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Friday, December 16, 2016
Employment rose in 7 of the 8 large counties in Maryland from June 2016 to June 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2016 annual average employment.) Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that Prince George’s County had the largest employment gain, up 3.5 percent over the year. Employment in Baltimore County was unchanged over the year.
Nationally, employment rose 1.7 percent over the previous year as 318 of the 346 largest U.S. counties gained jobs. Midland, Texas, had the largest employment gain, rising 7.3 percent over the year. Lucas, Ohio, had the largest percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.9 percent.
Among the eight largest counties in Maryland, employment was highest in Montgomery County (477,900) in June 2017. Three other counties—Baltimore, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s—had employment levels exceeding 300,000. Together, Maryland’s largest counties accounted for 80.3 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 346 largest counties made up 72.7 percent of total U.S. employment.
Anne Arundel and Baltimore City both had the fastest over-the-year wage growth among Maryland’s eight large counties, at 4.1 percent each, from the second quarter of 2016 to the second quarter of 2017. Montgomery County had the highest average weekly wage at $1,333. Five other counties had average weekly wages above $1,000—Howard ($1,220), Baltimore City ($1,183), Anne Arundel ($1,089), Prince George’s ($1,064), and Baltimore ($1,005). (See table 1.) Nationally, the average weekly wage rose 3.2 percent over the year to $1,020 in the second quarter of 2017.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 16 counties in Maryland with employment below 75,000. Fourteen of these smaller counties had average weekly wages below the national average. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changesFrom the second quarter of 2016 to the second quarter of 2017, three counties—Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s—had wage increases greater than the nationwide gain of 3.2 percent. Baltimore and Howard Counties had wage gains of 3.1 and 2.1 percent, respectively. Harford County had the lowest wage increase at 1.1 percent. (See table 1.)
Among the 346 largest U.S. counties, 325 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. New Hanover, N.C., had the largest percentage wage increase (11.9 percent), followed by the counties of San Mateo, Calif., and Midland, Texas (11.4 percent each).
Only 19 large counties nationwide had over-the-year declines in average weekly wages, led by McLean, Ill., with a loss of 20.4 percent. Union N.J., had the second-largest decline at 3.7 percent, followed by Warren, Ohio (-3.6 percent); Somerset, N.J. (-3.4 percent); Fairfield, Conn.; and Washington, Ore. (-1.9 percent each).
Large county average weekly wagesAverage weekly wages in 5 of Maryland’s 8 large counties were above the U.S. average of $1,020, led by Montgomery County ($1,333), which ranked 17th for wage level among the 346 largest U.S. counties in the second quarter of 2017. Two other Maryland counties placed in the top 50 nationwide for wage level—Howard ($1,220, 32nd) and Baltimore City ($1,183, 39th). Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties ranked 65th and 78th, respectively. Average weekly wages in two of Maryland’s three remaining large counties placed in the top half of the national ranking.
Average wages in Maryland’s smaller countiesFourteen of the 16 counties in Maryland with employment under 75,000 had average weekly wages below the national average. The exceptions were St. Mary’s and Calvert with average weekly wages of $1,294 and $1,029, respectively. Worcester County reported the lowest weekly wage in the state, averaging $588 in the second quarter of 2017. (See table 2.)
When all 24 counties in Maryland were considered, 17 had wages below the national average of $1,020. Two of these reported average weekly wages below $700. (See chart 1.) Of the seven counties with wages above the national average, four (Montgomery, St. Mary’s, Howard, and Baltimore City) had average weekly wages above $1,100.
Additional statistics and other informationQCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/.
Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2016 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2017 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2016 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2016/home.htm. The 2017 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2018.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.
Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under 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 9.9 million employer reports cover 145.2 million full- and part-time workers. The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/; however, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s Web site.
QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting 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.
The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS Web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS Web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.
