Employment rose in 6 of the 7 large counties in Missouri from September 2018 to September 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2018. The independent city of St. Louis has been designated as a county-equivalent entity for the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that St. Charles County (3.0 percent) had the fastest employment growth among the seven largest counties in the state. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment increased 1.1 percent over the year with 283 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. New Hanover, NC, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 5.8 percent over the year. Bay, FL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 5.9 percent.

Among the seven largest counties in Missouri, employment was highest in St. Louis County (609,500) in September 2019. Jackson County (375,600) and St. Louis City (231,400) had the second and third largest employment levels, respectively. Together, the seven largest Missouri counties accounted for 61.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

All seven large Missouri counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, with the fastest rate of increase in Boone County, up 6.7 percent. St. Louis City ($1,172) and St. Louis County ($1,131) had the highest average weekly wages among the state’s largest counties and were above the national average. Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.6 percent from a year ago to $1,093 in the third quarter of 2019. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 108 counties in Missouri with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of these smaller counties were below the national average in the third quarter of 2019. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

The 6.7-percent annual average weekly wage gain in Boone County placed 13^th among the nation’s 355 largest counties in the third quarter of 2019. The wage increases in both St. Louis City (+4.7 percent, 55^th) and St. Louis County (+4.3 percent, 85^th) placed in the top 100 of the largest counties in the nation. (See table 1.)

Nationally, 350 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year wage increases. Boulder, CO, had the largest percentage wage increase (+18.4 percent). The remaining five large counties registered wage declines during the period. Linn, IA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-2.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Two of the state’s large counties had average weekly wages that placed in the top 100 of the 355 largest U.S. counties in the third quarter of 2019. St. Louis City ($1,172) and St. Louis County ($1,131) ranked 67^th and 85^th, respectively. Average weekly wages in Jackson County ($1,070, 111^th) were just under the national average. The remaining four large counties were all in the bottom third of the national ranking.

Nationally, 98 large counties reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2019. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $2,447. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 257 counties. At $659 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Missouri’s smaller counties

All 108 smaller counties in Missouri–those with employment below 75,000–reported average weekly wages below the national average of $1,093. Among these smaller counties, Platte posted the highest weekly wage, $890, followed closely by Buchanan ($889) and Franklin ($888). Worth County reported the lowest average wage in the state at $460 per week. (See table 2.)

When all 115 counties in Missouri were considered, all but 2 had wages below the national average. Fourteen had average weekly wages less than $550, 40 had wages between $550 and $649, 38 registered wages from $650 to $749, 13 recorded wages between $750 and $849, and 10 reported average weekly wages of $850 or more. (See chart 1.)

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 2018 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2019, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2019 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm. The 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2020.

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 7 largest counties in Missouri, third quarter 2019

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	148,556.5	1.1	--	$1,093	--	3.6	--
Missouri	2,826.5	0.6	--	942	31	3.9	15
Boone	95.2	0.5	226	896	277	6.7	13
Clay	105.3	0.0	284	920	247	2.0	295
Greene	170.8	1.5	110	838	326	0.8	342
Jackson	375.6	0.4	238	1,070	111	2.5	267
St. Charles	153.8	3.0	25	862	303	2.9	238
St. Louis City	231.4	0.3	246	1,172	67	4.7	55
St. Louis	609.5	0.3	246	1,131	85	4.3	85
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 Missouri, 3rd quarter 2019

Area	Employment September 2019	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	148,556,525	$1,093
Missouri	2,826,539	942
Adair	9,931	659
Andrew	2,658	641
Atchison	1,655	658
Audrain	8,804	695
Barry	14,550	754
Barton	3,270	613
Bates	3,604	633
Benton	3,517	593
Bollinger	1,811	558
Boone	95,201	896
Buchanan	47,012	889
Butler	18,210	667
Caldwell	1,846	621
Callaway	14,687	834
Camden	16,887	673
Cape Girardeau	41,626	776
Carroll	2,452	739
Carter	1,587	524
Cass	27,302	708
Cedar	3,257	558
Chariton	1,838	608
Christian	18,026	627
Clark	1,459	517
Clay	105,303	920
Clinton	4,092	719
Cole	53,513	820
Cooper	5,082	634
Crawford	6,859	688
Dade	1,711	571
Dallas	2,570	505
Daviess	1,634	530
De Kalb	2,901	673
Dent	3,935	605
Douglas	2,287	547
Dunklin	8,881	533
Franklin	39,619	888
Gasconade	5,369	583
Gentry	2,192	683
Greene	170,766	838
Grundy	3,045	606
Harrison	2,453	607
Henry	7,244	733
Hickory	1,353	517
Holt	1,228	705
Howard	2,471	557
Howell	15,518	646
Iron	3,392	745
Jackson	375,571	1,070
Jasper	58,738	754
Jefferson	48,197	733
Johnson	15,931	721
Knox	948	557
Laclede	13,830	660
Lafayette	8,762	627
Lawrence	8,967	697
Lewis	2,535	656
Lincoln	12,086	764
Linn	3,840	657
Livingston	6,217	649
McDonald	7,025	702
Macon	4,986	641
Madison	3,656	597
Maries	1,228	643
Marion	13,450	731
Mercer	1,715	742
Miller	7,501	628
Mississippi	3,690	601
Moniteau	4,266	699
Monroe	1,829	576
Montgomery	2,987	675
Morgan	4,424	566
New Madrid	7,340	742
Newton	20,464	771
Nodaway	7,999	681
Oregon	2,334	483
Osage	3,972	702
Ozark	1,497	483
Pemiscot	5,482	580
Perry	9,384	729
Pettis	19,753	692
Phelps	18,400	768
Pike	5,229	643
Platte	48,301	890
Polk	8,695	697
Pulaski	13,020	778
Putnam	895	552
Ralls	3,583	857
Randolph	9,616	716
Ray	4,111	691
Reynolds	1,982	658
Ripley	2,737	472
St. Charles	153,778	862
St. Clair	1,566	535
Ste. Genevieve	5,726	829
St. Francois	23,148	610
St. Louis	609,486	1,131
Saline	8,650	688
Schuyler	572	555
Scotland	1,174	608
Scott	15,492	720
Shannon	1,439	489
Shelby	1,818	570
Stoddard	10,184	697
Stone	6,930	582
Sullivan	2,342	783
Taney	29,993	599
Texas	5,583	597
Vernon	6,741	697
Warren	7,793	752
Washington	4,966	566
Wayne	2,483	492
Webster	7,657	639
Worth	359	460
Wright	4,151	592
St. Louis City	231,417	1,172
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: 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, third quarter 2019

