Employment increased in 24 of Florida’s 26 large counties from September 2018 to September 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2018.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increased by 3.0 percent or more over the year for three counties—Osceola, Manatee, and St. Lucie. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment increased 1.1 percent over the year with 283 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. New Hanover, NC, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 5.8 percent over the year. Bay, FL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 5.9 percent.

Among the 26 largest counties in Florida, employment was highest in Miami-Dade (1,157,200) in September 2019, while Bay County had the smallest employment level (74,700). Together, Florida’s large counties accounted for 88.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

Each of Florida’s 26 large counties had over-the-year wage increases from the third quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, with the largest gain in Bay County (8.7 percent). Hillsborough County had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties ($1,046), followed by Miami-Dade County ($1,039). Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.6 percent from a year ago to $1,093 in the third quarter of 2019.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 41 counties in Florida with employment below 75,000. Average weekly wages in these smaller counties ranged from $854 to $609. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Among Florida’s 26 largest counties, average weekly wage increases in Bay (8.7 percent, 5^th), Okaloosa (5.7 percent, 17^th), and Pasco (5.2 percent, 25^th) were in the top tenth of the national ranking in the third quarter of 2019. Average weekly wage growth in Florida’s other 23 large counties ranged from 4.6 percent to 0.9 percent.

Nationally, 350 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year wage increases. Boulder, CO, had the largest third quarter over-the-year wage gain at 18.4 percent. The remaining five large counties registered wage declines during the period. Linn, IA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-2.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in five of Florida’s large counties placed in the top half of the national ranking in the third quarter of 2019. However, no large county in Florida had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,093.

Nationally, 98 large counties reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2019. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $2,447. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 257 counties. At $659 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Florida’s smaller counties

All 41 smaller counties in Florida—those with employment below 75,000—had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,093. Among these counties, Hamilton had the highest average weekly wage at $854. Holmes County had the lowest average wage in the state at $609 per week.

When all 67 counties in Florida were considered, 17 had average weekly wages at or below $699, 24 had wages from $700 to $799, 14 had wages from $800 to $899, 7 had wages from $900 to $999, and 5 had wages of $1,000 or more. (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 2018 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2019, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2019 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm. The 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2020.

The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

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.

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 26 largest counties in Florida, third quarter 2019

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	148,556.5	1.1	--	$1,093	--	3.6	--
Florida	8,838.2	1.7	--	955	29	3.4	27
Alachua	134.4	1.0	171	937	225	2.7	257
Bay	74.7	-5.9	355	815	334	8.7	5
Brevard	221.8	1.8	84	958	203	1.9	305
Broward	819.4	0.5	226	1,000	171	4.1	103
Collier	145.8	2.2	60	920	247	4.0	114
Duval	525.2	1.7	93	1,008	164	2.9	238
Escambia	137.9	1.4	122	856	308	4.5	66
Hillsborough	708.0	2.8	35	1,046	135	3.8	132
Lake	101.3	1.9	76	741	348	2.5	267
Lee	264.3	2.1	64	854	312	3.6	157
Leon	152.9	0.6	217	901	274	4.6	60
Manatee	128.0	3.1	21	840	324	4.0	114
Marion	105.1	1.9	76	735	349	3.4	182
Miami-Dade	1,157.2	1.3	132	1,039	141	3.6	157
Okaloosa	85.7	1.9	76	894	278	5.7	17
Orange	868.5	1.9	76	958	203	3.1	212
Osceola	99.8	3.2	17	720	351	1.6	320
Palm Beach	606.6	1.3	132	1,009	161	2.3	283
Pasco	122.7	1.1	153	775	344	5.2	25
Pinellas	438.4	0.8	196	931	233	3.3	195
Polk	228.3	2.7	37	822	332	2.5	267
Sarasota	169.5	1.3	132	898	276	3.9	122
Seminole	200.2	1.4	122	929	234	0.9	339
St. Johns	79.0	2.3	54	851	313	3.0	227
St. Lucie	79.9	3.0	25	788	340	1.4	328
Volusia	173.5	-0.6	321	763	347	2.1	292
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 Florida, third quarter 2019

