Average weekly wages in all 18 large counties in New York increased from the second quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or greater as measured by 2017 annual average employment.) Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that New York County had the largest growth in average weekly wages, 4.4 percent, followed by Saratoga County, 4.3 percent, and Albany County, 4.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Seven of New York’s large counties reported average weekly wages above the $1,055 national average in the second quarter of 2018. Average weekly wages in New York and Westchester Counties exceeded $1,300.

Seventeen of the 18 large counties in New York had employment gains from June 2017 to June 2018. Saratoga County had the largest gain, up 2.7 percent, while Oneida and Suffolk Counties had the smallest gains, each at 0.1 percent. Employment was unchanged in Monroe County. Nationally, employment grew 1.5 percent from June 2017 to June 2018 as 309 of the 349 largest U.S. counties added jobs. (See chart 2.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 44 counties in New York with employment levels below 75,000. Average wages in all but two of these smaller counties were below the national average in the second quarter of 2018. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Seven of New York’s large counties had average weekly wage growth above the national average of 3.4 percent from the second quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2018. (See table 1.) New York County ranked 44^th with an over-the-year wage gain of 4.4 percent. Saratoga County ranked 50^th and Albany County 59^th among the 349 large counties in the nation with over-the-year wage increases of 4.3 and 4.2 percent, respectively. Four other New York counties had annual wage gains of at least 3.5 percent and placed in the top third of the national ranking: Orange, Queens, Broome, and Onondaga.

Nationally, 340 of the 349 largest counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Marin, CA, had the largest second quarter over-the-year wage gain at 11.7 percent. King, WA, and Lake, IL, tied for the second largest increase, each at 9.3 percent.

Eight large U.S. counties registered wage declines over the year. New Hanover, NC, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 6.4 percent.

Large county average weekly wages

New York County had the highest average weekly wage in the state at $2,025 and ranked fourth among the 349 largest U.S. counties. Westchester County ($1,353) ranked 21^st. Five additional counties (Albany, Bronx, Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk) had average weekly wages that placed them in the top 100 nationwide. Broome ($866) and Oneida ($833) reported the lowest average weekly wages among the state’s large counties and ranked 273^rd and 302^nd, respectively.

Nationally, average weekly wages were higher than average in 94 of the largest 349 counties. Santa Clara, CA, held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $2,573. San Mateo, CA, was second at $2,357, followed by San Francisco, CA ($2,083), and New York, NY ($2,025).

Among the 255 counties with an average weekly wage below the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2018, Horry County, SC ($625) reported the lowest wage, followed by Cameron ($642) and Hidalgo ($645) Counties in Texas. Average wages in the lowest-ranked county, Horry, TX, were less than one-quarter of the wages reported for the highest-ranked county, Santa Clara, CA.

Large county employment

Employment rose in 17 of the 18 largest counties in New York from June 2017 to June 2018. Five counties (Saratoga, Kings, Queens, Rockland, and Orange) had employment growth above the national rate of 1.5 percent.

Nationally, employment grew in 309 of the 349 largest counties nationwide. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (11.6 percent).McLean, IL, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment, with a loss of 2.0 percent.

In New York, employment was highest in New York County (2,474,700) followed by Kings (772,500), Queens (708,100), Suffolk (688,300), and Nassau (647,200). Altogether, New York’s large counties accounted for 85.7 percent of total state employment. Nationwide, the 349 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Average weekly wages in New York’s smaller counties

Forty-two of New York’s 44 counties with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,055. Schenectady ($1,076) and Steuben ($1,055) were the exceptions. (See table 2.) Yates and Hamilton Counties reported the lowest average weekly wages at $679 and $694, respectively.

When all 62 counties in New York were considered, all but 13 had wages below $1,000. Twelve counties reported average weekly wages less than $800, 26 had wages from $800 to $899, and 11 had wages from $900 to $999. Eleven of the 13 counties with an average weekly wage at or above $1,000 were in the eastern part of the state. The counties with the lowest average weekly wage, under $800, were primarily located in the northern and western parts of the state. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

Quarterly 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 2017 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2018, 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 Online Annual Averages 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 release for third quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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 18 largest counties in New York, second quarter 2018

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2018 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2017-18 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Second quarter 2018	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2017-18 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	147,431.2	1.5	--	$1,055	--	3.4	--
New York	9,579.2	1.7	--	1,297	3	4.5	4
Albany, NY	235.5	0.4	271	1,138	61	4.2	59
Bronx, NY	322.2	1.2	176	1,058	94	2.3	244
Broome, NY	87.9	0.7	235	866	273	3.7	93
Dutchess, NY	114.5	0.7	235	1,038	106	1.4	307
Erie, NY	475.0	0.4	271	949	183	3.2	150
Kings, NY	772.5	2.5	63	918	208	2.2	253
Monroe, NY	391.6	0.0	310	996	149	3.1	160
Nassau, NY	647.2	0.5	257	1,175	51	2.5	225
New York, NY	2,474.7	0.7	235	2,025	4	4.4	44
Oneida, NY	107.4	0.1	303	833	302	2.6	216
Onondaga, NY	249.4	0.5	257	984	161	3.7	93
Orange, NY	148.5	1.8	110	941	190	4.0	69
Queens, NY	708.1	2.1	82	1,062	91	3.9	77
Richmond, NY	124.0	1.4	144	997	148	3.4	124
Rockland, NY	129.3	2.0	94	1,016	126	2.6	216
Saratoga, NY	92.7	2.7	48	995	150	4.3	50
Suffolk, NY	688.3	0.1	303	1,134	65	3.4	124
Westchester, NY	441.9	0.9	206	1,353	21	1.4	307
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 York, second quarter 2018

