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In December 2016, there were 4.4 million people employed in Los Angeles County, California, making it the largest U.S. county, in terms of employment. The three industry sectors with the most employment—trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; and professional and business services—accounted for 50 percent of employment in Los Angeles County.
Industry | United States | Los Angeles, CA | Cook, IL | New York, NY | Harris, TX | Maricopa, AZ | Dallas, TX | Orange, CA | San Diego, CA | King, WA | Miami-Dade, FL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total |
143,749,900 | 4,415,700 | 2,590,200 | 2,471,600 | 2,272,000 | 1,926,900 | 1,688,400 | 1,588,800 | 1,427,500 | 1,340,400 | 1,132,900 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
27,968,100 | 844,400 | 491,900 | 265,900 | 477,200 | 386,800 | 355,800 | 265,600 | 229,000 | 261,700 | 289,300 |
Education and health services |
21,994,400 | 758,700 | 441,100 | 346,800 | 292,300 | 289,800 | 197,500 | 204,600 | 195,100 | 169,700 | 176,000 |
Government |
21,868,400 | 577,600 | 301,300 | 269,200 | 278,400 | 213,400 | 174,000 | 146,600 | 233,500 | 168,900 | 139,800 |
Professional and business services |
20,259,200 | 605,500 | 473,400 | 564,900 | 384,100 | 331,700 | 342,100 | 304,700 | 232,900 | 220,500 | 158,100 |
Leisure and hospitality |
15,365,300 | 512,700 | 273,500 | 303,800 | 226,800 | 207,900 | 160,300 | 210,900 | 190,200 | 134,500 | 141,000 |
Manufacturing |
12,298,600 | 350,900 | 185,500 | 26,300 | 166,300 | 115,700 | 110,000 | 157,100 | 106,500 | 102,000 | 40,500 |
Financial activities |
8,034,000 | 219,900 | 193,200 | 371,500 | 124,500 | 173,200 | 161,100 | 118,100 | 72,800 | 67,900 | 75,300 |
Construction |
6,677,400 | 133,200 | 71,500 | 40,200 | 155,900 | 103,100 | 86,300 | 96,500 | 77,100 | 68,200 | 44,600 |
Other services |
4,387,500 | 148,000 | 96,300 | 103,300 | 64,800 | 49,600 | 42,700 | 46,500 | 50,500 | 44,400 | 40,100 |
Information |
2,809,000 | 225,900 | 55,700 | 162,900 | 27,300 | 34,400 | 48,900 | 25,800 | 23,500 | 99,800 | 18,100 |
Natural resources and mining |
1,741,700 | 8,700 | 1,000 | 200 | 72,900 | 8,300 | 8,600 | 2,700 | 7,900 | 2,900 | 9,000 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; and professional and business services were also the top three employers in 6 other counties that are among the nation's 10 largest: Cook, Illinois; Harris, Texas; Maricopa, Arizona; Dallas, Texas; King, Washington; and Miami-Dade, Florida.
In New York County, New York, (also known as Manhattan), the industries with the most employment were professional and business services, financial activities, and education and health services.
Professional and business services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and leisure and hospitality were the largest industries in Orange County, California.
In San Diego County, California, government (federal, state, and local); professional and business services; and trade, transportation, and utilities were the largest industries.
In December 2016, national employment was 143.7 million. Over the year, employment increased 1.2 percent, or 1.8 million. Among the 10 largest counties, 9 had over-the-year percentage increases in employment in December 2016. King, Washington, had the largest gain (3.3 percent). Within King, trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest over-the-year employment level increase, with a gain of 11,720 jobs, or 4.7 percent. Harris, Texas, had the only percentage decrease in employment among the 10 largest counties (−1.3 percent). Within Harris, manufacturing had the largest over-the-year employment level decrease, with a loss of 14,974 jobs, or −8.3 percent.
These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. To learn more, see "County Employment and Wages: Fourth Quarter 2016" (HTML) (PDF). Data are preliminary.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment in 10 largest counties, December 2016 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/employment-in-10-largest-counties-december-2016.htm (visited October 31, 2024).