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Thursday, April 24, 2014
North Dakota’s only large county, Cass, reported an average weekly wage of $861 in the third quarter of 2013, 4.0 percent higher than one year ago, 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 2012 preliminary annual averages of employment.) Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 1.9 percent over the year to $922 in the third quarter of 2013. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that though Cass County’s wages were below the U.S. average, ten of the state’s smaller counties, those with employment below 75,000, reported wages above that for the nation. (See tables 1 and 2.)
Employment in Cass County increased 2.7 percent from September 2012 to September 2013. Cass County’s employment level of 111,300 accounted for 25.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationally, employment rose 1.7 percent during this 12-month period, as 286 of the 334 largest U.S. counties gained jobs. Nationwide, the 334 largest counties made up 71.4 percent of total U.S. employment.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 52 smaller counties in North Dakota. Average weekly wages varied widely across the state, with nine having wages above $1,000 and two reporting wages under $550. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changesCass County’s 4.0-percent wage growth from the third quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2013 ranked 17th nationally. (See table 1.) Among the 334 largest U.S. counties, 291 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. San Mateo, Calif., had the largest increase with a gain of 9.9 percent. Dane, Wis., was second with wage growth of 9.3 percent, followed by Collier, Fla. (8.0 percent). Wage decreases were recorded in 40 large counties nationwide; Pinellas, Fla., experienced the largest over-the-year wage loss at 4.3 percent.
Large county average weekly wagesCass County’s $861 average wage placed in the top half among the 334 large counties, ranking 164th. Nationally, weekly wages were higher than the U.S. average in 101 of the largest counties in the country. Santa Clara, Calif., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,868. San Mateo, Calif., was second at $1,698, followed by New York, N.Y. ($1,667), Washington, D.C. ($1,560), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,549).
Of the largest counties in the United States, 232, or more than two-thirds, reported average weekly wages below the national average in the third quarter of 2013. The lowest wage was reported in Horry, S.C., at $564 per week. Pasco, Fla. ($635), joined the Texas counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, and Webb among the bottom five.
Average weekly wages in North Dakota's smaller countiesForty-two of the 52 counties in North Dakota with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages lower than the national average of $922. Ten small counties had above-average wages, all located in the western portion of the state. The highest wage was reported in Williams County at $1,493, followed by McKenzie ($1,386) and Slope ($1,362). Logan County reported the lowest wage in the state, averaging $500 in the third quarter of 2013. (See table 2.)
When all 53 counties in North Dakota were considered, 2 reported average weekly wages under $550, 13 had wages from $550 to $649, 18 reported wages from $650 to $749, 4 reported wages from $750 to $849, and 16 had wages of $850 or more. (See chart 1.)
Additional statistics and other informationQCEW 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. The 2012 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 2013 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2012 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2012/home.htm. The 2013 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available later in September 2014.
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.
BLS discontinued its ftp service on February 28, 2014. As part of this transition, the QCEW data file collection was substantially reorganized and improved. For more information seewww.bls.gov/cew/about-data/data-files-guide.htm.
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 9.3 million employer reports cover 135.0 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 (see Technical Note below) 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.
Area | Employment | Average weekly wage (3) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2013 (thousands) | Percent change, September 2012-13 (4) | National ranking by percent change (5) | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level (5) | Percent change, third quarter 2012-13 (4) | National ranking by percent change (5) | |
