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Thursday, July 07, 2022
Employment rose in the two largest counties in Nebraska from December 2020 to December 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 Jason Palmer noted that Lancaster County and Douglas County had over-the-year increases in employment of 2.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
National employment increased 5.2 percent over the year, with 334 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Hinds, MS, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.9 percent.
In Nebraska, employment was highest in Douglas County (335,500) in December 2021. Within Douglas County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the two largest Nebraska counties accounted for 51.7 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.4 percent of total U.S. employment.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 91 counties in Nebraska with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 90 of the 91 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changesBoth of Nebraska’s large counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Wages increased 6.0 percent in Lancaster County and 5.9 percent in Douglas County, compared to the national rate of 5.9 percent.
Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 334 had over-the-year wage increases. Palm Beach, FL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+15.6 percent). Kitsap, WA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-5.5 percent).
Large county average weekly wagesWeekly wages in the two largest counties in Nebraska were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Douglas County had an average weekly wage of $1,296, ranking 147th nationally. Lancaster County had an average weekly wage of $1,121, ranking 267th nationwide.
Among the largest U.S. counties, 84 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2021. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,005. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 259 counties. At $826 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.
Average weekly wages in Nebraska’s smaller countiesAmong the 91 smaller counties in Nebraska—those with employment below 75,000—Stanton County ($1,508) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Loup County ($576) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.
When all 93 counties in Nebraska were considered, 19 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 31 registered wages from $800 to $899, 23 had wages from $900 to $999, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.)
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. 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 first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.
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.
Area | Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2021 (thousands) | Percent change, December 2020–21 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | Fourth quarter 2021 | National ranking by level (3) | Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | ||
United States (4) | 11,194.1 | 148,293.6 | 5.2 | -- | $1,418 | -- | 5.9 | -- |
Nebraska | 77.5 | 978.5 | 1.5 | -- | 1,144 | 38 | 6.1 | 19 |
Douglas | 20.0 | 335.5 | 0.7 | 327 | 1,296 | 147 | 5.9 | 109 |
