Each of Kentucky’s three large counties reported employment gains from March 2014 to March 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. (Large counties are those with 2014 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Boone County had the largest increase, up 3.0 percent, followed by the counties of Fayette (2.7 percent) and Jefferson (2.5 percent). (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment advanced 2.1 percent from March 2014 to March 2015 as 323 of the 342 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Utah, Utah, recorded the largest percentage increase in the country, up 6.1 percent over the year. Atlantic, N.J., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 4.3 percent.

Among the three large counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson County (442,300) in March 2015, while Boone County had the smallest employment (79,100). Together, Kentucky’s large counties accounted for 39.0 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 342 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

All three large Kentucky counties experienced average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015. Jefferson County had the largest over-the-year wage gain at 2.3 percent. Jefferson County also had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $1,016.Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 2.1 percent over the year to $1,048 in the first quarter of 2015. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment levels below 75,000. Average weekly wages in these counties ranged from $1,265 to $487. (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 2014 to the first quarter of 2015. At 2.3 percent, Jefferson County’s wage gain ranked 119^th among the nation’s 342 large counties. Fayette County’s 1.6-percent increase ranked 185^th. Boone County’s 1.3-percent advance ranked 223^rd. (See table 1.)

Nationally, 297 of the 342 largest counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Olmsted, Minn., had the largest percentage wage increase among the largest U.S. counties (11.7 percent). Washington, Pa., was second with a wage increase of 10.7 percent, followed by the counties of Riverside, Calif. (10.1 percent); Lake, Ill. (9.2 percent); and Orange, Calif. (9.1 percent).

Of the 342 largest counties, 39 experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages. Snohomish, Wash., had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages, with a loss of 4.8 percent. Chester, Pa., had the second largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages, followed by Williamson, Texas; Saginaw, Mich.; and Palm Beach, Fla.

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in Kentucky’s three large counties were below the U.S. average of $1,048. Jefferson County ($1,016, 112^th) placed in the top third of the national ranking among the 342 largest counties in the first quarter of 2015. Average weekly wages in Fayette ($883, 199^th) and Boone ($833, 251^st) placed in the bottom half of the national ranking.

Nationwide, 93 large counties registered average weekly wages above the U.S. average of $1,048 in the first quarter of 2015. New York, N.Y., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $2,847, followed by Santa Clara, Calif., at $2,203. Rounding out the top five were Somerset, N.J. ($2,080); San Francisco, Calif. ($2,070); and San Mateo, Calif. ($2,066).

Seventy-three percent of the largest U.S. counties (248) reported weekly wages below the national average. Horry County, S.C., reported the lowest wage ($583), followed by the Texas counties of Cameron and Hidalgo ($593 and $607); Lake, Fla.. ($649); and Yakima, Wash. ($658).

Average weekly wages in Kentucky’s smaller counties

Among the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment below 75,000, Hancock ($1,265), Ballard ($1,105), and Carroll ($1,063) were the only three to report an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,048. Robertson County reported the lowest wage in the state, averaging $487 in the first quarter of 2015. (See table 2.)

When all 120 counties in Kentucky were considered, 41 reported average weekly wages below $600, 41 reported average weekly wages from $600 to $699, 22 had wages from $700 to $799, 8 had wages from $800 to $899, and 8 had wages above $900. (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. The 2013 edition of this publication 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 Annual Averages 2013 are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2013.home.htm. The 2014 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2015.

The County Employment and Wages release for 2nd quarter 2015 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 17, 2015.

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 9.5 million employer reports cover 137.4 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.

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.