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News Release Information

23-1965-CHI
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

County Employment and Wages in Indiana — First Quarter 2023

Employment rose in 7 of the 9 largest counties in Indiana from March 2022 to March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Hamilton County and Tippecanoe County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 3.7 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

<PLACEHOLDER CHART 1>

National employment increased 2.5 percent over the year, with 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 8.5 percent. Elkhart, IN, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.6 percent.

Among the nine largest counties in Indiana, employment was highest in Marion County (611,400) in March 2023. Within Marion County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the nine largest Indiana counties accounted for 53.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 83 counties in Indiana with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 82 of the 83 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Eight of the nine large Indiana counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Tippecanoe County had the largest gain (+10.1 percent), followed by Vanderburgh County (+8.9 percent) and Hendricks County (+8.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Indiana’s other five large counties ranged from 7.6 percent to 3.9 percent. Elkhart County was the only large Indiana county reporting a wage decline.

<PLACEHOLDER CHART 2>

Nationwide, wages increased by 6.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 353 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (24.3 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.3 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 1 of the 9 largest counties in Indiana were above the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in Marion County ($1,519, 70th) ranked among the top 100 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2023. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,922. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 273 counties. At $782 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Indiana’s smaller counties

Among the 83 smaller counties in Indiana—those with employment below 75,000—Martin ($1,639) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Brown County ($656) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 92 counties in Indiana were considered, 24 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 33 registered wages from $900 to $999, 13 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 22 had average weekly wages of $1,100 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 second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

County Changes for the 2023 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2022 are included in this release and will be included in future 2023 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Napa, CA; York, ME; Gaston, NC; Orange, NC; and Merrimack, NH. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.


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.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

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 nine largest counties in Indiana, first quarter 2023
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,883.2 151,418.1 2.5 -- $1,465 -- 6.6 --

Indiana

191.0 3,124.3 1.8 -- 1,203 33 6.2 42

Allen

10.2 195.2 2.2 142 1,177 237 7.0 216

Elkhart

5.2 135.4 -4.6 351 1,230 192 -6.3 358

Hamilton

12.2 157.3 3.7 45 1,388 110 6.0 270

Hendricks

4.1 78.7 -2.5 349 1,028 331 8.7 116

Lake

11.6 186.6 1.7 203 1,154 256 7.6 184

Marion

28.0 611.4 2.2 142 1,519 70 3.9 331

St. Joseph

6.5 119.6 2.8 91 1,107 290 6.4 251

Tippecanoe

4.1 92.6 3.2 61 1,135 267 10.1 50

Vanderburgh

5.2 106.1 0.5 305 1,087 300 8.9 104

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 Indiana, first quarter 2023
Area Establishments Employment March 2023 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,883,196 151,418,052 $1,465