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2018-19	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2018-19	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	148,556.5	1.1	$1,093	--	3.6	--
Alabama	1,989.5	1.1	919	36	3.8	18
Alaska	338.0	1.2	1,105	14	3.7	21
Arizona	2,913.4	2.6	1,018	22	4.5	4
Arkansas	1,222.8	0.0	841	49	3.8	18
California	17,713.1	1.4	1,309	5	3.8	18
Colorado	2,749.0	2.4	1,170	8	6.1	1
Connecticut	1,676.6	-0.3	1,236	6	2.3	50
Delaware	453.2	1.1	1,078	15	3.3	32
District of Columbia	776.4	0.6	1,851	1	2.5	49
Florida	8,838.2	1.7	955	29	3.4	27
Georgia	4,509.7	1.4	1,026	20	3.4	27
Hawaii	654.1	-0.3	1,012	23	3.9	15
Idaho	765.2	2.9	838	50	4.1	10
Illinois	6,023.1	0.0	1,125	10	3.6	23
Indiana	3,083.5	0.3	914	37	3.5	26
Iowa	1,556.9	0.1	914	37	3.0	39
Kansas	1,395.9	0.4	893	43	2.9	43
Kentucky	1,910.8	0.7	884	45	3.4	27
Louisiana	1,913.5	-0.3	923	35	2.6	47
Maine	632.6	0.9	887	44	4.2	7
Maryland	2,696.9	0.2	1,169	9	3.6	23
Massachusetts	3,642.5	0.9	1,359	2	4.2	7
Michigan	4,375.8	0.2	1,021	21	3.0	39
Minnesota	2,917.8	0.4	1,107	13	3.0	39
Mississippi	1,135.8	0.1	768	51	2.7	46
Missouri	2,826.5	0.6	942	31	3.9	15
Montana	478.9	1.2	848	48	3.9	15
Nebraska	984.7	0.3	908	39	4.0	13
Nevada	1,412.2	2.1	973	26	4.1	10
New Hampshire	667.9	0.8	1,075	16	3.4	27
New Jersey	4,104.0	0.9	1,217	7	3.0	39
New Mexico	842.1	1.7	899	40	5.1	2
New York	9,575.4	1.1	1,314	4	3.3	32
North Carolina	4,501.3	2.2	972	27	3.6	23
North Dakota	428.4	0.9	1,028	19	3.3	32
Ohio	5,443.3	0.3	976	25	3.1	37
Oklahoma	1,628.8	0.5	897	41	2.6	47
Oregon	1,970.7	1.4	1,037	18	3.2	35
Pennsylvania	5,947.9	0.8	1,064	17	3.2	35
Rhode Island	491.3	0.6	991	24	2.8	44
South Carolina	2,132.4	2.2	866	46	3.7	21
South Dakota	433.4	0.4	855	47	3.4	27
Tennessee	3,060.8	1.9	966	28	2.8	44
Texas	12,603.2	2.1	1,109	12	4.1	10
Utah	1,535.2	2.8	954	30	4.8	3
Vermont	311.0	0.0	927	34	4.3	5
Virginia	3,931.4	1.0	1,125	10	4.0	13
Washington	3,489.8	2.1	1,335	3	4.3	5
West Virginia	694.4	-1.8	897	41	0.3	51
Wisconsin	2,893.8	0.1	929	33	3.1	37
Wyoming	283.1	1.5	942	31	4.2	7
Puerto Rico	878.9	1.9	528	(3)	-0.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	37.8	9.6	1,012	(3)	12.8	(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.