Area	Employment June 2018	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	147,431,154	$1,055
New York	9,579,225	1,297
Albany	235,483	1,138
Allegany	13,069	804
Bronx	322,205	1,058
Broome	87,930	866
Cattaraugus	29,325	789
Cayuga	26,685	860
Chautauqua	50,049	778
Chemung	35,893	894
Chenango	17,886	869
Clinton	34,801	867
Columbia	22,878	791
Cortland	18,036	808
Delaware	15,107	853
Dutchess	114,485	1,038
Erie	474,972	949
Essex	15,295	816
Franklin	18,672	863
Fulton	17,378	787
Genesee	24,926	777
Greene	15,642	797
Hamilton	1,977	694
Herkimer	17,698	777
Jefferson	43,066	800
Kings	772,476	918
Lewis	6,911	807
Livingston	21,273	799
Madison	21,783	805
Monroe	391,582	996
Montgomery	19,997	783
Nassau	647,173	1,175
New York	2,474,658	2,025
Niagara	74,696	810
Oneida	107,437	833
Onondaga	249,426	984
Ontario	55,101	912
Orange	148,523	941
Orleans	12,536	834
Oswego	34,408	929
Otsego	24,672	846
Putnam	27,600	1,036
Queens	708,088	1,062
Rensselaer	55,320	978
Richmond	123,985	997
Rockland	129,324	1,016
Saratoga	92,711	995
Schenectady	64,367	1,076
Schoharie	9,351	809
Schuyler	5,461	763
Seneca	13,159	831
St. Lawrence	36,134	891
Steuben	38,335	1,055
Suffolk	688,312	1,134
Sullivan	29,690	826
Tioga	13,984	997
Tompkins	51,220	1,014
Ulster	62,679	860
Warren	41,437	817
Washington	16,038	838
Wayne	29,108	823
Westchester	441,882	1,353
Wyoming	14,268	809
Yates	7,296	679
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 employment and wages by state, second quarter 2018

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2018 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2017-18	Second quarter 2018	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2017-18	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	147,431.2	1.5	$1,055	--	3.4	--
Alabama	1,969.9	1.2	882	37	2.8	35
Alaska	335.8	-0.9	1,043	15	3.7	9
Arizona	2,770.8	2.6	973	23	3.3	19
Arkansas	1,214.6	0.7	824	47	1.7	47
California	17,473.1	1.9	1,265	4	4.6	3
Colorado	2,704.4	2.4	1,075	10	3.2	27
Connecticut	1,704.5	0.3	1,218	5	0.1	50
Delaware	454.3	1.3	1,023	17	1.4	49
District of Columbia	777.3	1.3	1,713	1	2.6	39
Florida	8,568.9	2.1	931	28	2.9	32
Georgia	4,440.5	2.0	979	22	2.3	43
Hawaii	658.3	0.5	956	24	2.5	41
Idaho	745.3	3.1	794	50	3.8	8
Illinois	6,061.1	0.8	1,097	9	3.4	14
Indiana	3,075.8	1.1	883	36	2.8	35
Iowa	1,583.7	0.8	880	39	3.3	19
Kansas	1,393.3	1.0	879	40	3.4	14
Kentucky	1,905.9	0.9	882	37	2.3	43
Louisiana	1,918.6	0.4	901	33	3.7	9
Maine	636.8	1.0	843	45	3.6	11
Maryland	2,712.0	0.7	1,141	8	3.4	14
Massachusetts	3,650.1	1.0	1,322	2	3.5	12
Michigan	4,424.7	1.3	997	20	2.9	32
Minnesota	2,925.6	0.8	1,072	12	3.3	19
Mississippi	1,130.7	0.2	752	51	2.7	38
Missouri	2,829.0	0.5	924	30	3.9	7
Montana	478.7	1.1	817	48	2.5	41
Nebraska	990.8	0.6	859	43	3.1	29
Nevada	1,372.4	3.1	931	28	3.3	19
New Hampshire	670.8	0.8	1,049	14	3.3	19
New Jersey	4,157.0	0.9	1,201	7	2.3	43
New Mexico	823.6	1.0	852	44	3.5	12
New York	9,579.2	1.7	1,297	3	4.5	4
North Carolina	4,450.2	2.2	933	25	3.3	19
North Dakota	426.1	0.8	986	21	3.4	14
Ohio	5,461.3	0.7	933	25	2.3	43
Oklahoma	1,606.4	1.2	875	41	3.2	27
Oregon	1,947.3	1.5	999	18	3.3	19
Pennsylvania	5,924.9	1.1	1,031	16	3.1	29
Rhode Island	491.0	0.7	998	19	1.7	47
South Carolina	2,126.5	3.4	833	46	0.0	51
South Dakota	439.7	0.9	807	49	2.8	35
Tennessee	2,994.1	1.6	932	27	2.9	32
Texas	12,326.3	2.2	1,062	13	3.4	14
Utah	1,483.9	3.4	899	35	4.3	5
Vermont	312.4	-0.8	907	31	4.3	5
Virginia	3,941.0	1.3	1,073	11	2.6	39
Washington	3,444.1	2.7	1,218	5	6.9	1
West Virginia	702.9	1.6	868	42	4.8	2
Wisconsin	2,933.5	0.9	904	32	3.3	19
Wyoming	282.2	0.5	901	33	3.0	31
Puerto Rico	853.5	-2.3	543	(3)	5.2	(3)
Virgin Islands	33.4	-14.4	838	(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.