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News Release Information

22-1886-PHI
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Pennsylvania — First Quarter 2022

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, 24th), and Chester ($1,717, 31st).

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.

Changes to QCEW with First Quarter 2022 Release

County Changes for the 2022 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2021 are included in this release and will be included in future 2022 releases. Nationally, twelve counties have been added to the publication tables. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.

Industry Changes to QCEW Data

Beginning with the full release of first quarter 2022 data on September 7, 2022, the QCEW program will use the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the publication of economic data by industry. For information on the use of the 2022 version of NAICS in QCEW, please see www.bls.gov/cew/classifications/industry/naics-2022.htm.


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
AreaEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage 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)

11,299.0147,648.45.0--$1,374--6.7--

Pennsylvania

384.05,778.24.3--1,309166.935

Allegheny

36.8650.42.62671,436655.2255

Berks

8.9166.82.82541,1172136.7189

Bucks

21.1260.64.41391,1921608.2104

Butler

5.283.72.22941,1321966.5202

Chester

16.4243.83.42101,717314.1294

Cumberland

6.9134.02.52761,1232095.5242

Dauphin

7.6178.62.92431,2491335.7233

Delaware

14.5216.23.91741,414737.3155

Erie

6.9115.32.92439163365.7233

Lackawanna

5.694.04.11619283334.4284

Lancaster

14.4243.64.01681,0492607.7126

Lehigh

9.1194.04.21481,2131487.7126

Luzerne

7.5140.95.3969663203.8297

Montgomery

29.0496.93.22181,777245.5242

Northampton

7.0117.64.11611,0672466.6197

Philadelphia

35.4676.16.5411,507547.0167

Washington

5.783.43.81811,495571.7342

Westmoreland

9.2127.42.92439923077.1163

York

9.4178.04.11611,0832348.1108

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
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment March 2022Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,299,030147,648,359$1,374

Pennsylvania

384,0145,778,2171,309

Adams

2,18733,237915

Allegheny

36,760650,3701,436

Armstrong

1,48915,404871

Beaver

3,72549,4081,159

Bedford

1,22315,918823

Berks

8,940166,7741,117

Blair

3,51856,308892

Bradford

1,59321,4921,061

Bucks

21,127260,6431,192

Butler

5,22883,7411,132

Cambria

3,37546,861821

Cameron

1571,655949

Carbon

1,29415,170780

Centre

3,65863,8951,107

Chester

16,382243,8441,717

Clarion

1,09812,040776

Clearfield

2,12328,765865

Clinton

92112,055909

Columbia

1,57723,777857

Crawford

2,15428,445847

Cumberland

6,924133,9701,123

Dauphin

7,618178,6391,249

Delaware

14,518216,2211,414

Elk

99113,469907

Erie

6,900115,257916

Fayette

2,84836,537868

Forest

1541,785987

Franklin

3,40458,977930

Fulton

3124,962936

Greene

80911,3691,138

Huntingdon

1,01311,977832

Indiana

1,97627,155999

Jefferson

1,22014,584828

Juniata

5676,577744

Lackawanna

5,61193,986928

Lancaster

14,405243,5881,049

Lawrence

2,03826,587893

Lebanon

2,90050,607940

Lehigh

9,051193,9571,213

Luzerne

7,531140,939966

Lycoming

3,11047,833973

Mckean

1,12013,771850

Mercer

2,90842,654952

Mifflin

1,07315,547865

Monroe

3,65554,386965

Montgomery

28,953496,8541,777

Montour

49516,2081,475

Northampton

7,034117,6281,067

Northumberland

1,87225,879916

Perry

9127,738682

Philadelphia

35,417676,1031,507

Pike

1,12111,010757

Potter

4724,971872

Schuylkill

3,05548,311938

Snyder

98815,377835

Somerset

1,83323,347847

Sullivan

1951,244852

Susquehanna

9848,781955

Tioga

1,04312,432890

Union

1,02416,769967

Venango

1,27316,489835

Warren

99413,024869

Washington

5,69883,4021,495

Wayne

1,43114,383893

Westmoreland

9,242127,375992

Wyoming

7198,9631,082

York

9,380178,0071,083

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
StateEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage 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)

11,299.0147,648.45.0$1,374--6.7--

Alabama

143.71,990.42.51,072398.221

Alaska

24.2303.92.81,178254.945

Arizona

195.83,048.25.01,234217.529

Arkansas

98.31,232.73.11,0604010.92

California

1,667.617,720.87.71,64451.051

Colorado

238.02,767.95.11,45598.811

Connecticut

135.71,618.64.31,71649.26

Delaware

38.1447.83.91,362147.529

District of Columbia

46.9749.15.82,22112.649

Florida

844.09,249.26.11,2222310.83

Georgia

359.64,615.25.01,301178.811

Hawaii

50.4612.17.91,135304.247

Idaho

83.6806.44.7982498.518

Illinois

403.85,808.84.51,48787.333

Indiana

183.03,071.13.71,127329.85

Iowa

108.21,511.62.51,080367.627

Kansas

93.11,369.82.51,073389.010

Kentucky

137.51,911.54.01,038447.627

Louisiana

147.61,820.61.31,058428.616

Maine

60.4604.12.81,1033510.34

Maryland

179.92,623.13.91,410102.050

Massachusetts

286.63,516.05.31,82735.943

Michigan

282.24,212.54.61,225226.241

Minnesota

194.12,772.62.71,374116.837

Mississippi

77.91,134.22.9879518.518

Missouri

227.12,788.23.01,128317.034

Montana

57.5479.93.1991488.320

Nebraska

78.7965.41.51,079379.26

Nevada

102.71,441.311.61,164278.023

New Hampshire

61.1659.94.31,361157.825

New Jersey

317.94,085.17.21,60664.646

New Mexico

68.0817.45.11,018456.540

New York

681.39,107.26.01,97225.644

North Carolina

335.84,638.34.81,241209.26

North Dakota

33.3400.52.71,106346.935

Ohio

320.55,299.03.11,179247.529

Oklahoma

120.71,601.82.91,012468.023

Oregon

175.11,921.94.01,259187.432

Pennsylvania

384.05,778.24.31,309166.935

Rhode Island

45.0469.34.71,249196.837

South Carolina

164.12,142.93.91,043439.26

South Dakota

37.8432.03.51,012468.616

Tennessee

198.13,104.14.61,172268.811

Texas

788.412,985.46.11,369128.714

Utah

126.51,625.64.51,152288.221

Vermont

29.3295.83.91,107337.726

Virginia

310.83,889.43.11,366136.639

Washington

277.33,453.46.01,59673.848

West Virginia

55.2668.12.9968506.142

Wisconsin

193.92,816.52.91,137298.714

Wyoming

28.9263.62.61,0594111.21

Puerto Rico

48.7917.16.8579(3)2.8(3)

Virgin Islands

3.534.8-0.3947(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2022