reclassifications. See Technical Note.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
(6) This county was not included in the U.S. rankings.

Note: Data are preliminary. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. These 344 U.S. counties comprise 72.6 percent of
the total covered workers in the U.S.






Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,
first quarter 2016

                                                                    Employment         Average weekly
                                                                                           wage(1)
                                              Establishments,
                                               first quarter
         County by NAICS supersector               2016                     Percent            Percent
                                               (thousands)        March     change,     First  change,
                                                                  2016       March     quarter  first
                                                              (thousands)  2015-16(2)   2016   quarter
                                                                                              2015-16(2)


United States(3) ............................       9,693.5     140,070.8       2.0   $1,043      -0.5
  Private industry...........................       9,394.9     118,350.0       2.1    1,049      -0.6
    Natural resources and mining.............         137.5       1,768.9      -8.9    1,190      -7.9
    Construction.............................         768.3       6,363.7       5.4    1,053       3.8
    Manufacturing............................         343.6      12,241.8      -0.2    1,259      -1.3
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....       1,917.9      26,541.7       1.7      858       0.1
    Information..............................         155.8       2,767.3       0.9    2,009       3.1
    Financial activities.....................         853.9       7,851.0       1.7    2,111      -2.2
    Professional and business services.......       1,745.3      19,626.4       2.1    1,375      -1.3
    Education and health services............       1,573.9      21,474.4       2.6      865       0.1
    Leisure and hospitality..................         813.6      15,065.3       3.2      408       2.5
    Other services...........................         829.6       4,317.1       1.7      665       1.4
  Government.................................         298.6      21,720.8       0.9    1,008       0.2

Los Angeles, CA..............................         464.3       4,309.9       1.9    1,138       2.1
  Private industry...........................         458.2       3,741.0       1.9    1,111       1.8
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5           9.2      -4.7    1,627       1.6
    Construction.............................          13.4         130.1       6.9    1,104       3.1
    Manufacturing............................          12.3         359.3      -2.3    1,348       1.9
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          53.0         800.5       0.6      916       2.7
    Information..............................           9.3         226.8       1.1    2,145       6.5
    Financial activities.....................          24.8         215.9       1.0    2,200      -1.3
    Professional and business services.......          46.5         587.8       0.5    1,363       1.7
    Education and health services............         216.4         742.0       2.6      812       1.8
    Leisure and hospitality..................          31.5         491.7       3.5      586       3.4
    Other services...........................          26.8         144.1       0.2      672       2.3
  Government.................................           6.1         568.9       1.6    1,324       3.6

Cook, IL.....................................         154.9       2,515.9       1.2    1,278      -0.2
  Private industry...........................         153.6       2,220.1       1.4    1,294       0.2
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.1           1.1      27.2    1,134       3.8
    Construction.............................          12.5          67.8       5.7    1,434       6.4
    Manufacturing............................           6.4         185.1      -0.9    1,257       2.1
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          30.3         465.1       1.4      972       0.2
    Information..............................           2.6          51.9       1.0    2,078       0.0
    Financial activities.....................          15.5         189.1       0.5    3,409      -1.6
    Professional and business services.......          32.7         459.2       0.8    1,566       0.8
    Education and health services............          16.5         438.7       1.2      916       1.9
    Leisure and hospitality..................          14.2         261.6       3.4      476       0.6
    Other services...........................          17.5          95.3      -0.2      897      -2.0
  Government.................................           1.3         295.8       0.3    1,161      -2.6

New York, NY.................................         130.3       2,396.8       1.9    2,783      -1.9
  Private industry...........................         129.4       2,131.8       2.0    2,969      -2.2
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.0           0.2       0.7    2,942      -3.1
    Construction.............................           2.2          39.6       8.6    1,825       5.4
    Manufacturing............................           2.1          26.8      -1.0    1,552      -3.7
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          19.7         251.8      -2.6    1,407       4.0
    Information..............................           4.9         152.7       0.2    3,210       1.8
    Financial activities.....................          19.3         370.4       2.3    8,498      -5.2
    Professional and business services.......          27.5         547.2       2.8    2,598      -1.7
    Education and health services............           9.8         341.0       1.7    1,226       1.4
    Leisure and hospitality..................          13.6         287.5       1.9      828       2.9
    Other services...........................          20.0          99.7       0.1    1,213       5.0
  Government.................................           0.8         265.1       1.1    1,273       3.1

Harris, TX...................................         109.3       2,256.9      -1.2    1,381      -5.1
  Private industry...........................         108.8       1,983.1      -1.7    1,422      -5.5
    Natural resources and mining.............           1.8          79.4     -16.6    4,456      -2.5
    Construction.............................           6.9         164.6       2.0    1,347       0.9
    Manufacturing............................           4.7         173.5     -12.5    1,680      -8.1
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          24.4         463.7       0.0    1,260      -4.3
    Information..............................           1.1          26.4      -2.0    1,499      -2.2
    Financial activities.....................          11.3         120.9       0.8    2,123      -4.8
    Professional and business services.......          22.4         382.9      -2.8    1,686      -3.2
    Education and health services............          15.0         282.7       2.9      967       2.2
    Leisure and hospitality..................           9.3         224.8       3.3      433       1.6
    Other services...........................          11.4          63.6      -1.3      772      -2.0
  Government.................................           0.6         273.8       2.0    1,083       0.5

