Employment increased in 5 of Illinois’ 13 large counties from December 2018 to December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2018.) Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Will County (2.1 percent) and Sangamon County (2.0 percent) had the fastest rates of job growth. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment increased 1.2 percent over the year with 285 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. Cleveland, OK, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 5.8 percent over the year. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.2 percent.

Among the 13 largest counties in Illinois, employment was highest in Cook County (2,636,500) in December 2019. DuPage and Lake Counties had employment levels of 617,200 and 339,700, respectively. Together, the 13 largest Illinois counties accounted for 80.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.7 percent of total U.S. employment.

Twelve of Illinois’ large counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2019, with the fastest rates of increase in Sangamon and Peoria Counties, up 6.0 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. Lake County had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $1,458. Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.5 percent from a year ago to $1,185 in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 89 counties in Illinois with employment below 75,000. With the exception of Rock Island and Grundy Counties, wage levels in the remaining small counties were below the national average in December 2019. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

The 6.0-percent annual average weekly wage gain in Sangamon County ranked 18^th among the nation’s 355 largest counties in the fourth quarter of 2019. Over-the-year wage changes among Illinois’ remaining 12 large counties ranged from a 4.9-percent increase in Peoria County to a 0.4-percent decrease in Winnebago County.

Nationally, 341 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year wage increases. Santa Cruz, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (20.7 percent). The remaining 14 large counties had wage declines during the period. Linn, IA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in three of the state’s large counties were above the national average of $1,185 in the fourth quarter of 2019. Lake County ($1,458), had the highest average weekly wage in the state, ranking 24^th among the 355 largest U.S. counties. Average weekly wages in Cook ($1,369) and DuPage ($1,301) Counties ranked in the top quarter for the nation. The average weekly wage in St. Clair County ($907) ranked 316^th.

Nationally, 93 large counties reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2019. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $2,825. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 262 counties. At $701 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Illinois’ smaller counties

Two of the 89 smaller counties in Illinois–those with employment below 75,000–reported average weekly wages above the national average of $1,185. Rock Island and Grundy Counties reported average weekly wages of $1,362 and $1,201, respectively. The remaining 87 smaller counties in Illinois reported average weekly wages below the national average. Among these smaller counties, Pope County posted the lowest average wage in the state at $560 per week, followed by Calhoun County at $567 per week.

When all 102 counties in Illinois were considered, 23 reported average weekly wages of less than $750, 34 registered wages from $750 to $849, 25 had wages from $850 to $949, and 20 had average weekly wages of $950 or more. (See chart 1.)

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. The 2018 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2019, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2019 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm. The 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2020.

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

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 sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 13 largest counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2019

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	December 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, fourth quarter 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	149,857.1	1.2	--	1185	--	3.5	--
Illinois	6,043.5	0.2	--	1221	10	2.7	38
Champaign	92.9	1.4	132	980	253	3.4	161
Cook	2,636.5	0.3	251	1369	44	2.5	246
DuPage	617.2	-0.9	335	1301	55	1.5	315
Kane	211.9	-1.1	340	1033	203	2.3	261
Lake	339.7	-0.7	327	1458	24	0.8	336
Madison	103.1	0.7	204	917	307	1.3	324
McHenry	96.7	-0.8	331	927	302	2.2	272
McLean	82.3	0.0	286	991	241	2.6	234
Peoria	103.6	-2.4	352	1157	108	4.9	49
Sangamon	132.0	2.0	73	1128	128	6.0	18
St. Clair	93.6	-0.9	335	907	316	4.3	79
Will	254.0	2.1	66	971	261	0.9	333
Winnebago	126.3	-1.2	343	967	269	-0.4	345
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly 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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Illinois, fourth quarter 2019

