Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

16-2391-PHI
Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Maryland – Second Quarter 2016

Average Weekly Wage in Montgomery County Ranks 15th in the Nation

Employment rose in 6 of the 8 large counties in Maryland from June 2015 to June 2016, 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 2015 annual average employment.) Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that Anne Arundel County recorded the largest employment gain, up 1.5 percent over the year. Employment in Frederick County decreased 0.1 percent while employment in Prince George’s County was unchanged over the year. 

Nationally, employment rose 1.5 percent during this 12-month period as 291 of the largest 344 U.S. counties gained jobs. Williamson, Tenn., posted the largest employment gain, rising 6.7 percent over the year. Midland, Texas, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 8.3 percent.

Among the eight largest counties in Maryland, employment was highest in Montgomery County (471,000) in June 2016. Three other counties—Baltimore, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s—had employment levels exceeding 300,000. Together, Maryland’s large counties accounted for 80.1 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 344 largest counties made up 72.5 percent of total U.S. employment.

Baltimore City recorded the fastest over-the-year wage growth among Maryland’s eight large counties, rising 4.3 percent from the second quarter of 2015 to the second quarter of 2016, followed by Anne Arundel County at 3.0 percent. Montgomery County reported the highest average weekly wage among the state’s large counties at $1,319. Four other counties had weekly wages above $1,000—Howard ($1,197), Baltimore City ($1,137), Anne Arundel ($1,046), and Prince George’s ($1,020). (See table 1.) Nationally, the average weekly wage rose 2.2 percent over the year to $989 in the second quarter of 2016.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 16 counties in Maryland with employment below 75,000. Fifteen of these smaller counties had average weekly wages below the national average. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

From the second quarter of 2015 to the second quarter of 2016, the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore, and Montgomery recorded wage increases greater than the national gain of 2.2 percent. Howard and Prince George’s Counties had wage gains of 1.7 and 1.6 percent, respectively. Frederick County had the lowest wage increase at 0.6 percent. Harford County recorded an over-the-year wage decrease, down 2.4 percent. (See table 1.)

Among the 344 largest U.S. counties, 304 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. McLean, Ill., had the largest percentage wage increase (21.0 percent), followed by the counties of Elkhart, Ind. (8.5 percent) and King, Wash. (8.1 percent).

Only 36 large counties nationwide experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages, led by Ventura, Calif., with a loss of 8.4 percent. Forsyth, N.C., had the second-largest decline at 6.5 percent, followed by Lafayette, La. (-6.2 percent); Gregg, Texas (-3.7 percent); and Midland, Texas (-3.2 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in 5 of Maryland’s 8 large counties were above the U.S. average of $989, led by Montgomery County ($1,319), which ranked 15th for wage level among the 344 largest U.S. counties in the second quarter of 2016. Two other Maryland counties placed in the top 50 nationwide for wage level—Howard ($1,197, 30th) and Baltimore City ($1,137, 46th). Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties ranked 73th and 81st, respectively. Average weekly wages in Maryland’s three remaining large counties placed in the top half of the national ranking.

Average wages in Maryland’s smaller counties

Fifteen of the 16 counties in Maryland with employment under 75,000 had average weekly wages below the national average. The exception was St. Mary’s with an average weekly wage of $1,191. Worcester County reported the lowest weekly wage in the state, averaging $584 in the second quarter of 2016. (See table 2.)

When all 24 counties in Maryland were considered, 18 had wages below the national average of $989. Three of these reported average weekly wages below $700. (See chart 1.) Of the six counties with wages above the national average, four (Montgomery, St. Mary’s, Howard, and Baltimore City) had average weekly wages above $1,100. Three of the six counties with above-average wages were located in the Baltimore metropolitan area, while one was located in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW 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 2015 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 2016 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2015 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2015/home.htm. The 2016 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2017.

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.


Technical Note

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 9.7 million employer reports cover 142.7 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.

 

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 8 largest counties in Maryland, second quarter 2016
Area Employment Average weekly wage (1)
June 2016 (thousands) Percent change, June 2015-16 (2) National ranking by percent change (3) Average weekly wage National ranking by level (3) Percent change, second quarter 2015-16 (2) National ranking by percent change (3)

United States (4)

142,717.2 1.5 -- $989 -- 2.2 --

Maryland

2,656.0 0.9 -- 1,070 8 2.5 15

Anne Arundel, Md.

268.8 1.5 169 1,046 73 3.0 100

Baltimore City, Md.

337.6 0.5 270 1,137 46 4.3 35

Baltimore, Md.

377.4 0.8 238 973 117 2.4 156

Frederick, Md.

100.0 -0.1 298 913 168 0.6 293

Harford, Md.

92.3 1.0 218 939 144 -2.4 335

Howard, Md.

169.7 0.9 229 1,197 30 1.7 229

Montgomery, Md.

