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News Release Information

24-477-CHI
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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

County Employment and Wages in North Dakota — Third Quarter 2023

Employment rose 2.3 percent in North Dakota’s only large county, Cass, 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 in September 2023, Cass County’s employment level was 128,100. (See 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).

Cass County’s employment accounted for 29.9 percent of total employment within the state in September 2023. Within the county’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. 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 52 counties in North Dakota with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 45 of the 52 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Cass County’s 1.9-percent wage growth from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023 was higher than the national rate of 0.1 percent and ranked 30th nationally. 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

Cass County’s $1,238 average weekly was below the national average of $1,334 and ranked 153rd among the 360 large U.S. counties in the third quarter of 2023. 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).

 

Average weekly wages in North Dakota’s smaller counties

Among the 52 smaller counties in North Dakota—those with employment below 75,000—Williams ($1,672) reported the highest average weekly wage, while Sheridan County ($641) reported the state’s lowest.

When all 53 counties in North Dakota were considered, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 15 registered wages from $900 to $999, 7 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 15 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in North Dakota, 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.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in North Dakota, 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 --

North Dakota

35.8 428.3 1.9 -- 1,205 26 1.3 5

Cass

9.3 128.1 2.3 68 1,238 153 1.9 30

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

United States (2)

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

North Dakota

35,815 428,333 1,205

Adams

113 840 929

Barnes

449 4,499 947

Benson

154 2,002 981

Billings

53 775 948

Bottineau

338 2,443 1,003

Bowman

188 1,335 969

Burke

124 692 1,247

Burleigh

4,269 57,389 1,168

Cass

9,277 128,143 1,238

Cavalier

175 1,278 982

Dickey

255 1,722 873

Divide

126 821 1,294

Dunn

227 2,058 1,504

Eddy

105 723 770

Emmons

160 951 896

Foster

175 1,594 991

Golden Valley

96 627 870

Grand Forks

2,695 40,240 1,095

Grant

108 618 913

Griggs

110 826 874

Hettinger

143 709 986

Kidder

126 819 856

LaMoure

229 1,354 887

Logan

112 618 689

McHenry

238 1,407 1,052

McIntosh

140 1,008 838

McKenzie

832 11,457 1,666

McLean

385 3,434 1,262

Mercer

321 4,334 1,538

Morton

1,195 12,319 1,037

Mountrail

519 5,449 1,393

Nelson

184 1,030 807

Oliver

67 699 1,625

Pembina

400 3,496 1,064

Pierce

206 1,596 894

Ramsey

514 5,530 947

Ransom

261 1,987 863

Renville

155 762 960

Richland

684 8,047 989

Rolette

283 4,501 899

Sargent

185 2,834 1,198

Sheridan

51 244 641

Sioux

75 1,493 991

Slope

13 77 948

Stark

1,556 19,500 1,334

Steele

83 545 1,110

Stutsman

896 11,142 1,036

Towner

96 686 853

Traill

412 3,683 1,072

Walsh

522 5,134 998

Ward

2,692 31,337 1,138

Wells

208 1,508 855

Williams

2,142 26,850 1,672

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: Tuesday, March 19, 2024