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News Release Information

23-591-PHI
Thursday, March 23, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Pennsylvania — Third Quarter 2022

Employment rose in all 19 large counties in Pennsylvania from September 2021 to September 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 and Lackawanna County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 5.2 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Pennsylvania, September 2022

National employment increased 4.3 percent over the year, with 346 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Orleans, LA, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 10.7 percent. Deschutes, OR, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.4 percent.

Among the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, employment was highest in Philadelphia County (692,300) in September 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 75.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.8 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 $1,334 in the third quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 19 large Pennsylvania counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Fourteen counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Dauphin County had the largest gain (+10.4 percent), followed by York County (+9.6 percent) and Chester County (+9.2 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Pennsylvania’s other 5 large counties ranged from 6.3 percent to 3.5 percent.

  Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Pennsylvania, third quarter 2022

Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 345 had over-the-year wage increases. Midland, TX, had the largest percentage wage increase (+13.9 percent). San Mateo, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-19.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 4 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages in three of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Chester ($1,572, 31st), Montgomery ($1,540, 35th), and Philadelphia ($1,525, 38th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 91 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2022. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,061. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 264 counties. At $812 a week, Hidalgo, 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 ($1,624) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Perry County ($792) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 67 counties in Pennsylvania were considered, 18 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 24 registered wages from $950 to $1,049, 8 had wages from $1,050 to $1,149, and 17 had average weekly wages of $1,150 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 fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.


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, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 -- $1,334 -- 6.7 --

Pennsylvania

390.7 5,913.7 3.8 -- 1,296 17 7.6 37

Allegheny

36.9 663.3 2.2 272 1,395 70 7.2 196

Berks

9.0 170.6 3.9 127 1,162 206 5.4 292

Bucks

21.2 265.1 3.3 165 1,198 183 6.9 219

Butler

5.3 85.1 2.0 289 1,206 180 8.0 148

Chester

16.5 247.5 2.6 238 1,572 31 9.2 85

Cumberland

7.0 136.0 2.9 213 1,201 182 8.4 122

Dauphin

7.7 184.7 3.9 127 1,269 126 10.4 36

Delaware

14.5 218.6 2.9 213 1,312 105 6.9 219

Erie

6.9 117.7 1.9 294 989 335 8.8 101

Lackawanna

5.6 96.1 4.7 75 1,014 321 7.9 156

Lancaster

14.5 249.0 3.8 136 1,109 249 7.5 178

Lehigh

9.1 199.2 3.8 136 1,251 144 4.8 308

Luzerne

7.6 144.8 4.6 80 1,038 314 6.8 226

Montgomery

29.1 504.4 3.1 194 1,540 35 3.5 327

Northampton

7.1 118.8 2.7 226 1,103 260 5.8 273

Philadelphia

35.4 692.3 5.2 54 1,525 38 8.3 127

Washington

5.7 86.0 3.9 127 1,235 156 7.0 210

Westmoreland

9.3 130.2 1.8 298 1,037 315 6.3 248

York

9.5 180.4 3.8 136 1,158 210 9.6 65

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, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment September 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,608,876 151,239,638 $1,334