471.0 0.7 253 1,319 15 2.3 172

Prince George's, Md.

311.5 0.0 292 1,020 81 1.6 235

Footnotes:
(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.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
 

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Maryland, second quarter 2016
Area Employment June 2016 Average Weekly Wage(1)

United States(2)

142,717,157 $989

Maryland

2,655,967 1,070

Allegany

29,665 719

Anne Arundel

268,771 1,046

Baltimore County

377,388 973

Baltimore City

337,576 1,137

Calvert

24,616 927

Caroline

9,553 748

Carroll

58,404 779

Cecil

32,470 894

Charles

43,269 862

Dorchester

11,662 736

Frederick

100,024 913

Garrett

11,959 631

Harford

92,315 939

Howard

169,707 1,197

Kent

8,283 696

Montgomery

470,967 1,319

Prince George's

311,477 1,020

Queen Anne's

15,295 705

St. Mary's

43,579 1,191

Somerset

6,796 789

Talbot

19,736 737

Washington

67,544 767

Wicomico

45,795 888

Worcester

29,952 584

Footnotes
(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: Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.
 

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, second quarter 2016
State Employment Average weekly wage (1)
June 2016 (thousands) Percent change, June 2015-16 Average weekly wage National ranking by level Percent change, second quarter 2015-16 National ranking by percent change

United States (2)

142,717.2 1.5 $989 -- 2.2 --

Alabama

1,923.5 1.2 835 37 2.0 29

Alaska

338.7 -2.4 1,011 10 -1.7 49

Arizona

2,619.6 2.6 921 22 1.9 33

Arkansas

1,197.5 1.1 785 47 3.0 7

California

16,754.1 2.5 1,157 5 2.4 19

Colorado

2,574.5 2.3 999 14 1.0 43

Connecticut

1,689.9 -0.1 1,213 3 3.0 7

Delaware

444.0 0.9 990 16 -0.6 48

District of Columbia

756.0 1.7 1,623 1 1.1 42

Florida

8,161.8 3.2 883 25 2.6 14

Georgia

4,269.5 2.7 929 21 2.7 11

Hawaii

643.4 1.0 906 24 3.5 5

Idaho

699.7 3.3 740 50 3.8 3

Illinois

5,945.0 0.2 1,038 9 2.4 19

Indiana

2,995.4 1.0 828 39 2.1 27

Iowa

1,566.0 0.3 825 40 2.9 9

Kansas

1,378.4 -0.2 829 38 1.2 39

Kentucky

1,877.2 1.5 838 36 1.9 33

Louisiana

1,905.2 -1.4 852 32 0.2 46

Maine

622.8 1.0 795 46 3.5 5

Maryland

2,656.0 0.9 1,070 8 2.5 15

Massachusetts

3,538.2 1.2 1,233 2 2.0 29

Michigan

4,300.9 1.9 942 19 2.7 11

Minnesota

2,846.8 0.7 997 15 2.0 29

Mississippi

1,120.1 0.5 727 51 2.5 15

Missouri

2,785.6 1.4 863 30 2.4 19

Montana

468.6 2.2 767 48 1.7 35

Nebraska

978.3 0.9 805 43 2.4 19

Nevada

1,289.4 3.3 874 27 2.2 26

New Hampshire

655.1 1.1 1,003 12 3.7 4

New Jersey

4,051.2 1.7 1,147 6 1.7 35

New Mexico

808.1 -0.3 812 42 0.9 44

New York

9,264.0 1.5 1,210 4 2.5 15

North Carolina

4,285.3 2.5 865 29 2.1 27

North Dakota

423.3 -4.9 908 23 -3.3 51

Ohio

5,353.1 0.8 882 26 2.0 29

Oklahoma

1,570.5 -1.4 823 41 0.6 45

Oregon

1,867.8 2.7 933 20 4.1 2

Pennsylvania

5,786.8 0.4 971 17 1.4 37

Rhode Island

482.9 0.6 949 18 2.5 15

South Carolina

2,013.7 2.4 804 44 2.8 10

South Dakota

432.7 1.0 760 49 2.7 11

Tennessee

2,900.4 2.4 874 27 1.3 38

Texas

11,810.7 1.0 1,000 13 1.2 39

Utah

1,395.9 3.8 840 35 2.3 25

Vermont

310.6 -0.1 850 33 2.4 19

Virginia

3,833.4 1.6 1,011 10 1.2 39

Washington

3,281.6 2.8 1,083 7 5.4 1

West Virginia

693.2 -1.9 800 45 -0.4 47

Wisconsin

2,869.1 0.9 856 31 2.4 19

Wyoming

281.7 -3.7 849 34 -2.2 50

Puerto Rico

879.5 -0.7 512 (3) 0.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

38.4 0.9 743 (3) -0.4 (3)

Footnotes:
(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.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.
 

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

  Chart 1. Average weekly wages by county in Maryland, second quarter 2016

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2016