Lancaster | 10.7 | 170.0 | 2.6 | 270 | 1,121 | 267 | 6.0 | 102 |
Footnotes: | ||||||||
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Area | Establishments | Employment December 2021 | Average weekly wage (1) |
---|---|---|---|
United States (2) | 11,194,120 | 148,293,597 | $1,418 |
Nebraska | 77,467 | 978,540 | 1,144 |
Adams | 1,137 | 15,775 | 918 |
Antelope | 315 | 2,196 | 891 |
Arthur | 36 | 226 | 681 |
Banner | 16 | 126 | 809 |
Blaine | 28 | 125 | 840 |
Boone | 278 | 2,320 | 914 |
Box Butte | 430 | 3,567 | 860 |
Boyd | 104 | 543 | 712 |
Brown | 187 | 1,368 | 809 |
Buffalo | 1,973 | 26,974 | 969 |
Burt | 269 | 1,769 | 910 |
Butler | 298 | 2,489 | 970 |
Cass | 737 | 5,789 | 916 |
Cedar | 363 | 2,703 | 903 |
Chase | 248 | 1,776 | 895 |
Cherry | 342 | 2,120 | 800 |
Cheyenne | 397 | 3,856 | 859 |
Clay | 306 | 2,264 | 1,082 |
Colfax | 346 | 5,024 | 1,123 |
Cuming | 443 | 3,789 | 953 |
Custer | 516 | 4,392 | 957 |
Dakota | 537 | 13,144 | 1,177 |
Dawes | 346 | 3,121 | 751 |
Dawson | 834 | 11,394 | 963 |
Deuel | 90 | 543 | 712 |
Dixon | 164 | 1,795 | 912 |
Dodge | 1,197 | 18,044 | 1,004 |
Douglas | 20,045 | 335,477 | 1,296 |
Dundy | 92 | 555 | 921 |
Fillmore | 320 | 2,314 | 961 |
Franklin | 157 | 786 | 793 |
Frontier | 94 | 840 | 763 |
Furnas | 238 | 1,859 | 868 |
Gage | 807 | 8,666 | 896 |
Garden | 92 | 526 | 719 |
Garfield | 125 | 772 | 724 |
Gosper | 91 | 476 | 871 |
Grant | 75 | 297 | 703 |
Greeley | 126 | 616 | 825 |
Hall | 2,081 | 34,370 | 1,026 |
Hamilton | 390 | 3,601 | 1,131 |
Harlan | 139 | 849 | 765 |
Hayes | 51 | 203 | 810 |
Hitchcock | 103 | 713 | 801 |
Holt | 541 | 4,127 | 897 |
Hooker | 49 | 286 | 643 |
Howard | 219 | 1,612 | 835 |
Jefferson | 294 | 3,246 | 895 |
Johnson | 150 | 1,355 | 983 |
Kearney | 222 | 2,110 | 875 |
Keith | 421 | 3,278 | 837 |
Keya Paha | 39 | 137 | 651 |
Kimball | 164 | 1,379 | 885 |
Knox | 344 | 2,829 | 793 |
Lancaster | 10,697 | 170,008 | 1,121 |
Lincoln | 1,255 | 14,240 | 958 |
Logan | 52 | 205 | 808 |
Loup | 27 | 150 | 576 |
McPherson | 13 | 67 | 838 |
Madison | 1,464 | 21,639 | 1,025 |
Merrick | 295 | 2,170 | 927 |
Morrill | 196 | 1,482 | 937 |
Nance | 133 | 912 | 813 |
Nemaha | 237 | 3,023 | 1,091 |
Nuckolls | 203 | 1,554 | 756 |
Otoe | 541 | 6,282 | 946 |
Pawnee | 97 | 776 | 892 |
Perkins | 169 | 1,166 | 944 |
Phelps | 441 | 4,531 | 1,099 |
Pierce | 252 | 1,899 | 937 |
Platte | 1,203 | 19,423 | 1,016 |
Polk | 182 | 1,482 | 883 |
Red Willow | 464 | 4,907 | 876 |
Richardson | 325 | 2,378 | 810 |
Rock | 60 | 459 | 842 |
Saline | 416 | 6,612 | 1,046 |
Sarpy | 4,548 | 73,011 | 1,158 |
Saunders | 665 | 5,530 | 908 |
Scotts Bluff | 1,403 | 15,826 | 902 |
Seward | 549 | 5,708 | 1,000 |
Sheridan | 258 | 1,681 | 780 |
Sherman | 116 | 746 | 676 |
Sioux | 27 | 171 | 765 |
Stanton | 109 | 1,388 | 1,508 |
Thayer | 276 | 2,244 | 1,039 |
Thomas | 43 | 269 | 927 |
Thurston | 177 | 3,104 | 1,063 |
Valley | 250 | 1,770 | 818 |
Washington | 699 | 7,564 | 1,188 |
Wayne | 291 | 4,167 | 810 |
Webster | 137 | 1,026 | 770 |
Wheeler | 44 | 305 | 832 |
York | 645 | 7,357 | 1,044 |
Footnotes: | |||
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
State | Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2021 (thousands) | Percent change, December 2020–21 | Fourth quarter 2021 | National ranking by level | Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21 | National ranking by percent change | ||
