Employment declined in all of the largest counties in Kansas from June 2019 to June 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2019.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Sedgwick County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment at 11.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment decreased 9.4 percent over the year, with all of the 357 largest U.S. counties reporting declines. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment with a loss of 34.2 percent.

Among the four largest counties in Kansas, employment was highest in Johnson County (333,200) in June 2020. Within Johnson County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the four largest Kansas counties accounted for 56.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 357 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 101 counties in Kansas with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 99 of the 101 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,188 in the second quarter of 2020. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All four large Kansas counties reported average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2020. (See chart 2.)  Johnson County had a wage gain of 9.1 percent, exceeding the national rate of 8.6 percent. Shawnee County had the next highest rate of wage gain at 5.3 percent.

Among the 357 largest counties in the United States, 352 had over-the-year wage increases. The increases in average weekly wages largely reflect substantial employment loss among lower-paid industries. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest percentage wage increase (+22.5 percent). Five large counties had wage declines during the period. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Johnson County, with average weekly wages of $1,207, was the only large county in Kansas to record wages above the national average of $1,188 in the second quarter of 2020. Average weekly wages in Johnson County ranked 89^th among the top 100 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 101 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2020. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,045. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in 256 counties. At $698 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Kansas’s smaller counties

Among the 101 smaller counties in Kansas–those with employment below 75,000–2 had average weekly wages that were above the national average, and also led all counties in the state. Coffey County reported an average weekly wage of $1,771, followed by Linn at $1,293. Jewell County reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state at $538.

When all 105 counties in Kansas were considered, 20 reported average weekly wages of less than $675, 21 registered wages from $675 to $724, 22 had wages from $725 to $774, 19 had wages from $775 to $824, and 23 had average weekly wages of $825 or higher. (See chart 3.) The highest paying counties were located in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area.

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 2019 edition of this publication was published in September 2020. Tables and additional content from the 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2019/home.htm. The 2020 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2021.

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 four largest counties in Kansas, second quarter 2020

Area	Establishments, second quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2019–20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Second quarter 2020	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2019–20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	10,451.0	135,114.4	-9.4	--	$1,188	--	8.6	--
Kansas	90.0	1,306.0	-7.0	--	969	38	7.1	34
Johnson	24.5	333.2	-6.4	77	1,207	89	9.1	133
Sedgwick	12.9	229.2	-11.3	251	945	286	4.7	323
Shawnee	5.1	90.6	-5.9	61	917	313	5.3	312
Wyandotte	3.6	86.3	-4.4	27	1,098	164	4.2	327
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. Covered employment and wages 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 Kansas, second quarter 2020

Area	Employment June 2020	Average Weekly Wage(1)
United States(2)	135,114,354	$1,188
Kansas	1,305,983	969
Allen	5,405	694
Anderson	2,126	731
Atchison	5,117	826
Barber	1,546	729
Barton	11,761	763
Bourbon	5,714	681
Brown	4,800	821
Butler	18,503	780
Chase	871	660
Chautauqua	734	618
Cherokee	5,523	851
Cheyenne	916	654
Clark	797	783
Clay	2,915	689
Cloud	3,067	651
Coffey	3,423	1,771
Comanche	627	616
Cowley	13,041	771
Crawford	16,197	737
Decatur	928	598
Dickinson	5,849	721
Doniphan	2,105	777
Douglas	44,621	866
Edwards	953	757
Elk	577	585
Ellis	14,712	792
Ellsworth	2,281	750
Finney	19,001	846
Ford	16,093	923
Franklin	9,013	836
Geary	12,813	841
Gove	1,258	719
Graham	829	699
Grant	2,686	809
Gray	3,104	848
Greeley	672	680
Greenwood	1,495	666
Hamilton	1,535	768
Harper	2,281	798
Harvey	12,943	799
Haskell	1,637	819
Hodgeman	609	677
Jackson	3,857	716
Jefferson	3,563	785
Jewell	718	538
Johnson	333,205	1,207
Kearny	1,451	818
Kingman	3,007	1,005
Kiowa	1,042	715
Labette	8,028	745
Lane	610	773
Leavenworth	20,119	946
Lincoln	989	771
Linn	1,960	1,293
Logan	1,260	679
Lyon	14,148	790
Mcpherson	15,046	933
Marion	3,328	687
Marshall	4,489	751
Meade	1,577	850
Miami	8,208	787
Mitchell	3,149	749
Montgomery	13,744	720
Morris	1,538	640
Morton	817	733
Nemaha	5,226	785
Neosho	6,208	735
Ness	1,082	747
Norton	2,214	761
Osage	2,702	609
Osborne	1,381	663
Ottawa	1,197	639
Pawnee	2,664	835
Phillips	2,308	707
Pottawatomie	9,420	774
Pratt	4,437	805
Rawlins	989	712
Reno	25,710	784
Republic	1,830	610
Rice	3,602	740
Riley	26,452	869
Rooks	1,710	673
Rush	929	684
Russell	2,332	702
Saline	27,075	796
Scott	2,266	796
Sedgwick	229,200	945
Seward	10,387	912
Shawnee	90,584	917
Sheridan	1,061	771
Sherman	2,394	681
Smith	1,294	654
Stafford	1,277	674
Stanton	918	882
Stevens	2,043	846
Sumner	6,111	756
Thomas	3,857	755
Trego	1,276	680
Wabaunsee	1,359	648
Wallace	531	709
Washington	2,097	610
Wichita	806	821
Wilson	3,325	712
Woodson	725	581
Wyandotte	86,253	1,098
(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, second quarter 2020

