Employment and wages in large U.S. counties, September 2009–September 2010

From September 2009 to September 2010, employment increased in 162 of the 326 largest U.S. counties. Elkhart, Indiana, posted the largest percentage increase, with a gain of 6.8 percent over the year, compared with national job growth of 0.2 percent. Within Elkhart, the largest employment increase occurred in manufacturing, which gained 5,570 jobs over the year (14.2 percent).

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Sacramento, California, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the United States with a loss of 3.7 percent. Within Sacramento, state government had the largest percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 7.5 percent.

The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 3.4 percent to $870 in the third quarter of 2010. Among the large counties in the United States, Rock Island, Illinois, had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2010, with a gain of 12.2 percent. Within Rock Island, professional and business services had the largest impact on the county’s over-the-year increase in average weekly wages.

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Sacramento, California, experienced the only decline in average weekly wages among the largest U.S. counties, with a loss of 2.2 percent over the year.

County employment and wage data are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. The data are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "County Employment and Wages: Third Quarter 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-0434.