United States (2) | 11,194.1 | 148,293.6 | 5.2 | $1,418 | -- | 5.9 | -- |
Alabama | 141.2 | 2,007.0 | 3.1 | 1,153 | 36 | 4.9 | 34 |
Alaska | 24.1 | 299.4 | 3.1 | 1,311 | 19 | 4.1 | 43 |
Arizona | 190.2 | 3,057.8 | 5.1 | 1,281 | 23 | 5.5 | 27 |
Arkansas | 97.0 | 1,236.1 | 3.4 | 1,064 | 49 | 6.4 | 14 |
California | 1,701.9 | 17,622.2 | 7.4 | 1,804 | 4 | 4.8 | 37 |
Colorado | 232.9 | 2,776.4 | 6.2 | 1,484 | 10 | 7.8 | 3 |
Connecticut | 134.0 | 1,639.9 | 3.9 | 1,611 | 6 | 3.9 | 45 |
Delaware | 37.0 | 452.0 | 4.5 | 1,337 | 16 | 5.9 | 23 |
District of Columbia | 46.1 | 749.4 | 5.1 | 2,320 | 1 | 1.0 | 50 |
Florida | 834.7 | 9,241.1 | 6.7 | 1,297 | 20 | 9.7 | 2 |
Georgia | 351.2 | 4,629.8 | 5.0 | 1,292 | 21 | 7.0 | 9 |
Hawaii | 50.4 | 613.8 | 9.2 | 1,229 | 28 | 0.8 | 51 |
Idaho | 81.8 | 802.3 | 5.1 | 1,111 | 42 | 7.4 | 6 |
Illinois | 400.5 | 5,877.3 | 5.4 | 1,473 | 11 | 6.9 | 11 |
Indiana | 179.4 | 3,089.3 | 3.4 | 1,153 | 36 | 7.0 | 9 |
Iowa | 107.3 | 1,527.4 | 2.2 | 1,157 | 35 | 5.3 | 30 |
Kansas | 92.5 | 1,381.0 | 2.4 | 1,132 | 41 | 5.8 | 24 |
Kentucky | 136.5 | 1,919.8 | 4.5 | 1,110 | 43 | 5.0 | 33 |
Louisiana | 146.1 | 1,853.9 | 2.9 | 1,142 | 40 | 6.0 | 21 |
Maine | 59.7 | 613.7 | 3.3 | 1,163 | 34 | 6.4 | 14 |
Maryland | 178.1 | 2,648.4 | 3.9 | 1,499 | 9 | 3.8 | 46 |
Massachusetts | 281.8 | 3,556.9 | 5.5 | 1,832 | 2 | 3.7 | 47 |
Michigan | 274.9 | 4,250.8 | 6.3 | 1,291 | 22 | 2.7 | 49 |
Minnesota | 191.0 | 2,823.7 | 5.2 | 1,378 | 13 | 4.0 | 44 |
Mississippi | 78.5 | 1,147.3 | 2.4 | 944 | 51 | 4.8 | 37 |
Missouri | 226.1 | 2,804.8 | 2.9 | 1,179 | 33 | 4.5 | 40 |
Montana | 56.7 | 489.0 | 4.6 | 1,108 | 44 | 7.1 | 8 |
Nebraska | 77.5 | 978.5 | 1.5 | 1,144 | 38 | 6.1 | 19 |
Nevada | 98.3 | 1,432.6 | 11.5 | 1,246 | 25 | 5.8 | 24 |
New Hampshire | 61.2 | 662.2 | 3.9 | 1,580 | 7 | 12.3 | 1 |
New Jersey | 315.6 | 4,123.7 | 6.8 | 1,563 | 8 | 3.0 | 48 |
New Mexico | 66.5 | 819.1 | 6.5 | 1,097 | 47 | 4.4 | 41 |
New York | 674.4 | 9,195.8 | 5.8 | 1,829 | 3 | 6.8 | 13 |
North Carolina | 324.7 | 4,646.6 | 4.7 | 1,241 | 26 | 7.8 | 3 |
North Dakota | 33.3 | 407.9 | 3.4 | 1,192 | 31 | 4.9 | 34 |
Ohio | 318.8 | 5,352.6 | 2.9 | 1,221 | 29 | 5.2 | 31 |
Oklahoma | 117.8 | 1,604.5 | 2.1 | 1,080 | 48 | 6.9 | 11 |
Oregon | 173.4 | 1,915.0 | 4.8 | 1,332 | 17 | 6.1 | 19 |
Pennsylvania | 379.7 | 5,807.9 | 4.5 | 1,352 | 15 | 5.1 | 32 |
Rhode Island | 44.1 | 475.5 | 5.7 | 1,315 | 18 | 4.4 | 41 |
South Carolina | 155.8 | 2,147.9 | 3.5 | 1,101 | 46 | 6.4 | 14 |
South Dakota | 37.6 | 435.5 | 2.7 | 1,108 | 44 | 5.7 | 26 |
Tennessee | 191.7 | 3,123.3 | 3.9 | 1,258 | 24 | 7.3 | 7 |
Texas | 779.4 | 13,012.7 | 6.1 | 1,376 | 14 | 6.3 | 17 |
Utah | 126.9 | 1,624.1 | 4.3 | 1,231 | 27 | 6.2 | 18 |
Vermont | 28.7 | 298.7 | 4.3 | 1,189 | 32 | 4.9 | 34 |
Virginia | 303.4 | 3,918.0 | 3.1 | 1,424 | 12 | 4.8 | 37 |
Washington | 276.1 | 3,427.0 | 6.3 | 1,683 | 5 | 6.0 | 21 |
West Virginia | 54.7 | 674.4 | 3.1 | 1,053 | 50 | 5.5 | 27 |
Wisconsin | 194.0 | 2,832.6 | 2.4 | 1,202 | 30 | 5.4 | 29 |
Wyoming | 28.8 | 267.2 | 2.7 | 1,143 | 39 | 7.7 | 5 |
Puerto Rico | 48.2 | 935.3 | 6.8 | 645 | (3) | 3.9 | (3) |
Virgin Islands | 3.4 | 35.0 | -0.4 | 1,090 | (3) | 3.0 | (3) |
Footnotes: | |||||||
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: Thursday, July 07, 2022