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News Release Information

22-247-KAN
Monday, March 28, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

County Employment and Wages in Missouri — Third Quarter 2021

Employment rose in all seven of the largest counties in Missouri from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020. The independent city of St. Louis has been designated as a county-equivalent entity for the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Boone County and St. Louis City had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 4.5 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

 

National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

Among the seven largest counties in Missouri, employment was highest in St. Louis County (577,400) in September 2021. Within St. Louis County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the seven largest Missouri counties accounted for 60.9 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

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 108 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All seven large Missouri counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Greene County (+8.4 percent) had a rate of wage gain that was above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Wages in Jackson County increased by 5.9 percent and in St. Louis City by 5.6 percent. Over-the-year wage gains among Missouri’s other four large counties ranged from 4.6 percent to 2.2 percent.

 

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent). Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

St. Louis City, with average weekly wages of $1,279, was the only county in Missouri to record wages above the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in St. Louis City ($1,279, 79th) and St. Louis County ($1,249, 86th) ranked among the top 100 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2021. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,710. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 258 counties. At $756 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Missouri’s smaller counties

Among the 108 smaller counties in Missouri—those with employment below 75,000—Platte ($1,000) reported the highest average weekly wage in the state. Worth County ($495) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 115 counties in Missouri were considered, 30 reported average weekly wages of less than $674, 39 registered wages from $675 to $774, 30 had wages from $775 to $874 and 16 had average weekly wages of $875 or higher. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying counties were located in and around the major metropolitan areas. The lowest paying counties were mainly located in the south part of the state.

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 fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.


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 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 seven largest counties in Missouri, third quarter 2021
AreaEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2021
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,021.4144,863.94.4--$1,251--6.7--

Missouri

223.92,760.32.9--1,055316.026

Boone

5.495.34.5921,0312512.2317

Clay

6.3103.50.93161,0312513.1300

Greene

10.0168.32.02639713028.435

Jackson

23.8362.82.92041,2001145.9146

St. Charles

10.4154.21.82789583103.9266

St. Louis

42.7577.41.92671,249864.6229

St. Louis City

15.2218.33.81411,279795.6168

(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 Missouri, third quarter 2021
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment September 2021Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,021,414144,863,915$1,251

