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News Release Information

24-489-CHI
Wednesday, March 20, 2024

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

County Employment and Wages in Minnesota — Third Quarter 2023

Employment rose in 7 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota from September 2022 to September 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 Washington County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 1.5 percent over the year, with 309 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Hall, GA, had the largest increase in employment (+5.4 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-7.3 percent).

Among the eight largest counties in Minnesota, employment was highest in Hennepin County (915,500) in September 2023. Within Hennepin County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the eight largest Minnesota counties accounted for 66.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 79 counties in Minnesota with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 79 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Six of the eight large Minnesota counties reported average weekly wage losses from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Ramsey County had the largest loss (-2.9 percent), followed by Stearns County (-2.8 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Minnesota’s other six large counties ranged from 3.4 percent to -2.5 percent.


Nationwide, wages increased by 0.1 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 169 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+7.7 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.0 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 5 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in Hennepin County ($1,609, 26th) ranked among the top 50 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 92 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2023. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,288). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($793).

Smaller county average weekly wages

Among the 79 smaller counties in Minnesota—those with employment below 75,000—Dodge County ($1,267) reported the highest average weekly wage in the state and Cass County ($785) reported the lowest.

When all 87 counties in Minnesota were considered, 17 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 31 registered wages from $900 to $999, 28 had wages from $1000 to $1,099, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Minnesota, third quarter 2023

(U.S. average = $1,334)

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 for the County Employment and Wages News Release or visit the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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.

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.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.


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 eight largest counties in Minnesota, third quarter 2023
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2023 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,026.4 153,772.8 1.5 -- 1,334 -- 0.1 --

Minnesota

206.4 2,923.5 1.4 -- 1,329 14 -1.3 50

Anoka

8.6 133.5 2.0 95 1,223 166 -2.4 323

Dakota

11.6 190.9 2.0 95 1,293 115 -1.1 259

Hennepin

43.9 915.5 1.1 199 1,609 26 -1.7 292

Olmsted

4.0 102.2 1.2 181 1,394 71 3.4 7

Ramsey

15.2 326.0 1.3 170 1,365 76 -2.9 338

St. Louis

5.5 94.5 -0.2 318 1,152 217 0.3 143

Stearns

4.6 86.4 1.9 102 1,126 240 -2.8 335

Washington

6.8 94.2 2.1 87 1,094 269 -2.5 328

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 Minnesota, third quarter 2023
Area Establishments Employment September 2023 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,026,378 153,772,811 1,334