Maricopa, AZ.................................          94.8       1,864.4       3.3      972      -1.5
  Private industry...........................          94.1       1,653.0       3.7      975      -2.1
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.4           8.4      -1.7    1,019     -13.6
    Construction.............................           6.9          99.8       5.2      974       1.0
    Manufacturing............................           3.1         115.5       1.1    1,451      -4.6
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          18.8         362.3       2.3      903      -0.6
    Information..............................           1.5          34.7       2.0    1,351      -3.9
    Financial activities.....................          10.9         164.2       4.9    1,431      -3.2
    Professional and business services.......          21.0         316.2       3.2    1,057      -3.5
    Education and health services............          10.6         278.6       3.4      927       0.7
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.4         209.4       2.7      448      -0.9
    Other services...........................           6.0          50.3       1.0      658       0.3
  Government.................................           0.7         211.3       0.0      946       3.2

Dallas, TX...................................          71.8       1,614.7       3.2    1,291      -1.2
  Private industry...........................          71.3       1,440.3       3.2    1,315      -1.4
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.6           8.6      -9.9    4,945       0.7
    Construction.............................           4.1          81.2       3.9    1,130       3.0
    Manufacturing............................           2.7         108.2       0.0    1,690      -2.2
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          15.4         327.5       3.8    1,073      -2.5
    Information..............................           1.3          47.5       0.0    2,440       1.5
    Financial activities.....................           8.8         154.0       2.8    2,146      -0.4
    Professional and business services.......          16.2         326.7       2.9    1,450       0.3
    Education and health services............           8.9         191.3       4.7    1,018      -2.5
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.2         153.7       5.5      497      -1.0
    Other services...........................           6.7          41.0      -0.2      774      -1.3
  Government.................................           0.5         174.4       3.1    1,097       0.4

Orange, CA...................................         113.9       1,545.7       2.4    1,143      -6.4
  Private industry...........................         112.4       1,392.0       2.4    1,119      -7.4
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.2           3.4       6.2      919      -4.1
    Construction.............................           6.5          93.1       6.1    1,234       4.1
    Manufacturing............................           4.9         153.6      -1.0    1,413       0.4
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          16.7         253.1      -0.5    1,010      -3.1
    Information..............................           1.2          25.3       2.2    2,013      -0.5
    Financial activities.....................          10.8         113.9       2.3    1,903      -2.4
    Professional and business services.......          20.1         289.1       0.8    1,341     -22.4
    Education and health services............          29.8         197.6       3.6      888       1.6
    Leisure and hospitality..................           8.3         207.3       4.4      460       0.4
    Other services...........................           6.8          45.1       3.2      677       3.8
  Government.................................           1.5         153.7       2.5    1,355       1.3

San Diego, CA................................         105.9       1,388.4       2.3    1,108      -2.0
  Private industry...........................         104.0       1,157.8       2.4    1,086      -2.2
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.7           9.4       0.0      616       1.8
    Construction.............................           6.4          73.3       9.3    1,109       1.4
    Manufacturing............................           3.1         106.2       0.5    1,612      -7.5
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.1         214.2       0.0      896       2.5
    Information..............................           1.1          23.0      -3.9    1,803       6.9
    Financial activities.....................           9.6          70.5       1.8    1,585      -2.9
    Professional and business services.......          17.7         228.8       1.8    1,586      -5.3
    Education and health services............          29.7         190.7       2.7      877      -0.2
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.9         183.3       2.5      464       3.1
    Other services...........................           7.4          49.4       1.0      576       0.9
  Government.................................           1.9         230.7       1.8    1,223      -0.9

King, WA.....................................          84.6       1,294.1       3.6    1,456       5.1
  Private industry...........................          84.1       1,127.5       3.7    1,488       5.5
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.4           3.0      17.6    2,762      95.7
    Construction.............................           6.3          65.1       7.2    1,247       3.9
    Manufacturing............................           2.4         105.0      -1.8    1,716      -4.2
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.5         243.8       3.8    1,358      10.8
    Information..............................           2.1          92.7       8.1    3,464      14.2
    Financial activities.....................           6.5          66.3       2.7    2,013       0.1
    Professional and business services.......          16.7         216.3       4.4    1,699       2.6
    Education and health services............          19.5         164.3       3.2      943       0.5
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.0         128.5       3.9      503       2.4
    Other services...........................           8.8          42.7       2.5      846       4.2
  Government.................................           0.5         166.6       2.4    1,237       1.6

