Employment rose in all 19 large counties in Pennsylvania from March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall-Bovee noted that Philadelphia County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 6.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 5.0 percent over the year, with 349 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 12.5 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.8 percent.

Among the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, employment was highest in Philadelphia County (676,100) in March 2022. Within Philadelphia County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 19 largest Pennsylvania counties accounted for 76.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 48 counties in Pennsylvania with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 47 of the 48 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 19 large Pennsylvania counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Nine counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Bucks County had the largest gain (+8.2 percent), followed by York County (+8.1 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Pennsylvania’s other 17 large counties ranged from 1.7 percent to 7.7 percent.

Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Peoria, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+25.8 percent). San Francisco, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-9.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 6 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages exceeded $1,700 in two counties: Montgomery ($1,777, 24^th), and Chester ($1,717, 31^st).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2022. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,064. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. At $736 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Pennsylvania’s smaller counties

Among the 48 smaller counties in Pennsylvania—those with employment below 75,000—Montour ($1,475) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Perry County ($682) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 67 counties in Pennsylvania were considered, 13 reported average weekly wages of less than $850, 24 registered wages from $850 to $949, 10 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See chart 3.)

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 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. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

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 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.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2022 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2021–22 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2022	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2021–22 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,299.0	147,648.4	5.0	--	$1,374	--	6.7	--
Pennsylvania	384.0	5,778.2	4.3	--	1,309	16	6.9	35
Allegheny	36.8	650.4	2.6	267	1,436	65	5.2	255
Berks	8.9	166.8	2.8	254	1,117	213	6.7	189
Bucks	21.1	260.6	4.4	139	1,192	160	8.2	104
Butler	5.2	83.7	2.2	294	1,132	196	6.5	202
Chester	16.4	243.8	3.4	210	1,717	31	4.1	294
Cumberland	6.9	134.0	2.5	276	1,123	209	5.5	242
Dauphin	7.6	178.6	2.9	243	1,249	133	5.7	233
Delaware	14.5	216.2	3.9	174	1,414	73	7.3	155
Erie	6.9	115.3	2.9	243	916	336	5.7	233
Lackawanna	5.6	94.0	4.1	161	928	333	4.4	284
Lancaster	14.4	243.6	4.0	168	1,049	260	7.7	126
Lehigh	9.1	194.0	4.2	148	1,213	148	7.7	126
Luzerne	7.5	140.9	5.3	96	966	320	3.8	297
Montgomery	29.0	496.9	3.2	218	1,777	24	5.5	242
Northampton	7.0	117.6	4.1	161	1,067	246	6.6	197
Philadelphia	35.4	676.1	6.5	41	1,507	54	7.0	167
Washington	5.7	83.4	3.8	181	1,495	57	1.7	342
Westmoreland	9.2	127.4	2.9	243	992	307	7.1	163
York	9.4	178.0	4.1	161	1,083	234	8.1	108
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from 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 establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Pennsylvania, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2022	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,299,030	147,648,359	$1,374
Pennsylvania	384,014	5,778,217	1,309
Adams	2,187	33,237	915
Allegheny	36,760	650,370	1,436
Armstrong	1,489	15,404	871
Beaver	3,725	49,408	1,159
Bedford	1,223	15,918	823
Berks	8,940	166,774	1,117
Blair	3,518	56,308	892
Bradford	1,593	21,492	1,061
Bucks	21,127	260,643	1,192
Butler	5,228	83,741	1,132
Cambria	3,375	46,861	821
Cameron	157	1,655	949
Carbon	1,294	15,170	780
Centre	3,658	63,895	1,107
Chester	16,382	243,844	1,717
Clarion	1,098	12,040	776
Clearfield	2,123	28,765	865
Clinton	921	12,055	909
Columbia	1,577	23,777	857
Crawford	2,154	28,445	847
Cumberland	6,924	133,970	1,123
Dauphin	7,618	178,639	1,249
Delaware	14,518	216,221	1,414
Elk	991	13,469	907
Erie	6,900	115,257	916
Fayette	2,848	36,537	868
Forest	154	1,785	987
Franklin	3,404	58,977	930
Fulton	312	4,962	936
Greene	809	11,369	1,138
Huntingdon	1,013	11,977	832
Indiana	1,976	27,155	999
Jefferson	1,220	14,584	828
Juniata	567	6,577	744
Lackawanna	5,611	93,986	928
Lancaster	14,405	243,588	1,049
Lawrence	2,038	26,587	893
Lebanon	2,900	50,607	940
Lehigh	9,051	193,957	1,213
Luzerne	7,531	140,939	966
Lycoming	3,110	47,833	973
Mckean	1,120	13,771	850
Mercer	2,908	42,654	952
Mifflin	1,073	15,547	865
Monroe	3,655	54,386	965
Montgomery	28,953	496,854	1,777
Montour	495	16,208	1,475
Northampton	7,034	117,628	1,067
Northumberland	1,872	25,879	916
Perry	912	7,738	682
Philadelphia	35,417	676,103	1,507
Pike	1,121	11,010	757
Potter	472	4,971	872
Schuylkill	3,055	48,311	938
Snyder	988	15,377	835
Somerset	1,833	23,347	847
Sullivan	195	1,244	852
Susquehanna	984	8,781	955
Tioga	1,043	12,432	890
Union	1,024	16,769	967
Venango	1,273	16,489	835
Warren	994	13,024	869
Washington	5,698	83,402	1,495
Wayne	1,431	14,383	893
Westmoreland	9,242	127,375	992
Wyoming	719	8,963	1,082
York	9,380	178,007	1,083
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: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2022

