Employment in Puerto Rico’s only large municipio, San Juan, increased 4.7 percent from December 2021 to December 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and county-equivalent entities, like municipios in Puerto Rico, are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that in December 2022, San Juan’s employment level of 263,000 accounted for 27.0 percent of total employment in the commonwealth. (See table 1.)

National employment increased 2.6 percent over the year, with 325 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 7.9 percent. Elkhart, IN, and Hendricks, IN, both experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.7 percent each.

The average weekly wage in San Juan Municipio was $805 in the fourth quarter of 2022, a 3.9-percent increase over the year. In the United States, the average weekly wage decreased 2.3 percent to $1,385. Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 240 had over-the-year wage decreases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage decrease (-22.6 percent). Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase (+6.1 percent).

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 77 municipios in Puerto Rico with employment below 75,000. All 77 municipios had wages below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022 (See table 2.) Juncos, located on the eastern part of the island, had the highest average weekly wage at $930. Eight municipios had average weekly wages below $450, with the lowest wages reported in Guánica ($381) and Las Marías ($386). (See chart 1.)

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/.

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Average weekly wages by municipio in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2022

County	Average weekly wage
Adjuntas	$436
Aguada	464
Aguadilla	778
Aguas Buenas	492
Aibonito	617
Añasco	614
Arecibo	618
Arroyo	625
Barceloneta	678
Barranquitas	523
Bayamón	625
Cabo Rojo	439
Caguas	603
Camuy	441
Canóvanas	555
Carolina	581
Cataño	715
Cayey	603
Ceiba	526
Ciales	484
Cidra	582
Coamo	488
Comerío	490
Corozal	484
Culebra	501
Dorado	666
Fajardo	581
Florida	458
Guánica	381
Guayama	618
Guayanilla	557
Guaynabo	814
Gurabo	600
Hatillo	474
Hormigueros	471
Humacao	632
Isabela	519
Jayuya	580
Juana Díaz	602
Juncos	930
Lajas	434
Lares	464
Las Marías	386
Las Piedras	617
Loíza	614
Luquillo	518
Manatí	667
Maricao	510
Maunabo	732
Mayagüez	598
Moca	433
Morovis	469
Naguabo	502
Naranjito	537
Orocovis	466
Patillas	559
Peñuelas	579
Ponce	660
Quebradillas	462
Rincón	475
Río Grande	572
Sabana Grande	475
Salinas	597
San Germán	529
San Juan	805
San Lorenzo	612
San Sebastián	433
Santa Isabel	550
Toa Alta	529
Toa Baja	586
Trujillo Alto	469
Utuado	523
Vega Alta	569
Vega Baja	618
Vieques	515
Villalba	576
Yabucoa	494
Yauco	515

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

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.