Employment rose in all three of Kentucky’s large counties from March 2013 to March 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2013 annual average employment.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 1.5 percent in Boone County to 1.0 percent in Jefferson County.

Nationally, employment increased 1.7 percent during the 12-month period, as 281 of the 339 largest U.S. counties gained jobs. Weld, Colo., posted the largest percentage increase, with a gain of 7.5 percent over the year. Peoria, Ill., experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease, down 2.6 percent.

Among the three large counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson County (431,600) in March 2014, while Boone County had the smallest employment (77,100). Together, Kentucky’s large counties accounted for 38.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 339 largest counties accounted for 72.0 percent of total U.S. employment, which stood at 134.6 million in March 2014.

All three large Kentucky counties experienced average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014. Jefferson County had the largest over-the-year wage gain at 3.8 percent. Jefferson County also had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $994. Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.8 percent over the year to $1,027 in the first quarter of 2014. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 counties with employment levels below 75,000 in Kentucky. Average weekly wages in these counties ranged from $1,229 to $474. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

As noted, average weekly wages increased in all three of Kentucky’s large counties from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014. At 3.8 percent, Jefferson County’s wage gain ranked 84^th among the nation’s 339 large counties. Fayette County’s 2.8-percent increase ranked 149^th. Boone County’s 1.2-percent advance ranked 275^th. (See table 1.)

Nationwide, 323 large counties experienced increases in average weekly wages. Chester, Pa., had the largest increase (13.9 percent), followed by the counties of New York, N.Y. (12.0 percent), San Mateo, Calif. (9.6 percent), Forsyth, N.C. (9.6 percent), and San Francisco, Calif. (9.3 percent).

Among the 339 largest U.S. counties, 15 experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Benton, Ark., experienced the largest average weekly wage decrease with a loss of 3.2 percent, followed by the counties of Cumberland, N.C. (-2.0 percent), Dutchess, N.Y. (-1.6 percent), Ocean, N.J. (-1.3 percent), and McLean, Ill. (-1.0 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in the state’s three large counties were below the U.S. average of $1,027. Jefferson County ($994, 116^th) placed in the top half of the national ranking among the 339 largest counties in the first quarter of 2014. Average weekly wages in Fayette ($869, 195^th) and Boone ($822, 246^th) placed in the bottom half of the national ranking.

Nationwide, there were 95 large counties with an average weekly wage above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2014. New York, N.Y., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $2,749, followed by Santa Clara, Calif., at $2,074. Rounding out the top five were San Mateo, Calif. ($2,058), Somerset, N.J. ($2,048), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,944).

There were 244 large U.S. counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the first quarter of 2014. Horry, S.C. ($571), reported the lowest wage, followed by the counties of Cameron, Texas ($581), Hidalgo, Texas ($597), Lake, Fla. ($639), and Webb, Texas ($650).

Average weekly wages in Kentucky’s smaller counties

Among the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment below 75,000, Hancock ($1,229) and Ballard ($1,123) were the only two to report an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,027. Robertson County reported the lowest wage in the state, averaging $474 in the first quarter of 2014. (See table 2.)

When all 120 counties in Kentucky were considered, 48 reported average weekly wages under $600, 34 reported average weekly wages from $600 to $699, 21 reported wages from $700 to $799, 7 reported wages from $800 to $899, and 10 had wages above $900. (See chart 1.)

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 the QCEW Web site at 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 2013 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2014, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2014 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Online Annual Averages 2013 are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2013/home.htm.

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.

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 9.4 million employer reports cover 134.6 million full- and part-time workers. 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. 

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 3 largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2014

Area	Employment			Average Weekly Wage (1)
	March 2014 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2013-14 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2013-14 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	134,555.0	1.7	--	$1,027	--	3.8	--
Kentucky	1,784.1	1.1	--	811	40	2.7	33
Boone, Ky.	77.1	1.5	153	822	246	1.2	275
Fayette, Ky.	180.0	1.3	170	869	195	2.8	149
Jefferson, Ky.	431.6	1.0	195	994	116	3.8	84
(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: Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.

Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Kentucky, 1st quarter 2014

Area	Employment March 2014	Average Weekly Wage (1)
United States (2)	134,554,959	$1,027
Kentucky	1,784,069	811
Adair	4,650	531
Allen	3,972	635
Anderson	4,366	636
Ballard	2,141	1,123
Barren	16,325	636
Bath	1,712	572
Bell	8,470	568
Boone	77,078	822
Bourbon	6,545	713
Boyd	25,802	890
Boyle	13,381	702
Bracken	1,375	627
Breathitt	3,247	626
Breckinridge	3,511	557
Bullitt	21,341	621
Butler	2,703	605
Caldwell	4,074	587
Calloway	16,082	596
Campbell	28,368	758
Carlisle	1,023	508
Carroll	6,245	1,009
Carter	5,636	541
Casey	3,564	550
Christian	31,198	730
Clark	13,657	716
Clay	3,981	631
Clinton	3,847	512
Crittenden	1,992	552
Cumberland	1,649	573
Daviess	44,266	698
Edmonson	1,493	569
Elliott	884	514
Estill	2,331	583
Fayette	179,964	869
Fleming	2,964	571
Floyd	11,095	683
Franklin	30,518	772
Fulton	2,241	669
Gallatin	2,300	946
Garrard	2,031	576
Grant	4,827	657
Graves	10,947	635
Grayson	7,541	580
Green	1,787	510
Greenup	7,657	668
Hancock	4,364	1,229
Hardin	45,137	740
Harlan	6,963	701
Harrison	4,534	761
Hart	4,689	607
Henderson	19,623	704
Henry	2,717	661
Hickman	1,065	503
Hopkins	17,440	773
Jackson	1,795	560
Jefferson	431,644	994
Jessamine	15,517	695
Johnson	5,720	607
Kenton	63,694	930
Knott	2,501	649
Knox	8,919	555
Larue	2,518	520
Laurel	23,789	646
Lawrence	3,246	659
Lee	1,718	560
Leslie	1,728	639
Letcher	4,657	634
Lewis	1,937	531
Lincoln	4,112	595
Livingston	2,899	756
Logan	8,120	756
Lyon	2,145	506
McCracken	37,620	784
McCreary	2,735	611
McLean	1,873	540
Madison	33,397	683
Magoffin	2,068	543
Marion	7,817	662
Marshall	11,024	907
Martin	2,725	820
Mason	9,235	771
Meade	4,318	598
Menifee	840	557
Mercer	6,069	910
Metcalfe	1,791	576
Monroe	2,986	530
Montgomery	10,306	664
Morgan	2,984	588
Muhlenberg	9,673	815
Nelson	14,493	675
Nicholas	860	517
Ohio	7,234	576
Oldham	14,171	733
Owen	1,703	692
Owsley	641	475
Pendleton	2,309	795
Perry	12,298	699
Pike	22,011	787
Powell	2,403	541
Pulaski	24,976	613
Robertson	272	474
Rockcastle	3,467	552
Rowan	9,911	590
Russell	5,900	542
Scott	23,937	909
Shelby	14,676	712
Simpson	8,685	636
Spencer	1,776	595
Taylor	10,612	581
Todd	2,239	541
Trigg	3,219	589
Trimble	1,028	852
Union	5,695	872
Warren	59,287	757
Washington	3,246	630
Wayne	4,923	580
Webster	3,575	976
Whitley	11,693	627
Wolfe	1,245	489
Woodford	8,723	740
(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, first quarter 2014

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	March 2014 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2013-14	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2013-14	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	134,555.0	1.7	$1,027	--	3.8	--
Alabama	1,849.5	0.6	825	38	1.6	50
Alaska	319.1	0.3	1,023	15	3.5	17
Arizona	2,540.8	1.9	918	22	3.1	26
Arkansas	1,152.6	0.3	784	46	2.5	37
California	15,572.9	2.8	1,165	6	4.5	5
Colorado	2,370.1	3.1	1,046	13	4.2	9
Connecticut	1,627.2	0.5	1,362	3	3.3	24
Delaware	412.5	2.0	1,110	7	3.9	13
District of Columbia	727.3	1.2	1,701	1	5.3	3
Florida	7,752.4	2.9	868	28	3.0	28
Georgia	3,974.8	2.6	972	18	3.4	18
Hawaii	624.9	1.2	857	32	1.9	42
Idaho	631.5	3.3	722	50	3.9	13
Illinois	5,651.2	0.9	1,104	8	4.2	9
Indiana	2,842.5	1.2	845	35	1.7	48
Iowa	1,485.4	1.5	824	39	3.0	28
Kansas	1,343.0	1.7	840	36	4.1	11
Kentucky	1,784.1	1.1	811	40	2.7	33
Louisiana	1,909.8	1.2	868	28	2.6	35
Maine	565.9	0.7	786	45	1.9	42
Maryland	2,512.8	0.1	1,086	9	1.8	47
Massachusetts	3,272.2	1.3	1,300	4	5.3	3
Michigan	4,013.5	1.7	950	20	3.1	26
Minnesota	2,652.3	0.8	1,036	14	3.4	18
Mississippi	1,096.8	0.6	707	51	1.7	48
Missouri	2,634.6	1.0	866	31	2.9	30
Montana	429.9	0.7	730	49	3.3	24
Nebraska	930.7	1.7	797	42	2.6	35
Nevada	1,183.5	3.4	867	30	2.7	33
New Hampshire	614.2	1.3	970	19	3.4	18
New Jersey	3,794.3	0.6	1,263	5	2.2	38
New Mexico	787.0	0.2	793	43	1.9	42
New York	8,699.5	1.6	1,460	2	7.3	1
North Carolina	4,003.2	1.7	914	23	3.4	18
North Dakota	428.9	3.3	944	21	6.7	2
Ohio	5,071.5	1.3	909	24	2.8	32
Oklahoma	1,565.2	0.7	854	34	3.9	13
Oregon	1,688.5	2.8	893	25	3.4	18
Pennsylvania	5,560.9	0.3	1,007	16	4.1	11
Rhode Island	449.7	1.1	996	17	4.4	8
South Carolina	1,873.6	2.7	787	44	1.9	42
South Dakota	400.2	1.4	741	48	4.5	5
Tennessee	2,718.2	1.7	874	27	2.2	38
Texas	11,220.6	2.6	1,062	11	4.5	5
Utah	1,270.8	3.1	831	37	3.4	18
Vermont	301.1	0.5	807	41	1.9	42
Virginia	3,613.2	0.0	1,050	12	2.2	38
Washington	2,966.3	2.6	1,068	10	3.8	16
West Virginia	694.6	-0.9	779	47	1.4	51
Wisconsin	2,694.5	1.0	856	33	2.9	30
Wyoming	275.4	1.0	877	26	2.1	41
Puerto Rico	914.9	-1.8	521	(3)	1.4	(3)
Virgin Islands	38.3	-3.6	744	(3)	2.6	(3)
(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: Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.