Area	Employment December 2019	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	149,857,130	1,185
Illinois	6,043,515	1,221
Adams	32,796	902
Alexander	1,013	725
Bond	4,527	812
Boone	18,820	1,055
Brown	4,584	953
Bureau	11,102	850
Calhoun	711	567
Carroll	4,101	862
Cass	5,518	825
Champaign	92,937	980
Christian	9,818	794
Clark	4,759	743
Clay	5,162	760
Clinton	12,377	786
Coles	23,668	768
Cook	2,636,486	1,369
Crawford	7,195	944
Cumberland	2,884	714
De Kalb	36,887	924
De Witt	4,948	1,091
Douglas	7,537	816
Du Page	617,161	1,301
Edgar	6,901	910
Edwards	2,189	803
Effingham	22,741	831
Fayette	5,503	708
Ford	4,737	854
Franklin	8,886	761
Fulton	8,216	725
Gallatin	1,167	999
Greene	2,382	678
Grundy	21,569	1,201
Hamilton	2,033	859
Hancock	4,058	729
Hardin	680	640
Henderson	1,258	638
Henry	14,201	802
Iroquois	7,696	727
Jackson	25,111	805
Jasper	2,041	778
Jefferson	20,000	875
Jersey	4,814	725
Jo Daviess	6,979	756
Johnson	2,345	821
Kane	211,924	1,033
Kankakee	44,869	878
Kendall	28,825	841
Knox	17,473	723
La Salle	41,551	905
Lake	339,673	1,458
Lawrence	4,500	824
Lee	13,085	920
Livingston	13,953	929
Logan	9,043	854
Macon	47,987	1,009
Macoupin	10,435	763
Madison	103,070	917
Marion	13,003	754
Marshall	2,853	781
Mason	2,886	845
Massac	3,056	855
McDonough	10,677	798
McHenry	96,727	927
McLean	82,345	991
Menard	1,681	693
Mercer	3,047	670
Monroe	8,103	761
Montgomery	8,601	817
Morgan	14,237	818
Moultrie	5,244	793
Ogle	14,787	924
Peoria	103,566	1,157
Perry	4,652	787
Piatt	3,506	734
Pike	3,958	684
Pope	473	560
Pulaski	1,475	953
Putnam	1,676	1,170
Randolph	12,384	884
Richland	5,944	777
Rock Island	73,768	1,362
Saline	7,518	662
Sangamon	131,967	1,128
Schuyler	1,457	838
Scott	999	773
Shelby	5,080	740
St. Clair	93,556	907
Stark	1,377	858
Stephenson	17,573	850
Tazewell	47,755	895
Union	5,076	680
Vermilion	26,728	882
Wabash	3,429	814
Warren	6,267	743
Washington	6,424	968
Wayne	3,973	663
White	4,250	771
Whiteside	21,382	791
Will	253,968	971
Williamson	28,572	802
Winnebago	126,348	967
Woodford	10,215	879
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: Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, fourth quarter 2019

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	December 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2018-19	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, fourth quarter 2018-19	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	149,857.1	1.2	$1,185	--	3.5	--
Alabama	2,007.9	1.0	985	36	2.6	39
Alaska	309.9	0.6	1,139	16	3.2	27
Arizona	2,999.8	2.7	1,059	23	4.1	7
Arkansas	1,232.9	0.5	898	50	3.2	27
California	17,836.3	1.5	1,457	4	4.7	4
Colorado	2,772.6	2.2	1,227	9	4.0	8
Connecticut	1,687.4	-0.7	1,383	5	3.8	11
Delaware	455.3	0.8	1,136	17	2.6	39
District of Columbia	782.5	0.8	1,992	1	2.5	42
Florida	9,085.5	2.0	1,044	26	3.6	14
Georgia	4,576.1	1.7	1,090	21	3.6	14
Hawaii	665.1	-0.8	1,053	24	3.5	17
Idaho	756.9	3.1	918	46	3.1	32
Illinois	6,043.5	0.2	1,221	10	2.7	38
Indiana	3,106.0	0.6	969	38	3.0	34
Iowa	1,560.4	0.1	984	37	1.9	47
Kansas	1,410.7	0.6	959	40	3.5	17
Kentucky	1,928.3	0.8	955	41	3.2	27
Louisiana	1,927.7	-0.5	993	34	2.5	42
Maine	620.2	0.7	955	41	5.3	2
Maryland	2,728.1	0.9	1,271	8	3.5	17
Massachusetts	3,660.8	0.9	1,511	2	3.8	11
Michigan	4,385.3	0.4	1,115	18	3.4	22
Minnesota	2,912.8	0.4	1,177	14	3.2	27
Mississippi	1,145.0	0.0	818	51	3.2	27
Missouri	2,846.2	0.9	1,010	32	3.0	34
Montana	474.1	1.1	918	46	3.4	22
Nebraska	990.9	0.7	969	38	4.2	6
Nevada	1,435.5	2.7	1,030	29	2.4	45
New Hampshire	671.3	0.8	1,192	12	2.9	37
New Jersey	4,157.4	0.8	1,332	7	2.5	42
New Mexico	844.0	1.5	942	44	4.0	8
New York	9,691.0	0.8	1,499	3	3.7	13
North Carolina	4,546.9	1.9	1,036	28	2.4	45
North Dakota	424.6	0.5	1,085	22	2.6	39
Ohio	5,477.2	0.5	1,037	27	3.1	32
Oklahoma	1,639.4	0.3	945	43	1.4	49
Oregon	1,969.3	1.6	1,100	19	4.6	5
Pennsylvania	5,985.9	0.8	1,143	15	3.6	14
Rhode Island	489.8	0.6	1,099	20	1.1	50
South Carolina	2,144.8	1.2	931	45	4.0	8
South Dakota	430.7	0.6	916	48	3.5	17
Tennessee	3,085.4	1.6	1,047	25	1.6	48
Texas	12,793.0	2.0	1,187	13	3.4	22
Utah	1,547.8	2.5	1,022	30	5.0	3
Vermont	314.0	-0.4	987	35	3.5	17
Virginia	3,978.7	1.2	1,204	11	3.4	22
Washington	3,457.7	2.2	1,370	6	6.4	1
West Virginia	690.3	-2.0	904	49	-1.4	51
Wisconsin	2,898.0	0.2	1,022	30	3.3	26
Wyoming	276.3	1.4	1,007	33	3.0	34
Puerto Rico	910.7	1.5	575	(3)	-0.2	(3)
Virgin Islands	39.2	10.8	1,065	(3)	13.5	(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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.