Employment rose in the 12 largest counties in Virginia from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Loudoun County and Prince William County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment, both at 4.5 percent.(See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

Among the 12 largest counties in Virginia, employment was highest in Fairfax County (608,100) in September 2021. Within Fairfax County’s private industry, professional and technical services accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 12 largest Virginia counties accounted for 55.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 121 counties in Virginia with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 116 of the 121 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 12 large Virginia counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Henrico and Loudoun Counties had the largest gain at 6.5 percent each, followed by Chesapeake City at 6.2 percent. Over-the-year wage gains among Virginia’s other nine large counties ranged from 5.8 percent to 2.6 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent). Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 5 of the 12 largest counties in Virginia were above the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in four of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Arlington ($1,907, 9^th), Fairfax ($1,846, 10^th), Alexandria City ($1,603, 19^th) and Loudoun ($1,417, 39^th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2021. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,710. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 258 counties. At $756 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Virginia’s smaller counties

Among the 121 smaller counties in Virginia—those with employment below 75,000—5 counties reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,251. Goochland County ($2,026) had the highest average weekly wage in the state. Grayson County ($609) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 133 counties in Virginia were considered, 26 reported average weekly wages of less than $750, 36 registered wages from $750 to $849, 21 had wages from $850 to $949, 23 had wages from $950 to $1,049 and 27 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher.

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 fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 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 12 largest counties in Virginia, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	--	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Virginia	299.2	3,845.3	2.9	--	1,264	12	5.3	37
Arlington	9.5	172.6	0.4	325	1,907	9	3.3	292
Chesterfield	9.9	135.1	2.7	216	1,021	256	5.6	168
Fairfax	38.0	608.1	2.6	222	1,846	10	4.4	244
Henrico	12.2	181.3	1.4	299	1,156	151	6.5	106
Loudoun	13.6	172.6	4.5	92	1,417	39	6.5	106
Prince William	10.0	130.5	4.5	92	1,088	195	4.0	262
Alexandria City	6.4	84.2	1.8	278	1,603	19	3.8	274
Chesapeake City	6.5	99.2	0.2	327	973	299	6.2	130
Newport News City	4.2	99.4	0.2	327	1,119	172	4.6	229
Norfolk City	6.2	133.9	2.0	263	1,192	121	5.8	156
Richmond City	8.3	151.1	3.4	170	1,334	61	2.6	309