Area | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 2017 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2016-17 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level (3) | Percent change, second quarter 2016-17 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | |
United States (4) |
145,186.4 | 1.7 | -- | $1,020 | -- | 3.2 | -- |
Maryland |
2,694.8 | 1.4 | -- | 1,103 | 8 | 3.1 | 23 |
Anne Arundel, Md. |
274.4 | 1.6 | 170 | 1,089 | 65 | 4.1 | 82 |
Baltimore City, Md. |
341.5 | 1.5 | 183 | 1,183 | 39 | 4.1 | 82 |
Baltimore, Md. |
379.4 | 0.0 | 319 | 1,005 | 113 | 3.1 | 156 |
Frederick, Md. |
102.0 | 1.5 | 183 | 931 | 175 | 1.5 | 266 |
Harford, Md. |
94.6 | 1.9 | 134 | 952 | 157 | 1.1 | 298 |
Howard, Md. |
172.4 | 0.2 | 311 | 1,220 | 32 | 2.1 | 231 |
Montgomery, Md. |
477.9 | 1.3 | 200 | 1,333 | 17 | 1.4 | 273 |
Prince George's, Md. |
322.4 | 3.5 | 21 | 1,064 | 78 | 3.7 | 114 |
Footnotes: |
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NOTE: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Area | Employment June 2017 | Average weekly wage (1) |
---|---|---|
United States (2) |
145,186,369 | $1,020 |
Maryland |
2,694,828 | 1,103 |
Allegany |
29,025 | 736 |
Anne Arundel |
274,385 | 1,089 |
Baltimore County |
379,414 | 1,005 |
Baltimore City |
341,508 | 1,183 |
Calvert |
24,888 | 1,029 |
Caroline |
9,671 | 760 |
Carroll |
59,494 | 822 |
Cecil |
32,120 | 928 |
Charles |
41,887 | 868 |
Dorchester |
11,369 | 745 |
Frederick |
102,023 | 931 |
Garrett |
12,289 | 641 |
Harford |
94,579 | 952 |
Howard |
172,384 | 1,220 |
Kent |
8,218 | 735 |
Montgomery |
477,936 | 1,333 |
Prince George's |
322,435 | 1,064 |
Queen Anne's |
15,269 | 723 |
St. Mary's |
43,656 | 1,294 |
Somerset |
6,814 | 840 |
Talbot |
19,989 | 780 |
Washington |
67,434 | 776 |
Wicomico |
45,760 | 931 |
Worcester |
31,380 | 588 |
Footnotes: |
||
NOTE: Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary. |
State | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 2017 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2016-17 | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level | Percent change, second quarter 2016-17 | National ranking by percent change | |
United States (2) |
145,186.4 | 1.7 | $1,020 | -- | 3.2 | -- |
Alabama |
1,946.4 | 1.2 | 858 | 38 | 2.8 | 31 |
Alaska |
338.4 | -0.7 | 1,005 | 16 | -0.5 | 51 |
Arizona |
2,699.6 | 2.9 | 943 | 23 | 2.5 | 35 |
Arkansas |
1,206.0 | 0.7 | 810 | 47 | 3.2 | 22 |
California |
17,150.9 | 2.2 | 1,210 | 5 | 4.7 | 3 |
Colorado |