Pennsylvania

390,734 5,913,732 1,296

Adams

2,198 34,218 1,021

Allegheny

36,869 663,256 1,395

Armstrong

1,520 15,715 938

Beaver

3,728 48,799 1,114

Bedford

1,230 16,565 889

Berks

9,019 170,648 1,162

Blair

3,538 57,324 994

Bradford

1,589 22,160 1,139

Bucks

21,245 265,144 1,198

Butler

5,277 85,108 1,206

Cambria

3,399 47,715 912

Cameron

157 1,727 973

Carbon

1,309 15,075 886

Centre

3,682 66,615 1,181

Chester

16,501 247,503 1,572

Clarion

1,091 12,115 879

Clearfield

2,138 29,012 961

Clinton

926 12,284 973

Columbia

1,591 24,138 945

Crawford

2,170 29,241 924

Cumberland

7,002 136,031 1,201

Dauphin

7,702 184,732 1,269

Delaware

14,529 218,563 1,312

Elk

1,004 13,359 976

Erie

6,935 117,679 989

Fayette

2,863 37,577 958

Forest

155 1,825 1,151

Franklin

3,438 60,064 1,021

Fulton

317 5,136 1,046

Greene

826 11,529 1,262

Huntingdon

1,028 12,389 921

Indiana

2,020 27,343 1,062

Jefferson

1,230 14,867 924

Juniata

570 6,470 857

Lackawanna

5,603 96,062 1,014

Lancaster

14,543 248,984 1,109

Lawrence

2,055 27,405 979

Lebanon

2,953 51,469 1,046

Lehigh

9,097 199,184 1,251

Luzerne

7,563 144,750 1,038

Lycoming

3,113 49,281 1,054

Mckean

1,119 14,071 907

Mercer

2,872 43,042 997

Mifflin

1,101 16,094 974

Monroe

3,692 55,252 988

Montgomery

29,114 504,403 1,540

Montour

502 16,342 1,624

Northampton

7,092 118,834 1,103

Northumberland

1,857 27,328 962

Perry

923 7,906 792

Philadelphia

35,350 692,283 1,525

Pike

1,139 11,915 802

Potter

470 4,943 960

Schuylkill

3,062 49,369 1,009

Snyder

995 15,709 863

Somerset

1,862 23,104 949

Sullivan

193 1,414 810

Susquehanna

1,007 8,944 1,104

Tioga

1,027 12,687 994

Union

1,050 17,212 1,049

Venango

1,273 16,741 950

Warren

996 13,187 927

Washington

5,745 86,033 1,235

Wayne

1,462 14,948 942

Westmoreland

9,287 130,244 1,037

Wyoming

720 9,367 1,135

York

9,495 180,391 1,158

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 2022
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 $1,334 -- 6.7 --

Alabama

150.1 2,031.6 3.2 1,120 35 9.1 9

Alaska

24.9 325.2 2.5 1,304 15 8.2 29

Arizona

205.4 3,080.6 3.9 1,251 20 7.7 36

Arkansas

100.1 1,262.1 4.4 1,036 50 7.5 38

California

1,741.3 18,051.1 4.9 1,601 5 1.5 50

Colorado

247.1 2,813.9 3.3 1,432 8 8.5 22

Connecticut

140.6 1,652.8 2.8 1,491 6 6.5 42

Delaware

39.7 465.7 5.1 1,292 18 8.4 25

District of Columbia

49.0 756.6 2.7 2,134 1 4.5 48

Florida

860.6 9,417.2 5.6 1,220 23 9.0 11

Georgia

378.4 4,726.4 5.1 1,255 19 8.5 22

Hawaii

52.8 623.2 4.5 1,208 24 5.1 46

Idaho

86.7 834.7 3.8 1,063 45 11.5 1

Illinois

410.9 5,982.2 3.9 1,361 12 6.9 40

Indiana

188.3 3,140.6 3.9 1,123 34 8.6 19

Iowa

111.1 1,541.1 1.9 1,118 36 10.1 3

Kansas

95.6 1,401.3 3.7 1,085 41 8.8 15

Kentucky

142.9 1,941.5 3.8 1,082 43 9.4 6

Louisiana

150.7 1,866.3 4.5 1,103 39 8.2 29

Maine

62.2 637.7 2.5 1,117 37 8.4 25

Maryland

188.3 2,669.1 2.5 1,418 9 7.9 32

Massachusetts

292.6 3,628.8 3.6 1,651 3 3.6 49

Michigan

296.0 4,334.0 3.5 1,236 21 7.2 39

Minnesota

201.6 2,880.9 3.4 1,346 13 7.9 32

Mississippi

81.5 1,151.8 2.4 933 51 8.7 17

Missouri

236.9 2,849.2 3.2 1,149 31 8.9 14

Montana

61.2 505.5 3.9 1,059 46 10.0 4

Nebraska

80.5 989.2 2.4 1,117 37 9.9 5

Nevada

107.0 1,496.1 7.5 1,205 26 6.2 43

New Hampshire

63.8 677.3 3.4 1,365 11 1.2 51

New Jersey

320.9 4,176.5 5.0 1,461 7 5.6 44

New Mexico

70.9 838.1 3.5 1,087 40 9.1 9

New York

683.2 9,355.0 4.8 1,608 4 4.8 47

North Carolina

348.9 4,737.5 4.9 1,207 25 8.5 22

North Dakota

34.5 419.8 2.9 1,190 28 10.7 2

Ohio

328.9 5,402.7 2.9 1,187 29 8.1 31

Oklahoma

123.9 1,646.6 3.8 1,047 48 8.6 19

Oregon

179.5 1,932.6 1.1 1,301 16 6.6 41

Pennsylvania

390.7 5,913.7 3.8 1,296 17 7.6 37

Rhode Island

46.5 487.3 3.1 1,225 22 8.3 27

South Carolina

166.6 2,200.9 4.7 1,079 44 9.4 6

South Dakota

39.1 448.5 2.9 1,052 47 9.0 11

Tennessee

204.0 3,202.4 5.1 1,198 27 7.9 32

Texas

805.5 13,371.1 5.9 1,333 14 8.6 19

Utah

134.1 1,663.9 4.4 1,186 30 9.0 11

Vermont

30.8 300.6 2.4 1,142 32 7.9 32

Virginia

330.1 3,979.4 3.4 1,380 10 9.3 8

Washington

235.3 3,572.9 4.4 1,657 2 5.2 45

West Virginia

56.8 678.8 1.9 1,042 49 8.3 27

Wisconsin

200.7 2,899.1 2.8 1,140 33 8.7 17

Wyoming

29.9 278.2 2.3 1,083 42 8.8 15

Puerto Rico

50.0 924.6 3.9 616 (3) 8.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 34.3 -1.0 1,030 (3) 9.2 (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 3. Average weekly wages by county in Pennsylvania, third quarter 2022

U.S. average = $1,334

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023