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News Release Information

23-2082-BOS
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

County Employment and Wages in Massachusetts — First Quarter 2023

Employment rose in 8 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts from March 2022 to March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that Suffolk County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 3.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 2.5 percent over the year, with 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 8.5 percent. Elkhart, IN, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.6 percent.

Among the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, employment was highest in Middlesex County (923,500) in March 2023. Within Middlesex County’s private industry, professional, scientific, and technical services accounted for the largest employment. Together, the nine largest Massachusetts counties accounted for 93.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the five counties in Massachusetts with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in four of the five smaller counties were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. (See table 2.) 

Large County Wage Changes

All nine large Massachusetts counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Barnstable County had the largest gain (+8.4 percent), followed by Plymouth County (+8.1 percent) and Hampden County (+7.9 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Massachusetts’ other six large counties ranged from 7.2 percent to 0.1 percent.

Nationwide, wages increased by 6.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 353 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (24.3 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.3 percent).

Large County Average Weekly Wages

Weekly wages in 3 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts were above the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in all three of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Suffolk ($2,750, 5th), Middlesex ($2,274, 11th), and Norfolk ($1,650, 47th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2023. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,922. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 273 counties. At $782 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average Weekly Wages in Massachusetts’ Smaller Counties

Among the five smaller counties in Massachusetts—those with employment below 75,000—Nantucket ($1,481) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Franklin County ($1,021) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 14 counties in Massachusetts were considered, 3 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,200, 3 registered wages from $1,200 to $1,299, 3 had wages from $1,300 to $1,399, 2 recorded wages from $1,400 to $1,499, and 3 had average weekly wages of $1,500 or higher. (See chart 3.)

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 second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

County Changes for the 2023 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2022 are included in this release and will be included in future 2023 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Napa, CA; York, ME; Gaston, NC; Orange, NC; and Merrimack, NH. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.


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.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

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.

Chart 3. Average weekly wages by county in Massachusetts, first quarter 2023

(U.S. average = $1,465)

 
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, first quarter 2023
AreaEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,883.2151,418.12.5--$1,465--6.6--

Massachusetts

294.53,583.51.8--1,91735.049

Barnstable

10.286.11.81891,2172058.4137

Bristol

19.2225.51.42261,2271985.2294

Essex

30.2317.41.32391,460905.8276

Hampden

20.2202.6-0.33301,1812347.9161

Middlesex

61.9923.51.12572,274115.8276

Norfolk

27.6339.71.81891,650477.2204

Plymouth

17.9189.91.42261,3481318.1150

Suffolk

35.4706.73.0732,75050.1353

Worcester

29.2347.30.72891,3591256.3255

Footnotes:
(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 Massachusetts, first quarter 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment March 2023Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,883,196151,418,052$1,465

Massachusetts

294,4893,583,5071,917

Barnstable

10,18586,0511,217

Berkshire

5,68657,1751,165

Bristol

19,160225,4851,227

Dukes

1,5397,3771,333

Essex

30,234317,4071,460

Franklin

2,71725,4281,021

Hampden

20,175202,5951,181

Hampshire

5,20163,9631,210

Middlesex

61,867923,4862,274

Nantucket

1,3126,1081,481

Norfolk

27,568339,7071,650

Plymouth

17,904189,8891,348

Suffolk

35,359706,6852,750

Worcester

29,235347,3401,359

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 establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2023
StateEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2022–23
First quarter
2023
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2022–23
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,883.2151,418.12.5$1,465--6.6--

Alabama

153.82,055.32.61,164388.912

Alaska

25.1311.32.41,3012410.31

Arizona

214.73,143.12.71,330217.527

Arkansas

102.21,272.53.11,127446.441

California

1,790.317,842.70.91,73555.546

Colorado

261.72,838.62.51,55997.133

Connecticut

145.61,641.71.41,81745.944

Delaware

41.0462.33.01,431154.850

District of Columbia

49.5754.01.12,34115.148

Florida

883.19,640.24.11,330219.36

Georgia

376.44,775.63.01,376176.143

Hawaii

55.1634.33.31,218307.231

Idaho

91.8818.11.61,0844710.12

Illinois

409.85,936.42.11,56785.546

Indiana

191.03,124.31.81,203336.242

Iowa

110.71,526.10.91,176368.315

Kansas

97.71,405.62.61,155397.624

Kentucky

148.01,956.22.91,138439.36

Louisiana

152.71,882.21.91,150409.19

Maine

63.9616.71.71,188347.722

Maryland

189.12,647.52.01,541109.010

Massachusetts

294.53,583.51.81,91735.049

Michigan

311.04,305.82.01,308236.835

Minnesota

207.82,836.91.91,461146.540

Mississippi

84.71,153.81.6944517.231

Missouri

243.52,854.32.41,224298.514

Montana

64.3498.12.61,079499.36

Nebraska

75.9990.72.51,165378.018

Nevada

106.31,497.23.81,246277.428

New Hampshire

64.2671.91.81,462137.428

New Jersey

329.74,169.32.31,69975.745

New Mexico

69.4844.12.81,105468.912

New York

693.29,368.72.92,01522.151

North Carolina

366.34,782.73.11,348186.835

North Dakota

34.9413.02.91,216319.83

Ohio

338.05,392.91.71,265257.330

Oklahoma

128.21,660.13.61,109459.010

Oregon

193.81,959.81.41,339196.737

Pennsylvania

391.25,898.82.01,408167.624

Rhode Island

47.7478.42.11,334206.639

South Carolina

173.42,221.13.41,139429.55

South Dakota

39.3440.82.01,084477.034

Tennessee

210.73,201.72.91,264267.820

Texas

820.513,568.74.31,480118.117

Utah

134.71,666.92.41,245287.919

Vermont

31.5304.62.31,188347.624

Virginia

347.74,002.12.61,477128.216

Washington

238.73,540.12.51,72167.722

West Virginia

56.8682.41.81,062509.64

Wisconsin

202.02,874.31.91,211326.737

Wyoming

30.2270.62.41,145417.820

Puerto Rico

51.7936.11.8640(3)10.2(3)

Virgin Islands

3.836.12.2971(3)3.6(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023