Employment rose in all of Alabama’s six largest counties from June 2020 to June 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 6.2 percent in Madison County to 2.4 percent in Tuscaloosa County. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 6.7 percent over the year, with 339 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 36.8 percent. Calcasieu, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.9 percent.

Among the six largest counties in Alabama, employment was highest in Jefferson County (342,300) in June 2021. Within Jefferson County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the six largest Alabama counties accounted for 52.1 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.2 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 61 counties in Alabama with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 60 of the 61 smaller counties were below the national average in the second quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All six large Alabama counties reported average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Tuscaloosa County had the largest wage gain at 6.1 percent, followed by Jefferson County (+5.2 percent) and Mobile County (+5.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Alabama’s other three large counties ranged from 4.8 percent to 2.6 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 302 had over-the-year wage increases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+29.7 percent). Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.4 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Among Alabama’s six largest counties, Madison ($1,288) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,241 in the second quarter of 2021.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 90 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2021. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,516. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 253 counties. At $728 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Alabama’s smaller counties

Among the 61 smaller counties in Alabama—those with employment below 75,000—Washington ($1,294) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,241. Perry County ($673) had the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 67 counties in Alabama were considered, 30 had average weekly wages of $799 or lower, 20 had wages from $800-$899, 7 had wages from $900-$999, and 10 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.)

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 third quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for third quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the six largest counties in Alabama, second quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, second quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Second quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	10,863.2	144,044.8	6.7	--	$1,241	--	4.5	--
Alabama	137.8	1,952.0	4.4	--	1,010	35	4.8	15
Jefferson	20.2	342.3	4.0	273	1,171	132	5.2	83
Madison	10.9	210.8	6.2	156	1,288	74	2.6	201
Mobile	10.8	166.5	3.5	298	1,004	258	5.0	90
Montgomery	6.6	126.0	3.7	290	984	280	4.8	97
Shelby	6.3	83.6	4.2	262	1,104	178	4.5	113
Tuscaloosa	4.8	88.7	2.4	327	975	284	6.1	43
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) 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 establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Alabama, second quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment June 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	10,863,217	144,044,799	$1,241
Alabama	137,847	1,951,992	1,010
Autauga	951	11,131	794
Baldwin	7,057	78,639	820
Barbour	573	7,643	752
Bibb	378	4,793	857
Blount	846	8,579	746
Bullock	194	2,863	812
Butler	503	6,404	756
Calhoun	2,611	43,369	838
Chambers	658	8,190	776
Cherokee	434	5,328	724
Chilton	836	9,112	779
Choctaw	339	3,623	1,016
Clarke	694	7,987	864
Clay	235	4,247	767
Cleburne	249	2,134	991
Coffee	1,127	16,108	767
Colbert	1,412	23,198	949
Conecuh	258	3,204	781
Coosa	145	1,339	758
Covington	948	11,917	772
Crenshaw	278	3,377	841
Cullman	1,939	28,774	858
Dale	918	17,365	1,070
Dallas	866	11,173	791
DeKalb	1,290	22,213	809
Elmore	1,505	19,999	740
Escambia	860	12,188	840
Etowah	2,192	31,663	783
Fayette	349	4,067	705
Franklin	607	10,596	775
Geneva	534	5,071	690
Greene	171	1,902	760
Hale	296	2,530	794
Henry	359	3,575	798
Houston	3,169	47,773	910
Jackson	1,053	15,048	827
Jefferson	20,209	342,254	1,171
Lamar	288	3,329	823
Lauderdale	2,159	28,791	769
Lawrence	482	4,950	768
Lee	3,567	58,891	864
Limestone	1,588	25,204	1,003
Lowndes	184	1,995	1,003
Macon	271	4,485	935
Madison	10,919	210,768	1,288
Marengo	521	7,108	882
Marion	642	10,612	783
Marshall	2,193	38,306	799
Mobile	10,848	166,490	1,004
Monroe	470	6,106	899
Montgomery	6,612	126,037	984
Morgan	2,906	49,639	1,001
Perry	162	1,861	673
Pickens	350	3,532	817
Pike	745	14,833	864
Randolph	415	4,642	710
Russell	1,013	13,577	803
St. Clair	1,656	19,070	829
Shelby	6,302	83,627	1,104
Sumter	272	2,664	839
Talladega	1,440	29,320	909
Tallapoosa	913	12,711	775
Tuscaloosa	4,797	88,732	975
Walker	1,432	17,631	797
Washington	274	3,497	1,294
Wilcox	251	2,574	892
Winston	483	8,193	798
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, second quarter 2021

