Employment rose in two of the three large New Hampshire counties from September 2017 to September 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hillsborough’s employment increased 0.8 percent and Merrimack’s employment rose 0.4 percent. Employment in Rockingham County was unchanged. (Large counties are defined as those with 2017 annual average employment of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that the employment gains in Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties were lower than the 1.6-percent national average.

Nationwide, employment increased in 295 of the 349 largest U.S. counties. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (11.9 percent); New Hanover NC, had the largest over-the-year decrease (-2.0 percent).

Among New Hampshire’s three largest counties, employment was highest in Hillsborough County (204,400) in September 2018. Together, New Hampshire’s three large counties accounted for 65.4 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 349 largest counties made up 73 percent of total U.S. employment.

The average weekly wage in Merrimack County rose 3.2 percent to $994 from the third quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2018. The average weekly wage in Rockingham County increased 1.8 percent to $1,010. Hillsborough’s average weekly wage decreased 1.6 percent to $1,113.The average weekly wage in Merrimack rose 0.8 percent to $962 from the third quarter of 2016 to the third quarter of 2017.( See table 1 .) Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.3 percent over the year to $1,055.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the seven counties in New Hampshire with employment below 75,000. Six of these smaller counties had average weekly wages below the national average. (See table 2 .)

Large County Wage Changes

The 3.2-percent wage gain in Merrimack County ranked 141^st among the 349 largest U.S. counties. Rockingham’s 1.8-percent wage increase ranked 283^rd, while Hillsborough’s 1.6-percent wage decrease ranked 342^nd.

Among the 349 largest U.S. counties, 336 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2018. Chatham, GA, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in average weekly wages (8.5 percent). Eleven large U.S. counties had over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages. Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-4.2 percent).

Large County Average Weekly Wages

Hillsborough County’s average weekly wage of $1,113 placed 71^st among the 349 largest U.S. counties. Rockingham County’s $1,010 weekly wage ranked 131^st; Merrimack County’s $994 weekly wage ranked 143^rd.

Average weekly wages were greater than the national average ($1,055) in 94 of the largest U.S. counties. Santa Clara, CA, held the top position with an average weekly wage of $2,460. San Mateo, CA, was second at $2,363, followed by San Francisco, CA ($2,097), and New York, NY ($1,997).

Among the largest U.S. counties, more than two-thirds (255) reported average weekly wages below the national average in the third quarter of 2018. The lowest weekly wage was reported in Cameron, TX ($632), followed by Horry, SC ($635), and the Texas counties of Hidalgo ($662) and Webb ($698).

Average Weekly Wages in New Hampshire’s Smaller Counties

Six of the seven counties in New Hampshire with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages lower than the national average of $1,055. Among the seven smaller counties in the state, Grafton had the highest weekly wage at $1,094 and Carroll had the lowest weekly wage at $680.

When all 10 counties in New Hampshire were considered, 8 had wages below the national average. One had average weekly wages at or below $699, two had wages from $700 to $799, two had wages from $800 to $899, and five had wages above $900.(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 .

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online, features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2017 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2018 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online 2017 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2017/home.htm. The 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2019. 

The County Employment and Wages news release for fourth quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

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: 1-800-877-8339.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 3 largest counties in New Hampshire, third quarter 2018

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2018 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2017-18 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2017-18 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	146,824.1	1.6	--	$1,055	--	3.3	--
New Hampshire	662.3	0.5	--	1,040	16	1.7	49
Hillsborough, N.H.	204.4	0.8	194	1,113	71	-1.6	342
Merrimack, N.H.	77.7	0.4	249	994	143	3.2	141
Rockingham, N.H.	150.8	0.0	296	1,010	131	1.8	283
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 New Hampshire, third quarter 2018

Area	Employment September 2018	Average Weekly Wage (1)
United States (2)	146,824,093	$1,055
New Hampshire	662,276	1,040
Belknap	26,032	827
Carroll	20,283	680
Cheshire	31,860	852
Coos	12,310	733
Grafton	54,000	1,094
Hillsborough	204,423	1,113
Merrimack	77,719	994
Rockingham	150,760	1,010
Strafford	48,636	955
Sullivan	14,230	782
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 2018

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2018 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2017-18	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2017-18	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	146,824.1	1.6	$1,055	--	3.3	--
Alabama	1,966.0	1.2	885	38	3.1	25
Alaska	334.0	-0.4	1,065	13	3.7	12
Arizona	2,838.6	2.8	974	23	2.9	31
Arkansas	1,222.1	0.7	811	49	2.9	31
California	17,457.5	1.8	1,260	5	3.8	9
Colorado	2,684.0	2.1	1,104	9	3.5	18
Connecticut	1,681.5	0.3	1,209	6	2.5	41
Delaware	447.8	0.6	1,046	15	2.4	42
District of Columbia	770.7	0.7	1,807	1	2.8	36
Florida	8,690.7	4.6	924	29	3.1	25
Georgia	4,448.8	2.3	993	20	3.3	21
Hawaii	654.7	0.0	975	22	2.4	42
Idaho	743.5	3.0	805	50	3.2	23
Illinois	6,029.2	0.8	1,087	10	3.0	28
Indiana	3,072.3	0.9	883	39	2.4	42
Iowa	1,555.0	0.6	887	37	3.7	12
Kansas	1,390.4	1.0	867	42	3.5	18
Kentucky	1,898.7	0.5	855	43	2.2	47
Louisiana	1,915.4	0.5	901	33	3.7	12
Maine	626.5	0.6	851	45	3.7	12
Maryland	2,683.9	0.7	1,130	8	2.4	42
Massachusetts	3,598.1	0.7	1,305	2	3.2	23
Michigan	4,366.5	0.8	991	21	2.8	36
Minnesota	2,904.3	0.8	1,074	12	4.2	5
Mississippi	1,133.7	0.2	754	51	3.4	20
Missouri	2,812.0	0.4	907	31	3.3	21
Montana	473.3	1.0	815	48	2.8	36
Nebraska	980.3	0.6	873	41	2.8	36
Nevada	1,382.9	3.4	936	28	2.4	42
New Hampshire	662.3	0.5	1,040	16	1.7	49
New Jersey	4,072.6	0.8	1,181	7	2.1	48
New Mexico	826.2	1.2	855	43	3.9	7
New York	9,467.5	1.4	1,272	4	4.2	5
North Carolina	4,398.0	1.1	938	26	3.8	9
North Dakota	424.3	1.1	995	19	4.4	3
Ohio	5,424.4	0.7	947	25	2.9	31
Oklahoma	1,616.8	1.2	874	40	3.6	16
Oregon	1,939.8	1.5	1,005	18	3.8	9
Pennsylvania	5,894.8	1.0	1,031	17	3.0	28
Rhode Island	489.4	1.0	963	24	-1.3	51
South Carolina	2,088.2	2.8	834	46	0.8	50
South Dakota	431.5	1.3	827	47	3.0	28
Tennessee	3,005.6	1.7	938	26	3.9	7
Texas	12,327.0	2.6	1,064	14	3.1	25
Utah	1,494.4	3.4	911	30	3.6	16
Vermont	310.9	0.0	892	36	2.6	40
Virginia	3,889.6	1.1	1,082	11	2.9	31
Washington	3,425.6	2.4	1,280	3	6.2	2
West Virginia	706.0	1.7	894	35	8.1	1
Wisconsin	2,888.9	0.7	901	33	2.9	31
Wyoming	278.2	0.6	905	32	4.3	4
Puerto Rico	862.5	0.2	534	(3)	5.3	(3)
Virgin Islands	33.4	-8.0	888	(3)	18.6	(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.