Indiana

190,966 3,124,334 1,203

Adams

764 13,302 928

Allen

10,228 195,199 1,177

Bartholomew

2,107 50,179 1,393

Benton

219 2,152 973

Blackford

237 2,966 906

Boone

2,394 41,010 1,023

Brown

353 2,910 656

Carroll

429 5,448 869

Cass

719 14,436 918

Clark

3,110 57,696 1,030

Clay

519 7,748 835

Clinton

644 11,211 976

Crawford

153 1,822 810

Daviess

961 12,646 888

Dearborn

1,179 14,210 920

Decatur

692 13,964 994

De Kalb

1,074 21,487 1,368

Delaware

2,330 44,236 966

Dubois

1,383 27,511 988

Elkhart

5,203 135,421 1,230

Fayette

426 5,952 828

Floyd

2,033 31,391 1,025

Fountain

380 4,969 851

Franklin

362 4,609 775

Fulton

476 6,234 876

Gibson

806 21,790 1,192

Grant

1,257 27,126 959

Greene

586 6,399 856

Hamilton

12,177 157,332 1,388

Hancock

1,901 27,043 1,102

Harrison

743 10,334 937

Hendricks

4,134 78,676 1,028

Henry

893 12,927 907

Howard

1,831 34,458 1,277

Huntington

968 13,831 910

Jackson

1,024 22,243 1,050

Jasper

868 11,424 933

Jay

418 6,985 894

Jefferson

716 12,650 935

Jennings

452 7,673 877

Johnson

4,062 63,209 938

Knox

949 17,167 947

Kosciusko

2,121 37,008 1,250

Lagrange

999 15,340 935

Lake

11,591 186,625 1,154

La Porte

2,454 40,109 979

Lawrence

907 12,951 987

Madison

2,424 39,272 898

Marion

27,956 611,355 1,519

Marshall

1,130 18,830 932

Martin

279 7,814 1,639

Miami

632 8,772 897

Monroe

3,395 67,267 1,153

Montgomery

883 15,241 1,128

Morgan

1,377 15,322 944

Newton

296 3,180 890

Noble

971 17,167 958

Ohio

89 1,052 730

Orange

396 7,303 823

Owen

346 5,487 1,158

Parke

330 3,380 768

Perry

385 6,491 934

Pike

204 2,576 1,144

Porter

4,169 61,974 1,063

Posey

570 8,457 1,310

Pulaski

358 5,247 1,018

Putnam

773 12,461 920

Randolph

562 7,022 883

Ripley

778 10,502 998

Rush

433 4,838 927

St. Joseph

6,466 119,637 1,107

Scott

425 7,758 930

Shelby

1,010 18,538 1,103

Spencer

502 6,524 1,003

Starke

325 4,078 778

Steuben

1,016 16,487 889

Sullivan

381 5,818 1,015

Switzerland

152 1,706 768

Tippecanoe

4,140 92,557 1,135

Tipton

350 5,317 1,123

Union

153 1,298 735

Vanderburgh

5,183 106,088 1,087

Vermillion

305 4,358 1,092

Vigo

2,527 45,278 1,006

Wabash

769 12,177 987

Warren

163 1,907 953

Warrick

1,348 17,172 1,073

Washington

489 6,110 788

Wayne

1,470 29,236 955

Wells

668 10,853 933

White

704 8,996 953

Whitley

749 13,834 1,244

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, first quarter 2023
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,883.2 151,418.1 2.5 $1,465 -- 6.6 --

Alabama

153.8 2,055.3 2.6 1,164 38 8.9 12

Alaska

25.1 311.3 2.4 1,301 24 10.3 1

Arizona

214.7 3,143.1 2.7 1,330 21 7.5 27

Arkansas

102.2 1,272.5 3.1 1,127 44 6.4 41

California

1,790.3 17,842.7 0.9 1,735 5 5.5 46

Colorado

261.7 2,838.6 2.5 1,559 9 7.1 33

Connecticut

145.6 1,641.7 1.4 1,817 4 5.9 44

Delaware

41.0 462.3 3.0 1,431 15 4.8 50

District of Columbia

49.5 754.0 1.1 2,341 1 5.1 48

Florida

883.1 9,640.2 4.1 1,330 21 9.3 6

Georgia

376.4 4,775.6 3.0 1,376 17 6.1 43

Hawaii

55.1 634.3 3.3 1,218 30 7.2 31

Idaho

91.8 818.1 1.6 1,084 47 10.1 2

Illinois

409.8 5,936.4 2.1 1,567 8 5.5 46

Indiana

191.0 3,124.3 1.8 1,203 33 6.2 42

Iowa

110.7 1,526.1 0.9 1,176 36 8.3 15

Kansas

97.7 1,405.6 2.6 1,155 39 7.6 24

Kentucky

148.0 1,956.2 2.9 1,138 43 9.3 6

Louisiana

152.7 1,882.2 1.9 1,150 40 9.1 9

Maine

63.9 616.7 1.7 1,188 34 7.7 22

Maryland

189.1 2,647.5 2.0 1,541 10 9.0 10

Massachusetts

294.5 3,583.5 1.8 1,917 3 5.0 49

Michigan

311.0 4,305.8 2.0 1,308 23 6.8 35

Minnesota

207.8 2,836.9 1.9 1,461 14 6.5 40

Mississippi

84.7 1,153.8 1.6 944 51 7.2 31

Missouri

243.5 2,854.3 2.4 1,224 29 8.5 14

Montana

64.3 498.1 2.6 1,079 49 9.3 6

Nebraska

75.9 990.7 2.5 1,165 37 8.0 18

Nevada

106.3 1,497.2 3.8 1,246 27 7.4 28

New Hampshire

64.2 671.9 1.8 1,462 13 7.4 28

New Jersey

329.7 4,169.3 2.3 1,699 7 5.7 45

New Mexico

69.4 844.1 2.8 1,105 46 8.9 12

New York

693.2 9,368.7 2.9 2,015 2 2.1 51

North Carolina

366.3 4,782.7 3.1 1,348 18 6.8 35

North Dakota

34.9 413.0 2.9 1,216 31 9.8 3

Ohio

338.0 5,392.9 1.7 1,265 25 7.3 30

Oklahoma

128.2 1,660.1 3.6 1,109 45 9.0 10

Oregon

193.8 1,959.8 1.4 1,339 19 6.7 37

Pennsylvania

391.2 5,898.8 2.0 1,408 16 7.6 24

Rhode Island

47.7 478.4 2.1 1,334 20 6.6 39

South Carolina

173.4 2,221.1 3.4 1,139 42 9.5 5

South Dakota

39.3 440.8 2.0 1,084 47 7.0 34

Tennessee

210.7 3,201.7 2.9 1,264 26 7.8 20

Texas

820.5 13,568.7 4.3 1,480 11 8.1 17

Utah

134.7 1,666.9 2.4 1,245 28 7.9 19

Vermont

31.5 304.6 2.3 1,188 34 7.6 24

Virginia

347.7 4,002.1 2.6 1,477 12 8.2 16

Washington

238.7 3,540.1 2.5 1,721 6 7.7 22

West Virginia

56.8 682.4 1.8 1,062 50 9.6 4

Wisconsin

202.0 2,874.3 1.9 1,211 32 6.7 37

Wyoming

30.2 270.6 2.4 1,145 41 7.8 20

Puerto Rico

51.7 936.1 1.8 640 (3) 10.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.8 36.1 2.2 971 (3) 3.6 (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 Indiana, first quarter 2023

(U.S. average = $1,465)

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023