Virginia Beach City	13.0	171.4	2.1	256	944	313	5.6	168
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 Virginia, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment September 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,021,414	144,863,915	$1,251
Virginia	299,224	3,845,272	1,264
Accomack	1,062	11,635	916
Albemarle	3,911	56,636	1,167
Alleghany	376	3,403	725
Amelia	398	2,454	805
Amherst	782	7,489	822
Appomattox	481	3,267	696
Arlington	9,459	172,569	1,907
Augusta	1,993	27,561	1,009
Bath	178	1,882	966
Bedford	2,298	18,229	785
Bland	120	1,789	883
Botetourt	915	10,655	897
Brunswick	583	3,095	773
Buchanan	526	5,605	993
Buckingham	445	2,967	769
Campbell	1,527	17,250	967
Caroline	624	5,372	892
Carroll	624	5,967	690
Charles City	226	1,626	930
Charlotte	347	3,058	768
Chesterfield	9,865	135,086	1,021
Clarke	465	3,687	896
Craig	124	723	738
Culpeper	1,542	15,825	966
Cumberland	237	1,279	724
Dickenson	324	3,444	886
Dinwiddie	490	8,679	1,076
Essex	367	3,439	735
Fairfax	38,031	608,141	1,846
Fauquier	2,515	21,670	1,094
Floyd	478	3,539	650
Fluvanna	638	4,348	876
Franklin	1,537	15,143	796
Frederick	1,988	34,817	1,018
Giles	386	5,814	1,102
Gloucester	1,022	9,469	799
Goochland	867	19,214	2,026
Grayson	377	3,179	609
Greene	520	3,673	761
Greensville	226	4,170	956
Halifax	1,051	11,363	817
Hanover	3,913	54,025	935
Henrico	12,168	181,294	1,156
Henry	1,692	15,504	722
Highland	98	449	643
Isle of Wight	902	10,239	981
James City	2,037	28,297	896
King and Queen	171	1,104	812
King George	634	12,763	1,509
King William	443	3,826	943
Lancaster	502	4,324	794
Lee	536	4,128	717
Loudoun	13,628	172,618	1,417
Louisa	1,034	10,146	956
Lunenburg	329	2,196	749
Madison	360	3,101	766
Mathews	222	1,426	676
Mecklenburg	1,090	10,811	798
Middlesex	377	3,207	753
Montgomery	2,388	42,208	1,085
Nelson	551	3,686	756
New Kent	533	5,236	822
Northampton	587	4,410	707
Northumberland	374	2,507	1,003
Nottoway	448	5,406	874
Orange	970	9,570	856
Page	601	5,526	728
Patrick	535	4,018	673
Pittsylvania	1,431	12,322	794
Powhatan	861	7,473	862
Prince Edward	736	8,698	825
Prince George	669	14,371	1,139
Prince William	9,997	130,501	1,088
Pulaski	843	13,929	860
Rappahannock	278	1,527	819
Richmond	249	2,689	820
Roanoke	2,606	37,252	915
Rockbridge	533	5,940	710
Rockingham	1,942	33,884	971
Russell	579	6,246	793
Scott	422	4,631	711
Shenandoah	1,181	13,060	838
Smyth	901	12,277	768
Southampton	357	3,455	795
Spotsylvania	3,300	35,601	932
Stafford	3,082	44,935	1,150
Surry	137	1,948	1,370
Sussex	263	3,081	891
Tazewell	1,033	13,607	733
Warren	1,122	13,333	877
Washington	1,504	18,784	788
Westmoreland	433	3,303	712
Wise	850	11,113	763
Wythe	910	11,112	782
York	1,658	20,092	848
Alexandria City	6,394	84,233	1,603
Bristol City	610	9,108	771
Buena Vista City	141	1,921	774
Charlottesville City	2,508	38,256	1,158
Chesapeake City	6,486	99,211	973
Colonial Heights City	751	9,705	731
Covington City	276	3,707	981
Danville City	1,887	23,680	835
Emporia City	285	3,276	665
Fairfax City	1,751	18,817	1,189
Falls Church City	1,038	11,441	1,495
Franklin City	331	3,813	653
Fredericksburg City	1,694	23,138	1,031
Galax City	411	5,434	679
Hampton City	3,020	49,771	1,042