Minnesota

206,378 2,923,460 1,329

Aitkin

474 4,302 891

Anoka

8,599 133,451 1,223

Becker

1,123 15,396 994

Beltrami

1,292 20,484 1,000

Benton

1,047 18,114 1,035

Big Stone

210 1,675 974

Blue Earth

2,123 40,503 1,044

Brown

887 13,145 1,036

Carlton

795 13,023 1,042

Carver

2,829 41,670 1,220

Cass

953 11,379 785

Chippewa

420 5,345 948

Chisago

1,360 16,326 1,063

Clay

1,489 20,051 970

Clearwater

231 2,808 1,110

Cook

337 2,694 834

Cottonwood

444 4,953 849

Crow Wing

2,292 31,514 966

Dakota

11,589 190,926 1,293

Dodge

488 5,846 1,267

Douglas

1,463 19,554 1,082

Faribault

484 4,768 992

Fillmore

777 6,359 790

Freeborn

820 11,728 986

Goodhue

1,355 21,306 1,099

Grant

257 1,786 960

Hennepin

43,944 915,507 1,609

Houston

454 5,085 841

Hubbard

662 6,740 884

Isanti

949 11,794 939

Itasca

1,298 16,007 1,002

Jackson

365 4,987 937

Kanabec

344 4,089 971

Kandiyohi

1,457 23,204 950

Kittson

192 1,407 868

Koochiching

422 4,380 1,043

Lac qui Parle

243 2,215 847

Lake

369 4,029 1,011

Lake of the Woods

182 1,577 895

Le Sueur

783 8,879 1,006

Lincoln

227 1,636 788

Lyon

849 13,717 986

McLeod

1,017 15,681 1,041

Mahnomen

119 1,878 936

Marshall

339 2,509 1,035

Martin

693 8,297 968

Meeker

667 8,042 969

Mille Lacs

779 9,258 976

Morrison

1,090 10,990 859

Mower

883 16,887 1,075

Murray

334 2,847 873

Nicollet

842 15,044 1,039

Nobles

629 10,079 1,059

Norman

248 1,609 901

Olmsted

4,002 102,194 1,394

Otter Tail

1,878 22,970 934

Pennington

413 10,115 1,039

Pine

714 7,832 810

Pipestone

386 4,375 946

Polk

1,013 11,860 997

Pope

377 4,263 1,051

Ramsey

15,199 326,047 1,365

Red Lake

126 959 816

Redwood

582 6,149 940

Renville

590 5,564 967

Rice

1,744 25,660 1,056

Rock

323 3,493 981

Roseau

470 8,198 1,058

St. Louis

5,532 94,462 1,152

Scott

3,891 61,706 1,115

Sherburne

2,419 28,298 1,053

Sibley

414 4,311 934

Stearns

4,636 86,388 1,126

Steele

1,126 19,035 1,074

Stevens

381 5,767 1,095

Swift

361 3,748 1,041

Todd

621 6,748 994

Traverse

152 1,082 855

Wabasha

591 6,666 851

Wadena

451 5,645 924

Waseca

545 5,643 992

Washington

6,782 94,200 1,094

Watonwan

331 4,502 905

Wilkin

206 1,672 1,038

Winona

1,228 23,943 957

Wright

3,815 48,106 1,017

Yellow Medicine

383 3,750 905

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 2023
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2022–23
Third quarter
2023 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2022–23
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,026.4 153,772.8 1.5 1,334 -- 0.1 --

Alabama

157.7 2,079.6 1.8 1,121 35 0.4 24

Alaska

25.4 335.4 3.1 1,328 15 1.8 2

Arizona

223.1 3,163.8 2.1 1,248 20 -0.2 33

Arkansas

103.1 1,284.3 1.4 1,036 50 0.0 30

California

1,785.3 18,102.2 0.2 1,613 4 0.8 12

Colorado

261.9 2,888.7 2.3 1,431 8 -0.5 40

Connecticut

150.0 1,679.0 1.4 1,480 6 -0.6 42

Delaware

42.3 472.5 2.1 1,269 18 -1.6 51

District of Columbia

52.1 758.7 0.8 2,159 1 1.4 4

Florida

894.2 9,668.6 2.5 1,218 25 -0.1 31

Georgia

392.5 4,807.3 1.5 1,249 19 -0.2 33

Hawaii

57.4 627.9 0.7 1,226 23 1.1 8

Idaho

95.3 852.7 2.1 1,068 46 0.5 19

Illinois

411.3 6,044.1 0.8 1,346 12 -1.0 48

Indiana

192.3 3,175.6 1.0 1,115 36 -0.7 45

Iowa

110.5 1,559.7 1.0 1,112 37 -0.6 42

Kansas

99.7 1,419.7 1.3 1,087 43 0.3 25

Kentucky

152.2 1,985.4 2.0 1,092 42 1.0 11

Louisiana

155.4 1,886.6 0.5 1,107 40 0.6 15

Maine

64.9 649.1 1.5 1,129 34 1.1 8

Maryland

190.1 2,689.7 0.8 1,424 9 0.5 19

Massachusetts

295.8 3,653.5 0.5 1,643 3 -0.7 45

Michigan

325.5 4,422.2 1.9 1,228 22 -0.5 40

Minnesota

206.4 2,923.5 1.4 1,329 14 -1.3 50

Mississippi

88.3 1,163.1 0.9 927 51 -0.6 42

Missouri

250.4 2,894.1 1.5 1,152 31 0.3 25

Montana

66.9 513.2 1.5 1,072 45 1.2 6

Nebraska

78.3 1,014.0 2.3 1,111 38 -0.4 37

Nevada

107.5 1,537.8 2.8 1,201 27 -0.3 36

New Hampshire

66.3 687.6 1.4 1,350 11 -1.2 49

New Jersey

326.8 4,256.9 1.9 1,456 7 -0.4 37

New Mexico

67.9 857.2 1.6 1,096 41 1.1 8

New York

701.8 9,525.5 1.7 1,610 5 0.2 28

North Carolina

375.6 4,835.1 2.0 1,222 24 1.2 6

North Dakota

35.8 428.3 1.9 1,205 26 1.3 5

Ohio

344.4 5,488.1 1.3 1,185 30 -0.1 31

Oklahoma

131.1 1,684.9 2.1 1,052 48 0.5 19

Oregon

203.4 2,001.8 1.0 1,301 16 0.5 19

Pennsylvania

392.5 5,996.0 1.3 1,283 17 -0.9 47

Rhode Island

48.2 495.1 1.6 1,234 21 0.7 14

South Carolina

179.7 2,256.4 2.6 1,086 44 0.6 15

South Dakota

39.8 457.6 2.0 1,058 47 0.6 15

Tennessee

221.2 3,216.1 0.4 1,199 28 0.1 29

Texas

831.9 13,731.1 2.6 1,336 13 0.3 25

Utah

137.2 1,706.1 2.3 1,195 29 0.8 12

Vermont

32.4 306.5 1.4 1,141 32 -0.2 33

Virginia

315.8 4,053.6 1.8 1,383 10 0.5 19

Washington

242.6 3,618.1 1.3 1,682 2 1.5 3

West Virginia

59.1 695.3 1.8 1,044 49 0.6 15

Wisconsin

206.2 2,938.6 1.0 1,133 33 -0.4 37

Wyoming

30.6 285.2 2.1 1,111 38 2.4 1

Puerto Rico

53.6 940.2 1.6 633 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.8 35.1 1.9 953 (3) -4.0 (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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024