Missouri

223,9182,760,3421,055

Adair

6779,413727

Andrew

5352,850689

Atchison

2261,678739

Audrain

6298,333775

Barry

92213,861819

Barton

3303,313722

Bates

4583,584713

Benton

5723,632670

Bollinger

2431,777640

Boone

5,39295,3151,031

Buchanan

2,46444,686988

Butler

1,56918,286769

Caldwell

2261,921692

Callaway

88114,694938

Camden

1,68817,303798

Cape Girardeau

2,89940,107894

Carroll

3082,338737

Carter

2411,547593

Cass

2,40728,439821

Cedar

3503,179624

Chariton

2821,871699

Christian

2,16618,697732

Clark

1791,420600

Clay

6,262103,5371,031

Clinton

4514,209789

Cole

2,41451,234906

Cooper

4774,573709

Crawford

6606,743767

Dade

1851,680687

Dallas

4072,603557

Daviess

2651,633602

De Kalb

2652,732738

Dent

5583,806705

Douglas

2452,390620

Dunklin

1,4698,647603

Franklin

3,06937,703886

Gasconade

4885,293668

Gentry

2302,097779

Greene

10,013168,293971

Grundy

2872,837688

Harrison

2842,428672

Henry

6877,566835

Hickory

1921,424622

Holt

1881,188754

Howard

2232,456629

Howell

1,36914,982736

Iron

5963,311788

Jackson

23,816362,8391,200

Jasper

3,50057,418844

Jefferson

4,47647,206826

Johnson

1,19015,465780

Knox

113879637

Laclede

85213,494783

Lafayette

8768,646696

Lawrence

9168,456762

Lewis

2402,377743

Lincoln

1,13611,940842

Linn

3813,789758

Livingston

4676,157730

McDonald

4366,760806

Macon

4164,850716

Madison

3463,676664

Maries

1581,299748

Marion

97212,852830

Mercer

1031,554817

Miller

7267,750717

Mississippi

4593,231682

Moniteau

3634,228800

Monroe

2491,755658

Montgomery

3113,077776

Morgan

6004,866640

New Madrid

8567,412787

Newton

1,50120,272913

Nodaway

5948,028741

Oregon

2602,186548

Osage

2824,095827

Ozark

2161,495536

Pemiscot

8625,060632

Perry

5838,982839

Pettis

1,31018,749802

Phelps

1,21418,571850

Pike

4905,199728

Platte

2,92643,1711,000

Polk

7569,458766

Pulaski

85213,011844

Putnam

130879635

Ralls

2543,521918

Randolph

6529,484808

Ray

4444,042760

Reynolds

2621,882749

Ripley

6342,762505

St. Charles

10,415154,219958

St. Clair

2171,607613

Ste. Genevieve

4765,845904

St. Francois

1,72722,288686

St. Louis

42,698577,4261,249

Saline

6428,647787

Schuyler

98578595

Scotland

1441,122723

Scott

1,36915,798809

Shannon

2281,552572

Shelby

1941,756712

Stoddard

91510,380776

Stone

8006,957653

Sullivan

1602,279857

Taney

2,06628,533699

Texas

6035,585674

Vernon

7136,801768

Warren

6997,752822

Washington

6884,887633

Wayne

4202,158591

Webster

8518,580744

Worth

72403495

Wright

5224,345708

St. Louis City

15,195218,3141,279

(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 2021
StateEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21
Third quarter
2021
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,021.4144,863.94.4$1,251--6.7--

Alabama

139.81,955.32.61,030365.337

Alaska

24.0316.94.61,205163.450

Arizona

184.52,926.34.61,167197.013

Arkansas

97.41,212.92.9963477.86

California

1,679.617,208.76.61,57647.78

Colorado

231.82,723.44.81,32297.013

Connecticut

132.01,605.12.91,40165.731

Delaware

35.9439.72.11,198184.445

District of Columbia

45.4736.13.12,04214.146

Florida

808.48,910.97.01,120258.73

Georgia

343.94,491.44.91,158206.817

Hawaii

49.2592.816.61,150223.351

Idaho

79.2804.05.3953507.86

Illinois

398.45,751.23.31,274116.322

Indiana

178.93,020.62.61,032347.410

Iowa

106.81,509.62.21,015394.943

Kansas

92.11,349.31.7997404.744

Kentucky

134.31,869.03.4989435.828

Louisiana

144.21,772.71.71,021375.436

Maine

58.5619.93.61,031356.718

Maryland

178.12,604.63.91,314103.549

Massachusetts

281.43,501.05.51,59327.013

Michigan

271.34,181.43.61,154215.337

Minnesota

186.92,780.52.71,249136.124

Mississippi

77.31,122.22.6859516.322

Missouri

223.92,760.32.91,055316.026

Montana

57.0487.54.4963476.521

Nebraska

75.6964.61.41,017385.535

Nevada

96.01,389.510.81,135238.35

New Hampshire

60.0654.63.31,349815.01

New Jersey

304.13,977.25.11,38474.146

New Mexico

64.8806.24.2997405.632

New York

671.28,922.44.41,53456.124

North Carolina

318.44,516.44.51,112267.111

North Dakota

33.0407.22.21,076305.140

Ohio

315.75,248.02.21,098285.632

Oklahoma

116.41,576.61.8966455.632

Oregon

171.21,909.53.71,220159.62

Pennsylvania

375.45,685.43.21,205165.828

Rhode Island

43.2474.14.81,131243.648

South Carolina

152.92,086.02.8988446.916

South Dakota

37.0435.63.1965465.140

Tennessee

187.73,044.14.21,111278.73

Texas

770.012,613.15.61,227146.718

Utah

123.11,594.75.01,087297.111

Vermont

28.1293.52.71,055315.828

Virginia

299.23,845.32.91,264125.337

Washington

266.63,415.24.41,57836.620

West Virginia

53.6664.22.7960495.042

Wisconsin

189.52,815.92.31,049337.59

Wyoming

28.7271.12.5995426.026

Puerto Rico

47.9887.96.5568(3)4.0(3)

Virgin Islands

3.634.51.9956(3)-5.4(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, March 28, 2022