For Release: Friday, October 16, 2015

15-2025-ATL

SOUTHEAST INFORMATION OFFICE: Atlanta, Ga.
Technical information: (404) 893-4222 BLSInfoAtlanta@bls.gov www.bls.gov/regions/southeast
Media contact: (404) 893-4220

County Employment And Wages In Kentucky – First Quarter 2015

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 119th among the nation’s 342 large counties. Fayette County’s 1.6-percent increase ranked 185th. Boone County’s 1.3-percent advance ranked 223rd. (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, 112th) 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, 199th) and Boone ($833, 251st) 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.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 3 largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2015
Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 3 largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2015
AreaEmploymentAverage Weekly Wage (1)
March 2015 (thousands)Percent change, March 2014-15 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)Average weekly wageNational ranking by level (3)Percent change, first quarter 2014-15 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
- ContinuedNote: See footnotes at end of table.

United States (4)

137,412.42.1--$1,048--2.1--

Kentucky

1,810.31.5--823411.535

Boone, Ky.

79.13.0908332511.3223

Fayette, Ky.

184.92.71128831991.6185

Jefferson, Ky.

442.32.51271,0161122.3119

Footnotes:
(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: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Footnotes:
(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: 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 employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Kentucky, 1st quarter 2015
Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Kentucky, 1st quarter 2015
AreaEmployment March 2015Average Weekly Wage (1)
 
 
 
- Continued

United States (2)

137,412,381$1,048

Kentucky

1,810,284823

Adair

4,712524

Allen

4,077645

Anderson

4,446640

Ballard

2,1341,105

Barren

16,385638

Bath

1,770626

Bell

8,515587

Boone

79,057833

Bourbon

6,768711

Boyd

25,033821

Boyle

13,335722

Bracken

1,318612

Breathitt

3,181631

Breckinridge

3,455581

Bullitt

21,966633

Butler

2,814606

Caldwell

4,098587

Calloway

16,201590

Campbell

28,269761

Carlisle

990521

Carroll

6,3811,063

Carter

5,679566

Casey

3,767559

Christian

32,170726

Clark

13,713743

Clay

4,037634

Clinton

3,746536

Crittenden

1,897496

Cumberland

1,655574

Daviess

44,433719

Edmonson

1,496589

Elliott

897528

Estill

2,366591

Fayette

184,932883

Fleming

3,035560

Floyd

11,006685

Franklin

30,579778

Fulton

2,159652

Gallatin

2,605930

Garrard

2,268602

Grant

4,771697

Graves

10,890648

Grayson

7,497590

Green

1,765498

Greenup

7,666685

Hancock

4,4251,265

Hardin

45,785751

Harlan

6,448666

Harrison

4,759768

Hart

4,846620

Henderson

19,649740

Henry

2,637663

Hickman

1,067516

Hopkins

17,143773

Jackson

1,765573

Jefferson

442,3161,016

Jessamine

15,784681

Johnson

5,576618

Kenton

63,579936

Knott

2,455646

Knox

7,730579

Larue

2,631540

Laurel

25,274623

Lawrence

3,251676

Lee

1,678581

Leslie

1,715615

Letcher

4,606657

Lewis

1,922529

Lincoln

4,163585

Livingston

2,613742

Logan

8,167728

Lyon

2,169524

McCracken

37,293763

McCreary

2,662630

McLean

1,987603

Madison

33,687686

Magoffin

1,945516

Marion

8,042712

Marshall

10,903875

Martin

2,602836

Mason

9,115755

Meade

4,163644

Menifee

868569

Mercer

6,154909

Metcalfe

1,775608

Monroe

3,084534

Montgomery

10,726661

Morgan

2,827566

Muhlenberg

9,395786

Nelson

14,630686

Nicholas

807524

Ohio

7,303589

Oldham

14,701742

Owen

1,702693

Owsley

648497

Pendleton

2,283770

Perry

11,952692

Pike

21,791778

Powell

2,471556

Pulaski

25,076629

Robertson

281487

Rockcastle

3,505569

Rowan

10,111597

Russell

5,249545

Scott

25,281882

Shelby

15,448690

Simpson

8,576651

Spencer

1,846600

Taylor

10,808601

Todd

2,230541

Trigg

3,111564

Trimble

1,026839

Union

5,054882

Warren

59,656775

Washington

3,319667

Wayne

5,172536

Webster

3,4931,021

Whitley

11,506647

Wolfe

1,201518

Woodford

8,936729

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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, first quarter 2015
Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, first quarter 2015
StateEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2015 (thousands)Percent change, March 2014-15Average weekly wageNational ranking by levelPercent change, first quarter 2014-15National ranking by percent change
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
- ContinuedNote: See footnotes at end of table.

United States (2)

137,412.42.1$1,048--2.1--

Alabama

1,873.51.3844392.219

Alaska

322.21.01,051152.610

Arizona

2,605.62.5926231.045

Arkansas

1,166.61.3790470.847

California

16,029.53.01,20763.73

Colorado

2,458.03.71,071132.416

Connecticut

1,640.50.81,38231.535

Delaware

422.82.51,1059-0.551

District of Columbia

732.61.41,76413.24

Florida

8,018.03.6885281.827

Georgia

4,107.03.5989181.731

Hawaii

633.71.3881312.89

Idaho

650.33.1736502.219

Illinois

5,724.61.21,13072.416

Indiana

2,894.81.8857351.438

Iowa

1,504.31.3848372.97

Kansas

1,357.11.0851361.438

Kentucky

1,810.31.5823411.535

Louisiana

1,927.11.0885282.021

Maine

571.40.9793450.946

Maryland

2,540.81.21,11382.512

Massachusetts

3,338.61.71,34143.24

Michigan

4,079.51.8969211.924

Minnesota

2,709.21.81,079124.31

Mississippi

1,102.30.6711510.748

Missouri

2,678.01.7882301.827

Montana

441.02.7750492.610

Nebraska

943.11.4818422.512

Nevada

1,227.73.786534-0.250

New Hampshire

623.51.5982201.243

New Jersey

3,834.61.41,28851.924

New Mexico

798.71.4805431.535

New York

8,865.01.91,46320.249

North Carolina

4,099.42.5930221.924

North Dakota

436.01.6984194.22

Ohio

5,144.51.4922241.438

Oklahoma

1,592.71.3869332.021

Oregon

1,748.73.5919252.97

Pennsylvania

5,606.90.91,031162.416

Rhode Island

456.11.41,008171.243

South Carolina

1,919.12.5801441.827

South Dakota

406.51.5763483.06

Tennessee

2,772.72.1886271.438

Texas

11,557.02.91,089102.512

Utah

1,318.83.7845381.731

Vermont

303.90.9824402.021

Virginia

3,649.31.11,068141.731

Washington

3,064.43.21,087111.827

West Virginia

692.4-0.3792461.438

Wisconsin

2,734.31.5877322.512

Wyoming

277.80.8892261.731

Puerto Rico

904.9-1.1524(3)1.0(3)

Virgin Islands

38.50.0738(3)-0.7(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.

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.


 Chart 1. Average weekly wages in Kentucky, first quarter 2015