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Employment increased in 202 of the 357 largest U.S. counties from March 2019 to March 2020, while 335 counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. St. Johns County, Florida, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment, 3.7 percent. Ector County, Texas, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment, 5.5 percent. In March 2020, national employment increased to 147.1 million, a 0.4-percent increase over the year.
County | 12-month percent change |
---|---|
St. Johns, FL |
3.7% |
Deschutes, OR |
3.5 |
Yakima, WA |
3.5 |
Cleveland, OK |
3.4 |
Adams, CO |
3.3 |
Ada, ID |
3.3 |
Benton, AR |
3.0 |
Williamson, TX |
3.0 |
Davis, UT |
3.0 |
Madison, AL |
2.8 |
Midland, TX |
-2.6 |
East Baton Rouge, LA |
-2.7 |
Elkhart, IN |
-3.4 |
Calcasieu, LA |
-5.4 |
Ector, TX |
-5.5 |
Six of the 10 largest counties had over-the-year percentage increases in employment. In March 2020, Maricopa County, Arizona, had the largest over-the-year employment percentage gain among the 10 largest counties (+2.5 percent). Within Maricopa, education and health services had the largest employment increase with a gain of 13,126 jobs (+4.0 percent). Cook County, Illinois, had the greatest drop in over-the-year employment percentage among the 10 largest counties (-0.6 percent), with seven of the 10 sectors of private industry contributing to this decline.
County | 12-month percent change in employment |
---|---|
United States |
0.4% |
Private industry |
0.3 |
Natural resources and mining |
-2.3 |
Construction |
1.6 |
Manufacturing |
-1.0 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
0.4 |
Information |
0.8 |
Financial activities |
1.3 |
Professional and business services |
0.8 |
Education and health services |
1.1 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-2.3 |
Other services |
-0.2 |
Government |
0.8 |
Los Angeles, CA |
0.2 |
Private industry |
0.1 |
Natural resources and mining |
5.9 |
Construction |
1.1 |
Manufacturing |
-1.3 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.6 |
Information |
2.7 |
Financial activities |
0.8 |
Professional and business services |
-1.3 |
Education and health services |
2.6 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-2.2 |
Other services |
0.7 |
Government |
0.4 |
Cook, IL |
-0.6 |
Private industry |
-0.9 |
Natural resources and mining |
18.0 |
Construction |
-2.9 |
Manufacturing |
-1.0 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.8 |
Information |
-0.8 |
Financial activities |
1.6 |
Professional and business services |
-1.1 |
Education and health services |
0.5 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-4.3 |
Other services |
-1.9 |
Government |
1.6 |
New York, NY |
0.0 |
Private industry |
0.0 |
Natural resources and mining |
25.0 |
Construction |
-1.9 |
Manufacturing |
-5.2 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-1.3 |
Information |
2.6 |
Financial activities |
0.9 |
Professional and business services |
1.0 |
Education and health services |
1.3 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-5.3 |
Other services |
-1.2 |
Government |
0.0 |
Harris, TX |
0.6 |
Private industry |
0.4 |
Natural resources and mining |
-4.7 |
Construction |
0.0 |
Manufacturing |
-1.5 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.3 |
Information |
-1.1 |
Financial activities |
2.2 |
Professional and business services |
2.1 |
Education and health services |
1.2 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-1.8 |
Other services |
2.4 |
Government |
2.4 |
Maricopa, AZ |
2.5 |
Private industry |
2.6 |
Natural resources and mining |
3.5 |
Construction |
4.6 |
Manufacturing |
2.6 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
2.7 |
Information |
-0.1 |
Financial activities |
4.4 |
Professional and business services |
2.5 |
Education and health services |
4.0 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-1.2 |
Other services |
1.0 |
Government |
1.4 |
Dallas, TX |
2.0 |
Private industry |
2.0 |
Natural resources and mining |
2.1 |
Construction |
2.2 |
Manufacturing |
1.9 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
2.0 |
Information |
0.0 |
Financial activities |
2.6 |
Professional and business services |
3.1 |
Education and health services |
1.8 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-0.3 |
Other services |
-1.5 |
Government |
2.3 |
Orange, CA |
-0.1 |
Private industry |
-0.3 |
Natural resources and mining |
-1.6 |
Construction |
-1.1 |
Manufacturing |
-1.5 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.9 |
Information |
-2.4 |
Financial activities |
1.6 |
Professional and business services |
-1.5 |
Education and health services |
2.8 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-1.8 |
Other services |
4.3 |
Government |
1.3 |
San Diego, CA |
0.7 |
Private industry |
0.7 |
Natural resources and mining |
5.3 |
Construction |
0.3 |
Manufacturing |
1.2 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.6 |
Information |
-0.8 |
Financial activities |
1.9 |
Professional and business services |
1.9 |
Education and health services |
2.8 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-2.6 |
Other services |
-0.3 |
Government |
0.6 |
King, WA |
1.7 |
Private industry |
1.6 |
Natural resources and mining |
2.4 |
Construction |
1.9 |
Manufacturing |
-4.0 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
3.3 |
Information |
7.9 |
Financial activities |
1.8 |
Professional and business services |
3.0 |
Education and health services |
0.7 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-4.0 |
Other services |
1.0 |
Government |
2.6 |
Miami-Dade, FL |
0.0 |
Private industry |
-0.1 |
Natural resources and mining |
-2.3 |
Construction |
0.1 |
Manufacturing |
0.4 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-0.7 |
Information |
-1.4 |
Financial activities |
0.0 |
Professional and business services |
1.4 |
Education and health services |
1.4 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-3.4 |
Other services |
-1.6 |
Government |
0.2 |
These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program and are preliminary. Large counties are defined as having employment of at least 75,000. To learn more, see "County Employment and Wages – First Quarter 2020."
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment up by 3.7 percent in St. Johns County, Florida, from March 2019 to March 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/employment-up-by-3-7-percent-in-st-johns-county-florida-from-march-2019-to-march-2020.htm (visited October 31, 2024).