State	Establishments, second quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2019–20	Second quarter 2020	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2019–20	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	10,451.0	135,114.4	-9.4	$1,188	--	8.6	--
Alabama	131.2	1,868.7	-6.4	964	40	5.9	42
Alaska	22.7	296.2	-12.7	1,195	14	11.2	11
Arizona	170.7	2,708.4	-5.1	1,090	22	7.9	30
Arkansas	93.0	1,156.5	-5.5	924	47	7.3	33
California	1,633.1	15,911.2	-10.2	1,468	4	10.9	12
Colorado	216.4	2,545.9	-8.0	1,226	9	8.7	25
Connecticut	123.4	1,483.6	-12.3	1,407	6	11.3	9
Delaware	34.5	416.0	-9.3	1,156	17	9.0	22
District of Columbia	41.7	701.8	-10.0	1,987	1	11.7	7
Florida	738.0	8,113.8	-7.1	1,032	28	6.6	40
Georgia	307.2	4,196.0	-7.0	1,075	23	5.7	44
Hawaii	45.9	524.9	-20.1	1,108	21	12.0	6
Idaho	67.9	748.3	-2.3	882	50	7.6	32
Illinois	379.6	5,391.8	-11.3	1,218	10	8.6	26
Indiana	171.6	2,865.7	-7.3	960	41	5.6	45
Iowa	104.7	1,458.8	-8.0	978	36	8.4	27
Kansas	90.0	1,306.0	-7.0	969	38	7.1	34
Kentucky	125.4	1,754.0	-8.2	970	37	6.4	41
Louisiana	137.8	1,710.1	-11.0	985	34	6.7	39
Maine	53.8	572.5	-10.8	980	35	12.3	5
Maryland	175.8	2,430.3	-11.2	1,305	8	10.7	13
Massachusetts	263.1	3,178.8	-14.3	1,570	2	14.0	1
Michigan	268.5	3,850.9	-12.9	1,114	20	9.5	16
Minnesota	185.4	2,644.6	-10.5	1,200	13	9.0	22
Mississippi	73.8	1,063.1	-6.4	812	51	5.9	42
Missouri	215.9	2,622.2	-7.5	1,015	32	7.1	34
Montana	51.5	459.5	-4.9	919	48	9.1	19
Nebraska	72.9	932.3	-6.0	960	41	8.0	28
Nevada	85.9	1,191.6	-15.4	1,048	26	9.1	19
New Hampshire	54.8	605.4	-10.5	1,215	12	11.5	8
New Jersey	284.1	3,570.3	-14.6	1,376	7	11.3	9
New Mexico	62.4	757.0	-9.4	958	43	7.8	31
New York	652.0	8,142.6	-15.9	1,520	3	12.8	4
North Carolina	296.2	4,205.4	-6.9	1,038	27	6.9	37
North Dakota	32.4	390.1	-9.7	1,061	24	3.3	51
Ohio	302.3	5,049.8	-8.0	1,031	29	7.0	36
Oklahoma	112.1	1,521.3	-6.3	940	44	4.4	49
Oregon	160.9	1,789.3	-9.6	1,143	19	10.3	15
Pennsylvania	362.8	5,314.5	-11.1	1,170	16	9.2	18
Rhode Island	39.5	429.3	-13.2	1,172	15	13.1	3
South Carolina	144.4	1,991.0	-7.2	928	46	6.9	37
South Dakota	34.7	415.9	-5.9	912	49	9.0	22
Tennessee	171.1	2,847.2	-6.6	1,016	31	5.3	46
Texas	727.4	11,807.1	-6.3	1,156	17	5.0	47
Utah	111.6	1,474.8	-3.0	1,017	30	9.1	19
Vermont	26.1	271.8	-13.6	1,055	25	13.6	2
Virginia	283.3	3,635.2	-8.8	1,218	10	9.4	17
Washington	253.8	3,207.1	-8.4	1,424	5	10.6	14
West Virginia	51.3	634.9	-9.4	933	45	4.9	48
Wisconsin	179.2	2,690.0	-8.7	1,014	33	8.0	28
Wyoming	27.2	260.5	-9.6	965	39	3.7	50
Puerto Rico	46.1	798.7	-7.9	556	(3)	4.7	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.4	35.4	-7.0	1,016	(3)	6.9	(3)
(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.