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News Release Information

21-2093-ATL
Wednesday, December 08, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

County Employment and Wages in Alabama — Second Quarter 2021

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.)

  Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Alabama, June 2021

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.

  Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Alabama, second quarter 2021

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.

  Chart 3. Average weekly wages by county in Alabama, second quarter 2021

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, December 08, 2021