United States (6) |
134,957.5 | 1.7 | -- | $922 | -- | 1.9 | -- |
North Dakota |
436.7 | 3.4 | -- | 921 | 16 | 5.5 | 1 |
Cass, N.D. |
111.3 | 2.7 | 68 | 861 | 164 | 4.0 | 17 |
Footnotes: |
Area | Employment September 2013 | Average weekly wage (3) |
---|---|---|
United States (4) |
134,957,493 | $922 |
North Dakota |
436,708 | 921 |
Adams |
984 | 670 |
Barnes |
5,034 | 652 |
Benson |
2,203 | 724 |
Billings |
745 | 687 |
Bottineau |
2,725 | 778 |
Bowman |
1,957 | 891 |
Burke |
1,037 | 1,092 |
Burleigh |
56,756 | 862 |
Cass |
111,299 | 861 |
Cavalier |
1,530 | 733 |
Dickey |
2,136 | 617 |
Divide |
1,033 | 933 |
Dunn |
3,256 | 1,331 |
Eddy |
768 | 601 |
Emmons |
993 | 587 |
Foster |
1,648 | 698 |
Golden Valley |
729 | 683 |
Grand Forks |
40,667 | 763 |
Grant |
594 | 593 |
Griggs |
1,014 | 626 |
Hettinger |
724 | 653 |
Kidder |
671 | 623 |
LaMoure |
1,444 | 642 |
Logan |
634 | 500 |
McHenry |
1,390 | 726 |
McIntosh |
1,147 | 560 |
McKenzie |
9,915 | 1,386 |
McLean |
3,657 | 854 |
Mercer |
5,030 | 1,155 |
Morton |
10,855 | 766 |
Mountrail |
7,407 | 1,255 |
Nelson |
1,122 | 590 |
Oliver |
835 | 1,265 |
Pembina |
3,975 | 785 |
Pierce |
1,780 | 688 |
Ramsey |
5,941 | 704 |
Ransom |
2,151 | 588 |
Renville |
854 | 919 |
Richland |
8,086 | 711 |
Rolette |
4,530 | 616 |
Sargent |
2,716 | 699 |
Sheridan |
263 | 505 |
Sioux |
1,720 | 731 |
Slope |
260 | 1,362 |
Stark |
22,011 | 1,173 |
Steele |
637 | 734 |
Stutsman |
11,245 | 715 |
Towner |
796 | 598 |
Traill |
3,497 | 696 |
Walsh |
5,610 | 660 |
Ward |
36,322 | 910 |
Wells |
1,706 | 552 |
Williams |
38,788 | 1,493 |
Footnotes |
||
|
State | Employment | Average weekly wage (3) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2013 (thousands) | Percent change, September 2012-13 | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level | Percent change, third quarter 2012-13 | National ranking by percent change | |
United States (4) |
134,957.5 | 1.7 | $922 | -- | 1.9 | -- |
Alabama |
1,847.6 | 0.8 | 794 | 34 | 1.3 | 43 |
Alaska |
345.0 | 0.4 | 990 | 9 | 3.0 | 7 |
Arizona |
2,490.9 | 2.2 | 859 | 22 | 1.5 | 36 |
Arkansas |
1,156.5 | 0.1 | 723 | 47 | 2.1 | 21 |
California |
15,526.4 | 2.7 | 1,057 | 6 | 2.1 | 21 |
Colorado |
2,355.7 | 3.1 | 952 | 12 | 1.7 | 31 |
Connecticut |
1,650.3 | 0.7 | 1,109 | 3 | 1.9 | 28 |
Delaware |
416.8 | 2.1 | 941 | 14 | 2.1 | 21 |
District of Columbia |
726.2 | 1.5 | 1,560 | 1 | 3.0 | 7 |
Florida |
7,501.8 | 2.6 | 808 | 31 | 1.1 | 46 |
Georgia |
3,928.2 | 2.3 | 867 | 21 | 1.5 | 36 |
Hawaii |
617.7 | 1.7 | 839 | 25 | 1.6 | 33 |
Idaho |
644.7 | 2.3 | 703 | 50 | 2.3 | 19 |
Illinois |
5,731.7 | 0.7 | 959 | 11 | 1.5 | 36 |
Indiana |
2,883.6 | 1.2 | 784 | 38 | 1.6 | 33 |
Iowa |
1,512.0 | 1.5 | 772 | 40 | 2.1 | 21 |
Kansas |
1,347.6 | 1.8 | 776 | 39 | 2.0 | 26 |
Kentucky |
1,794.5 | 1.0 | 760 | 43 | 1.1 | 46 |
Louisiana |
1,893.4 | 1.4 | 827 | 28 | 2.9 | 10 |
Maine |
601.5 | 0.7 | 735 | 46 | 1.8 | 30 |
Maryland |
2,546.4 | 0.6 | 1,011 | 8 | 0.4 | 51 |
Massachusetts |
3,318.3 | 1.2 | 1,131 | 2 | 2.6 | 11 |
Michigan |
4,069.7 | 2.1 | 875 | 20 | 1.5 | 36 |
Minnesota |
2,724.2 | 1.7 | 938 | 15 | 2.6 | 11 |
Mississippi |
1,099.1 | 0.8 | 688 | 51 | 2.5 | 15 |
Missouri |
2,661.0 | 1.3 | 805 | 32 | 1.4 | 40 |
Montana |
446.7 | 1.2 | 705 | 49 | 2.3 | 19 |
Nebraska |
937.5 | 1.3 | 766 | 41 | 3.4 | 3 |
Nevada |
1,169.4 | 2.5 | 836 | 27 | 2.0 | 26 |
New Hampshire |
624.5 | 0.6 | 895 | 18 | 2.4 | 17 |
New Jersey |
3,851.9 | 1.2 | 1,068 | 5 | 1.3 | 43 |
New Mexico |
793.7 | 0.5 | 766 | 41 | 0.7 | 49 |
New York |
8,724.8 | 1.3 | 1,108 | 4 | 1.7 | 31 |
North Carolina |
4,006.4 | 1.7 | 817 | 30 | 1.4 | 40 |
North Dakota |
436.7 | 3.4 | 921 | 16 | 5.5 | 1 |
Ohio |
5,147.5 | 1.4 | 837 | 26 | 1.2 | 45 |
Oklahoma |
1,572.6 | 1.4 | 797 | 33 | 2.4 | 17 |
Oregon |
1,709.8 | 2.4 | 856 | 23 | 2.6 | 11 |
Pennsylvania |
5,622.4 | 0.3 | 913 | 17 | 1.6 | 33 |
Rhode Island |
465.2 | 1.3 | 878 | 19 | 2.6 | 11 |
South Carolina |
1,859.3 | 2.3 | 751 | 44 | 1.9 | 28 |
South Dakota |
408.9 | 0.9 | 706 | 48 | 3.4 | 3 |
Tennessee |
2,712.8 | 1.5 | 819 | 29 | 0.6 | 50 |
Texas |
11,091.9 | 2.8 | 952 | 12 | 2.5 | 15 |
Utah |
1,265.5 | 2.9 | 791 | 36 | 3.1 | 6 |
Vermont |
302.5 | 0.0 | 788 | 37 | 3.4 | 3 |
Virginia |
3,650.1 | 0.6 | 971 | 10 | 1.1 | 46 |
Washington |
3,017.9 | 2.4 | 1,044 | 7 | 2.1 | 21 |
West Virginia |
710.3 | -0.7 | 751 | 44 | 3.7 | 2 |
Wisconsin |
2,752.7 | 1.1 | 793 | 35 | 3.0 | 7 |
Wyoming |
286.1 | 0.2 | 840 | 24 | 1.4 | 40 |
Puerto Rico |
910.9 | -2.5 | 501 | (5) | -0.6 | (5) |
Virgin Islands |
37.9 | -1.9 | 706 | (5) | -0.6 | (5) |
Footnotes: |
Last Modified Date: Thursday, April 24, 2014