Harrisonburg City	1,746	30,254	899
Hopewell City	537	7,338	1,163
Lexington City	296	4,352	1,009
Lynchburg City	2,736	48,711	950
Manassas City	1,571	23,178	1,398
Manassas Park City	322	4,028	999
Martinsville City	980	8,877	722
Newport News City	4,209	99,414	1,119
Norfolk City	6,223	133,903	1,192
Norton City	231	3,124	752
Petersburg City	986	11,787	820
Poquoson City	261	1,706	715
Portsmouth City	1,871	42,890	1,130
Radford City	352	6,049	1,001
Richmond City	8,313	151,127	1,334
Roanoke City	3,441	62,613	997
Salem City	1,047	18,636	1,037
Staunton City	910	10,952	798
Suffolk City	1,989	33,347	1,083
Virginia Beach City	12,969	171,427	944
Waynesboro City	756	8,831	805
Williamsburg City	538	11,362	1,036
Winchester City	1,516	24,359	1,112
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, third quarter 2021

State	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Alabama	139.8	1,955.3	2.6	1,030	36	5.3	37
Alaska	24.0	316.9	4.6	1,205	16	3.4	50
Arizona	184.5	2,926.3	4.6	1,167	19	7.0	13
Arkansas	97.4	1,212.9	2.9	963	47	7.8	6
California	1,679.6	17,208.7	6.6	1,576	4	7.7	8
Colorado	231.8	2,723.4	4.8	1,322	9	7.0	13
Connecticut	132.0	1,605.1	2.9	1,401	6	5.7	31
Delaware	35.9	439.7	2.1	1,198	18	4.4	45
District of Columbia	45.4	736.1	3.1	2,042	1	4.1	46
Florida	808.4	8,910.9	7.0	1,120	25	8.7	3
Georgia	343.9	4,491.4	4.9	1,158	20	6.8	17
Hawaii	49.2	592.8	16.6	1,150	22	3.3	51
Idaho	79.2	804.0	5.3	953	50	7.8	6
Illinois	398.4	5,751.2	3.3	1,274	11	6.3	22
Indiana	178.9	3,020.6	2.6	1,032	34	7.4	10
Iowa	106.8	1,509.6	2.2	1,015	39	4.9	43
Kansas	92.1	1,349.3	1.7	997	40	4.7	44
Kentucky	134.3	1,869.0	3.4	989	43	5.8	28
Louisiana	144.2	1,772.7	1.7	1,021	37	5.4	36
Maine	58.5	619.9	3.6	1,031	35	6.7	18
Maryland	178.1	2,604.6	3.9	1,314	10	3.5	49
Massachusetts	281.4	3,501.0	5.5	1,593	2	7.0	13
Michigan	271.3	4,181.4	3.6	1,154	21	5.3	37
Minnesota	186.9	2,780.5	2.7	1,249	13	6.1	24
Mississippi	77.3	1,122.2	2.6	859	51	6.3	22
Missouri	223.9	2,760.3	2.9	1,055	31	6.0	26
Montana	57.0	487.5	4.4	963	47	6.5	21
Nebraska	75.6	964.6	1.4	1,017	38	5.5	35
Nevada	96.0	1,389.5	10.8	1,135	23	8.3	5
New Hampshire	60.0	654.6	3.3	1,349	8	15.0	1
New Jersey	304.1	3,977.2	5.1	1,384	7	4.1	46
New Mexico	64.8	806.2	4.2	997	40	5.6	32
New York	671.2	8,922.4	4.4	1,534	5	6.1	24
North Carolina	318.4	4,516.4	4.5	1,112	26	7.1	11
North Dakota	33.0	407.2	2.2	1,076	30	5.1	40
Ohio	315.7	5,248.0	2.2	1,098	28	5.6	32
Oklahoma	116.4	1,576.6	1.8	966	45	5.6	32
Oregon	171.2	1,909.5	3.7	1,220	15	9.6	2
Pennsylvania	375.4	5,685.4	3.2	1,205	16	5.8	28
Rhode Island	43.2	474.1	4.8	1,131	24	3.6	48
South Carolina	152.9	2,086.0	2.8	988	44	6.9	16
South Dakota	37.0	435.6	3.1	965	46	5.1	40
Tennessee	187.7	3,044.1	4.2	1,111	27	8.7	3
Texas	770.0	12,613.1	5.6	1,227	14	6.7	18
Utah	123.1	1,594.7	5.0	1,087	29	7.1	11
Vermont	28.1	293.5	2.7	1,055	31	5.8	28
Virginia	299.2	3,845.3	2.9	1,264	12	5.3	37
Washington	266.6	3,415.2	4.4	1,578	3	6.6	20
West Virginia	53.6	664.2	2.7	960	49	5.0	42
Wisconsin	189.5	2,815.9	2.3	1,049	33	7.5	9
Wyoming	28.7	271.1	2.5	995	42	6.0	26
Puerto Rico	47.9	887.9	6.5	568	(3)	4.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.6	34.5	1.9	956	(3)	-5.4	(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.