Area	Employment September 2019	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	148,556,525	$1,093
Florida	8,838,211	$955
Alachua	134,446	$937
Baker	7,588	$648
Bay	74,725	$815
Bradford	6,651	$717
Brevard	221,776	$958
Broward	819,355	$1,000
Calhoun	2,858	$639
Charlotte	47,750	$756
Citrus	32,203	$722
Clay	53,758	$746
Collier	145,782	$920
Columbia	24,856	$755
De Soto	9,084	$707
Dixie	2,790	$677
Duval	525,212	$1,008
Escambia	137,918	$856
Flagler	24,047	$667
Franklin	3,292	$631
Gadsden	15,315	$701
Gilchrist	3,636	$656
Glades	1,882	$814
Gulf	3,726	$720
Hamilton	3,125	$854
Hardee	6,637	$689
Hendry	11,319	$706
Hernando	45,147	$715
Highlands	26,917	$683
Hillsborough	707,966	$1,046
Holmes	3,525	$609
Indian River	52,297	$803
Jackson	14,610	$700
Jefferson	2,438	$670
Lafayette	1,377	$645
Lake	101,288	$741
Lee	264,337	$854
Leon	152,885	$901
Levy	8,819	$615
Liberty	1,889	$698
Madison	4,534	$639
Manatee	128,034	$840
Marion	105,060	$735
Martin	68,391	$807
Miami-Dade	1,157,209	$1,039
Monroe	40,374	$823
Nassau	23,740	$782
Okaloosa	85,664	$894
Okeechobee	11,440	$690
Orange	868,533	$958
Osceola	99,833	$720
Palm Beach	606,613	$1,009
Pasco	122,676	$775
Pinellas	438,378	$931
Polk	228,343	$822
Putnam	16,399	$738
St. Johns	78,987	$851
St. Lucie	79,878	$788
Santa Rosa	40,191	$715
Sarasota	169,540	$898
Seminole	200,174	$929
Sumter	31,503	$806
Suwannee	11,411	$684
Taylor	6,419	$743
Union	3,399	$746
Volusia	173,536	$763
Wakulla	5,943	$725
Walton	27,386	$778
Washington	6,108	$675
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: 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, third quarter 2019

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	September 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2018-19	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2018-19	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	148,556.5	1.1	$1,093	--	3.6	--
Alabama	1,989.5	1.1	919	36	3.8	18
Alaska	338.0	1.2	1,105	14	3.7	21
Arizona	2,913.4	2.6	1,018	22	4.5	4
Arkansas	1,222.8	0.0	841	49	3.8	18
California	17,713.1	1.4	1,309	5	3.8	18
Colorado	2,749.0	2.4	1,170	8	6.1	1
Connecticut	1,676.6	-0.3	1,236	6	2.3	50
Delaware	453.2	1.1	1,078	15	3.3	32
District of Columbia	776.4	0.6	1,851	1	2.5	49
Florida	8,838.2	1.7	955	29	3.4	27
Georgia	4,509.7	1.4	1,026	20	3.4	27
Hawaii	654.1	-0.3	1,012	23	3.9	15
Idaho	765.2	2.9	838	50	4.1	10
Illinois	6,023.1	0.0	1,125	10	3.6	23
Indiana	3,083.5	0.3	914	37	3.5	26
Iowa	1,556.9	0.1	914	37	3.0	39
Kansas	1,395.9	0.4	893	43	2.9	43
Kentucky	1,910.8	0.7	884	45	3.4	27
Louisiana	1,913.5	-0.3	923	35	2.6	47
Maine	632.6	0.9	887	44	4.2	7
Maryland	2,696.9	0.2	1,169	9	3.6	23
Massachusetts	3,642.5	0.9	1,359	2	4.2	7
Michigan	4,375.8	0.2	1,021	21	3.0	39
Minnesota	2,917.8	0.4	1,107	13	3.0	39
Mississippi	1,135.8	0.1	768	51	2.7	46
Missouri	2,826.5	0.6	942	31	3.9	15
Montana	478.9	1.2	848	48	3.9	15
Nebraska	984.7	0.3	908	39	4.0	13
Nevada	1,412.2	2.1	973	26	4.1	10
New Hampshire	667.9	0.8	1,075	16	3.4	27
New Jersey	4,104.0	0.9	1,217	7	3.0	39
New Mexico	842.1	1.7	899	40	5.1	2
New York	9,575.4	1.1	1,314	4	3.3	32
North Carolina	4,501.3	2.2	972	27	3.6	23
North Dakota	428.4	0.9	1,028	19	3.3	32
Ohio	5,443.3	0.3	976	25	3.1	37
Oklahoma	1,628.8	0.5	897	41	2.6	47
Oregon	1,970.7	1.4	1,037	18	3.2	35
Pennsylvania	5,947.9	0.8	1,064	17	3.2	35
Rhode Island	491.3	0.6	991	24	2.8	44
South Carolina	2,132.4	2.2	866	46	3.7	21
South Dakota	433.4	0.4	855	47	3.4	27
Tennessee	3,060.8	1.9	966	28	2.8	44
Texas	12,603.2	2.1	1,109	12	4.1	10
Utah	1,535.2	2.8	954	30	4.8	3
Vermont	311.0	0.0	927	34	4.3	5
Virginia	3,931.4	1.0	1,125	10	4.0	13
Washington	3,489.8	2.1	1,335	3	4.3	5
West Virginia	694.4	-1.8	897	41	0.3	51
Wisconsin	2,893.8	0.1	929	33	3.1	37
Wyoming	283.1	1.5	942	31	4.2	7
Puerto Rico	878.9	1.9	528	(3)	-0.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	37.8	9.6	1,012	(3)	12.8	(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.