State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2022 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2021–22	First quarter 2022	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2021–22	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,299.0	147,648.4	5.0	$1,374	--	6.7	--
Alabama	143.7	1,990.4	2.5	1,072	39	8.2	21
Alaska	24.2	303.9	2.8	1,178	25	4.9	45
Arizona	195.8	3,048.2	5.0	1,234	21	7.5	29
Arkansas	98.3	1,232.7	3.1	1,060	40	10.9	2
California	1,667.6	17,720.8	7.7	1,644	5	1.0	51
Colorado	238.0	2,767.9	5.1	1,455	9	8.8	11
Connecticut	135.7	1,618.6	4.3	1,716	4	9.2	6
Delaware	38.1	447.8	3.9	1,362	14	7.5	29
District of Columbia	46.9	749.1	5.8	2,221	1	2.6	49
Florida	844.0	9,249.2	6.1	1,222	23	10.8	3
Georgia	359.6	4,615.2	5.0	1,301	17	8.8	11
Hawaii	50.4	612.1	7.9	1,135	30	4.2	47
Idaho	83.6	806.4	4.7	982	49	8.5	18
Illinois	403.8	5,808.8	4.5	1,487	8	7.3	33
Indiana	183.0	3,071.1	3.7	1,127	32	9.8	5
Iowa	108.2	1,511.6	2.5	1,080	36	7.6	27
Kansas	93.1	1,369.8	2.5	1,073	38	9.0	10
Kentucky	137.5	1,911.5	4.0	1,038	44	7.6	27
Louisiana	147.6	1,820.6	1.3	1,058	42	8.6	16
Maine	60.4	604.1	2.8	1,103	35	10.3	4
Maryland	179.9	2,623.1	3.9	1,410	10	2.0	50
Massachusetts	286.6	3,516.0	5.3	1,827	3	5.9	43
Michigan	282.2	4,212.5	4.6	1,225	22	6.2	41
Minnesota	194.1	2,772.6	2.7	1,374	11	6.8	37
Mississippi	77.9	1,134.2	2.9	879	51	8.5	18
Missouri	227.1	2,788.2	3.0	1,128	31	7.0	34
Montana	57.5	479.9	3.1	991	48	8.3	20
Nebraska	78.7	965.4	1.5	1,079	37	9.2	6
Nevada	102.7	1,441.3	11.6	1,164	27	8.0	23
New Hampshire	61.1	659.9	4.3	1,361	15	7.8	25
New Jersey	317.9	4,085.1	7.2	1,606	6	4.6	46
New Mexico	68.0	817.4	5.1	1,018	45	6.5	40
New York	681.3	9,107.2	6.0	1,972	2	5.6	44
North Carolina	335.8	4,638.3	4.8	1,241	20	9.2	6
North Dakota	33.3	400.5	2.7	1,106	34	6.9	35
Ohio	320.5	5,299.0	3.1	1,179	24	7.5	29
Oklahoma	120.7	1,601.8	2.9	1,012	46	8.0	23
Oregon	175.1	1,921.9	4.0	1,259	18	7.4	32
Pennsylvania	384.0	5,778.2	4.3	1,309	16	6.9	35
Rhode Island	45.0	469.3	4.7	1,249	19	6.8	37
South Carolina	164.1	2,142.9	3.9	1,043	43	9.2	6
South Dakota	37.8	432.0	3.5	1,012	46	8.6	16
Tennessee	198.1	3,104.1	4.6	1,172	26	8.8	11
Texas	788.4	12,985.4	6.1	1,369	12	8.7	14
Utah	126.5	1,625.6	4.5	1,152	28	8.2	21
Vermont	29.3	295.8	3.9	1,107	33	7.7	26
Virginia	310.8	3,889.4	3.1	1,366	13	6.6	39
Washington	277.3	3,453.4	6.0	1,596	7	3.8	48
West Virginia	55.2	668.1	2.9	968	50	6.1	42
Wisconsin	193.9	2,816.5	2.9	1,137	29	8.7	14
Wyoming	28.9	263.6	2.6	1,059	41	11.2	1
Puerto Rico	48.7	917.1	6.8	579	(3)	2.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.5	34.8	-0.3	947	(3)	-3.7	(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.