State	Establishments, second quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2020–21	Second quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (2)	10,863.2	144,044.8	6.7	$1,241	--	4.5	--
Alabama	137.8	1,952.0	4.4	1,010	35	4.8	15
Alaska	23.7	315.5	6.7	1,181	17	-1.2	51
Arizona	180.2	2,857.8	5.3	1,154	20	5.9	6
Arkansas	96.1	1,205.3	4.4	974	45	5.2	12
California	1,662.9	16,992.1	7.0	1,579	3	7.5	5
Colorado	228.9	2,723.9	7.1	1,283	10	4.4	19
Connecticut	130.1	1,604.1	7.9	1,411	6	0.6	47
Delaware	35.1	440.1	5.1	1,165	19	1.7	41
District of Columbia	44.0	724.6	3.3	2,096	1	5.4	8
Florida	782.5	8,654.0	6.7	1,113	24	7.7	3
Georgia	337.0	4,453.5	6.5	1,139	22	5.9	6
Hawaii	48.7	590.5	12.7	1,117	23	0.7	46
Idaho	76.4	801.8	7.3	930	50	5.3	10
Illinois	394.6	5,743.5	6.5	1,260	11	3.5	25
Indiana	178.2	3,011.8	5.2	1,013	34	5.4	8
Iowa	106.1	1,528.0	4.8	999	38	2.1	38
Kansas	90.5	1,356.0	4.0	995	41	2.7	30
Kentucky	132.4	1,851.2	5.6	999	38	2.9	28
Louisiana	142.7	1,806.6	5.4	1,005	36	2.0	39
Maine	57.0	623.0	8.7	1,005	36	2.4	33
Maryland	175.6	2,599.7	6.8	1,319	9	1.0	44
Massachusetts	277.4	3,497.0	10.1	1,591	2	1.1	43
Michigan	270.2	4,175.6	8.4	1,143	21	2.5	32
Minnesota	192.8	2,814.5	6.4	1,240	13	3.3	26
Mississippi	75.7	1,107.1	4.1	843	51	3.8	22
Missouri	221.6	2,759.3	5.3	1,052	32	3.6	23
Montana	55.1	490.7	7.0	959	47	4.5	18
Nebraska	74.4	976.6	4.8	997	40	3.9	21
Nevada	93.9	1,353.9	14.0	1,106	25	5.3	10
New Hampshire	58.5	657.4	8.7	1,345	8	10.6	1
New Jersey	300.4	3,993.8	12.0	1,387	7	0.8	45
New Mexico	63.0	790.6	4.3	987	42	2.9	28
New York	667.9	8,885.4	9.2	1,540	5	1.3	42
North Carolina	311.1	4,511.3	7.2	1,092	27	5.1	14
North Dakota	32.6	407.4	4.3	1,067	29	0.6	47
Ohio	312.4	5,266.7	4.3	1,068	28	3.6	23
Oklahoma	114.6	1,568.7	3.1	963	46	2.4	33
Oregon	169.2	1,899.6	5.6	1,196	15	4.8	15
Pennsylvania	370.9	5,674.7	6.9	1,193	16	2.0	39
Rhode Island	42.1	472.2	10.0	1,168	18	-0.3	50
South Carolina	150.1	2,091.9	4.9	977	44	5.2	12
South Dakota	36.3	442.3	6.4	936	49	2.6	31
Tennessee	182.3	3,012.4	5.9	1,094	26	7.6	4
Texas	758.0	12,466.7	5.7	1,210	14	4.7	17
Utah	119.9	1,586.0	7.6	1,060	30	4.2	20
Vermont	27.8	292.4	7.5	1,053	31	-0.2	49
Virginia	293.6	3,854.3	6.1	1,257	12	3.2	27
Washington	263.6	3,376.7	5.7	1,547	4	8.3	2
West Virginia	52.7	663.8	4.8	955	48	2.2	37
Wisconsin	186.5	2,845.7	5.7	1,037	33	2.3	35
Wyoming	28.2	275.1	5.6	987	42	2.3	35
Puerto Rico	47.6	867.2	8.6	567	(3)	2.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.5	35.7	0.0	923	(3)	-8.4	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (3) Data not included in the national ranking. (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.