2,638.8 | 2.5 | 1,042 | 11 | 4.2 | 5 |
Connecticut |
1,701.2 | 0.6 | 1,216 | 4 | 0.4 | 50 |
Delaware |
446.6 | 0.6 | 1,012 | 15 | 2.2 | 43 |
District of Columbia |
766.5 | 1.0 | 1,675 | 1 | 3.3 | 19 |
Florida |
8,390.6 | 2.8 | 905 | 27 | 2.5 | 35 |
Georgia |
4,357.8 | 2.1 | 956 | 21 | 2.9 | 27 |
Hawaii |
653.0 | 1.0 | 935 | 24 | 3.5 | 13 |
Idaho |
723.5 | 3.4 | 765 | 50 | 3.4 | 16 |
Illinois |
6,006.6 | 0.9 | 1,062 | 9 | 2.4 | 39 |
Indiana |
3,041.0 | 1.5 | 859 | 37 | 3.7 | 9 |
Iowa |
1,571.4 | 0.4 | 853 | 39 | 3.3 | 19 |
Kansas |
1,377.8 | -0.1 | 849 | 40 | 2.4 | 39 |
Kentucky |
1,889.4 | 0.8 | 862 | 35 | 2.9 | 27 |
Louisiana |
1,907.7 | 0.0 | 869 | 34 | 2.0 | 46 |
Maine |
629.1 | 0.9 | 814 | 46 | 2.5 | 35 |
Maryland |
2,694.8 | 1.4 | 1,103 | 8 | 3.1 | 23 |
Massachusetts |
3,604.5 | 1.6 | 1,278 | 2 | 3.6 | 11 |
Michigan |
4,365.3 | 1.6 | 969 | 19 | 2.9 | 27 |
Minnesota |
2,902.1 | 2.0 | 1,037 | 12 | 3.9 | 6 |
Mississippi |
1,128.9 | 0.7 | 732 | 51 | 0.8 | 49 |
Missouri |
2,818.7 | 1.2 | 889 | 30 | 3.0 | 25 |
Montana |
473.6 | 1.3 | 797 | 48 | 3.9 | 6 |
Nebraska |
984.0 | 0.4 | 833 | 43 | 3.5 | 13 |
Nevada |
1,333.5 | 3.4 | 900 | 29 | 2.9 | 27 |
New Hampshire |
665.4 | 1.6 | 1,015 | 14 | 1.2 | 48 |
New Jersey |
4,123.5 | 1.8 | 1,173 | 6 | 2.3 | 41 |
New Mexico |
815.4 | 0.7 | 823 | 45 | 1.5 | 47 |
New York |
9,417.4 | 1.6 | 1,237 | 3 | 2.2 | 43 |
North Carolina |
4,361.4 | 1.8 | 902 | 28 | 4.3 | 4 |
North Dakota |
422.7 | -0.2 | 953 | 22 | 5.0 | 2 |
Ohio |
5,422.8 | 1.2 | 912 | 25 | 3.3 | 19 |
Oklahoma |
1,583.8 | 0.8 | 845 | 41 | 2.5 | 35 |
Oregon |
1,912.6 | 2.2 | 967 | 20 | 3.8 | 8 |
Pennsylvania |
5,859.4 | 1.3 | 1,000 | 17 | 3.0 | 25 |
Rhode Island |
487.3 | 1.0 | 980 | 18 | 2.6 | 33 |
South Carolina |
2,053.9 | 2.0 | 834 | 42 | 3.6 | 11 |
South Dakota |
435.5 | 0.6 | 785 | 49 | 3.4 | 16 |
Tennessee |
2,948.1 | 1.8 | 906 | 26 | 3.5 | 13 |
Texas |
12,059.6 | 2.1 | 1,027 | 13 | 2.7 | 32 |
Utah |
1,440.3 | 3.4 | 862 | 35 | 2.6 | 33 |
Vermont |
314.2 | 1.0 | 870 | 33 | 2.1 | 45 |
Virginia |
3,886.6 | 1.5 | 1,047 | 10 | 3.7 | 9 |
Washington |
3,352.5 | 2.2 | 1,141 | 7 | 5.6 | 1 |
West Virginia |
690.9 | -0.3 | 828 | 44 | 3.4 | 16 |
Wisconsin |
2,905.3 | 1.1 | 876 | 31 | 2.3 | 41 |
Wyoming |
280.2 | -0.7 | 875 | 32 | 3.1 | 23 |
Puerto Rico |
873.6 | -1.0 | 515 | (3) | 1.2 | (3) |
Virgin Islands |
38.6 | 0.4 | 762 | (3) | 2.6 | (3) |
Footnotes: |
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Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Last Modified Date: Friday, December 16, 2016