Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

23-1443-NEW
Thursday, June 29, 2023

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

Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — Fourth Quarter 2022

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.)

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 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.


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.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest municipio in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2022
AreaEstablishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22 (2)
Fourth quarter
2022
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22 (2)

United States (3)

11,785.7152,317.92.6$1,385-2.3

Puerto Rico

50.8976.74.36652.9

San Juan

12.1263.64.78053.9

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) 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 municipios in Puerto Rico, fourth quarter 2022
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment December 2022Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,785,706152,317,914$1,385

Puerto Rico

50,846976,743665

Adjuntas

2371,892436

Aguada

5965,008464

Aguadilla

98619,683778

Aguas Buenas

1651,783492

Aibonito

3446,498617

Añasco

3066,838614

Arecibo

1,17322,922618

Arroyo

1062,714625

Barceloneta

30211,138678

Barranquitas

3743,466523

Bayamón

3,05057,917625

Cabo Rojo

6476,963439

Caguas

2,38547,817603

Camuy

3854,767441

Canóvanas

3755,741555

Carolina

2,07451,821581

Cataño

32011,342715

Cayey

50510,416603

Ceiba

1061,469526

Ciales

1551,850484

Cidra

4156,451582

Coamo

3303,980488

Comerío

1371,909490

Corozal

3473,914484

Culebra

63476501

Dorado

69412,318666

Fajardo

52110,234581

Florida

671,109458

Guánica

1102,981381

Guayama

48710,101618

Guayanilla

1332,315557

Guaynabo

2,65257,888814

Gurabo

4219,238600

Hatillo

61410,036474

Hormigueros

2023,594471

Humacao

83018,432632

Isabela

5377,012519

Jayuya

1723,109580

Juana Díaz

3667,089602

Juncos

2708,407930

Lajas

2433,810434

Lares

3284,230464

Las Marías

98964386

Las Piedras

3037,520617

Loíza

971,858614

Luquillo

1552,129518

Manatí

66114,909667

Maricao

631,546510

Maunabo

591,380732

Mayagüez

1,58732,016598

Moca

4745,743433

Morovis

2132,675469

Naguabo

1872,378502

Naranjito

3444,149537

Orocovis

2293,124466

Patillas

1181,655559

Peñuelas

1872,667579

Ponce

2,33949,190660

Quebradillas

2612,586462

Rincón

2412,379475

Río Grande

3805,839572

Sabana Grande

2103,431475

Salinas

2313,741597

San Germán

4018,195529

San Juan

12,103263,616805

San Lorenzo

3075,081612

San Sebastián

6516,303433

Santa Isabel

2516,521550

Toa Alta

4354,307529

Toa Baja

78714,488586

Trujillo Alto

61910,772469

Utuado

3083,852523

Vega Alta

3454,353569

Vega Baja

5198,922618

Vieques

1301,483515

Villalba

1633,754576

Yabucoa

2082,794494

Yauco

4617,011515

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, fourth quarter 2022
StateEstablishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,785.7152,317.92.6$1,385---2.3--

Alabama

152.62,057.52.21,158350.48

Alaska

24.9303.91.51,29918-0.826

Arizona

211.73,157.83.11,27222-0.826

Arkansas

101.01,272.92.91,06550-0.113

California

1,768.818,051.32.31,6794-6.951

Colorado

254.32,857.02.91,4729-0.931

Connecticut

142.81,667.91.61,5936-0.931

Delaware

40.5464.62.41,346150.48

District of Columbia

49.7757.70.92,2911-1.135

Florida

882.69,616.33.91,28420-0.826

Georgia

397.54,794.53.71,28919-0.318

Hawaii

54.0638.13.71,22728-0.216

Idaho

89.5827.03.11,114440.310

Illinois

409.85,997.32.01,43211-2.846

Indiana

189.53,154.42.11,13140-1.940

Iowa

110.81,543.90.91,15337-0.318

Kansas

96.41,416.22.61,12541-0.725

Kentucky

146.01,967.42.51,09946-0.931

Louisiana

151.51,880.41.11,13439-0.826

Maine

63.1626.72.01,165340.012

Maryland

190.02,668.50.31,46210-2.443

Massachusetts

293.63,620.21.81,7902-2.545

Michigan

302.64,350.02.31,27421-1.237

Minnesota

205.62,870.01.61,35714-1.538

Mississippi

83.31,161.61.2947510.211

Missouri

239.92,860.42.01,17233-0.621

Montana

62.6500.62.41,118420.95

Nebraska

79.1995.51.71,154361.24

Nevada

105.31,503.34.71,24425-0.113

New Hampshire

64.7678.92.41,4848-6.150

New Jersey

331.24,235.52.71,5347-1.940

New Mexico

67.5844.12.71,115431.61

New York

683.59,449.32.71,7363-5.149

North Carolina

354.84,771.42.71,23526-0.621

North Dakota

34.8416.02.01,204300.95

Ohio

333.85,439.41.61,20331-1.639

Oklahoma

125.91,662.23.01,07348-0.621

Oregon

188.01,960.12.11,30217-2.242

Pennsylvania

391.95,944.52.11,32016-2.443

Rhode Island

47.0485.82.21,26123-4.348

South Carolina

171.02,218.63.21,111450.95

South Dakota

39.7444.62.11,09647-1.034

Tennessee

207.83,221.93.81,25424-0.826

Texas

811.613,576.64.21,37213-0.216

Utah

137.31,675.63.21,23027-0.113

Vermont

31.6304.61.71,207291.43

Virginia

337.44,010.62.21,41612-0.621

Washington

236.83,540.63.21,6315-3.047

West Virginia

56.6682.61.11,067491.52

Wisconsin

204.02,899.12.11,18832-1.135

Wyoming

30.1272.71.91,13738-0.520

Puerto Rico

50.8976.74.3665(3)2.9(3)

Virgin Islands

3.735.71.61,021(3)3.8(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023