Miami-Dade, FL...............................          95.9       1,107.3       2.7      972      -0.3
  Private industry...........................          95.5         969.9       3.0      956      -0.4
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5          10.0       2.6      518       1.6
    Construction.............................           6.0          42.3      10.8      930       3.4
    Manufacturing............................           2.8          40.2       4.8      894      -0.9
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          26.5         277.5       0.5      884       0.1
    Information..............................           1.5          17.9      -0.1    1,750       7.5
    Financial activities.....................          10.4          74.0       1.8    1,852      -0.8
    Professional and business services.......          21.0         152.6       3.7    1,131      -1.4
    Education and health services............          10.2         172.3       3.6      901      -3.1
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.2         142.1       4.6      568       4.0
    Other services...........................           8.2          40.3       4.1      586       0.2
  Government.................................           0.3         137.4       0.7    1,087       0.8

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
county reclassifications. See Technical Note.
(3) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Counties selected are based on 2015 annual average employment.
Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees (UCFE) programs.






Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state,
first quarter 2016


                                                  Employment        Average weekly
                                                                        wage(1)
                            Establishments,
                             first quarter
            State                2016                     Percent           Percent
                             (thousands)        March     change,   First   change,
                                                2016       March   quarter   first
                                             (thousands)  2015-16    2016   quarter
                                                                            2015-16


United States(2)...........       9,693.5     140,070.8       2.0   $1,043     -0.5

Alabama....................         121.3       1,902.6       1.6      842     -0.2
Alaska.....................          22.2         317.6      -1.4    1,028     -2.0
Arizona....................         152.6       2,679.8       2.8      918     -0.8
Arkansas...................          88.7       1,191.1       2.1      793      0.5
California.................       1,458.8      16,455.5       2.6    1,206      0.0
Colorado...................         190.2       2,514.6       2.4    1,057     -1.3
Connecticut................         116.8       1,650.6       0.6    1,362     -1.4
Delaware...................          31.0         429.7       1.5    1,072     -3.0
District of Columbia.......          38.7         749.6       2.0    1,766      0.4
Florida....................         659.1       8,301.8       3.5      887      0.2

Georgia....................         297.3       4,215.1       3.0    1,008      1.9
Hawaii.....................          40.1         645.1       1.4      896      1.7
Idaho......................          56.9         670.4       3.5      725     -1.5
Illinois...................         408.8       5,800.6       1.2    1,126     -0.5
Indiana....................         162.2       2,949.5       1.9      853     -0.5
Iowa.......................         101.2       1,518.2       0.9      844     -0.4
Kansas.....................          89.9       1,362.3       0.4      833     -2.0
Kentucky...................         122.5       1,843.9       1.9      823      0.1
Louisiana..................         127.5       1,910.5      -0.8      860     -2.6
Maine......................          52.3         580.5       1.8      804      1.1

Maryland...................         169.2       2,591.7       1.9    1,103     -0.8
Massachusetts..............         242.7       3,414.8       2.1    1,327     -1.0
Michigan...................         240.2       4,163.7       2.1      976      0.7
Minnesota..................         160.1       2,750.1       1.5    1,065     -1.2
Mississippi................          72.7       1,121.0       1.7      713      0.4
Missouri...................         193.2       2,729.5       1.9      879     -0.3
Montana....................          46.5         447.8       1.8      751      0.3
Nebraska...................          71.5         956.6       1.4      817      0.0
Nevada.....................          81.4       1,264.1       3.0      875      1.2
New Hampshire..............          50.9         635.1       1.9      998      1.6

New Jersey.................         269.7       3,909.7       2.4    1,268     -1.7
New Mexico.................          57.9         800.4       0.0      792     -1.6
New York...................         642.1       9,042.2       2.0    1,456     -0.3
North Carolina.............         272.5       4,220.3       3.0      928     -0.2
North Dakota...............          31.9         409.4      -6.2      908     -7.6
Ohio.......................         293.0       5,236.2       1.8      913     -0.8
Oklahoma...................         109.1       1,578.6      -0.9      833     -4.1
Oregon.....................         148.6       1,808.2       3.2      929      1.2
Pennsylvania...............         355.2       5,662.2       1.1    1,012     -1.9
Rhode Island...............          36.6         464.6       1.9      985     -2.2

South Carolina.............         125.6       1,974.6       2.7      806      0.8
South Dakota...............          32.7         410.5       0.9      771      1.2
Tennessee..................         152.9       2,859.2       3.3      887      0.3
Texas......................         630.8      11,638.7       0.7    1,066     -2.1
Utah.......................          94.4       1,369.2       3.8      849      0.6
Vermont....................          24.7         304.6       0.1      832      1.0
Virginia...................         263.7       3,748.1       2.6    1,057     -1.2
Washington.................         239.2       3,147.7       3.1    1,121      3.0
West Virginia..............          50.1         683.9      -1.2      782     -1.3
Wisconsin..................         170.0       2,771.4       1.3      875     -0.2

Wyoming....................          26.0         267.9      -3.7      850     -4.7

Puerto Rico................          46.2         895.2      -1.2      520     -0.4
Virgin Islands.............           3.3          38.6       0.4      769      2.9

(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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.






Last Modified Date: September 07, 2016