Employment increased in Mississippi’s two 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 Harrison County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 6.6 percent. (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 Mississippi’s two large counties, employment was higher in Hinds County (112,300) in June 2021. Within Hinds County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, Hinds and Harrison Counties accounted for 17.8 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 80 counties in Mississippi with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in each of the 80 smaller counties were below the national average in the second quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Average weekly wages increased in both of Mississippi’s largest counties from the second quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Hinds County (+3.9 percent) and Harrison County (+1.8 percent) each had a rate of wage gain that was below the national rate of 4.5 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

Average weekly wages in Hinds County ($962) and Harrison County ($828) were below the U.S. average of $1,241 and ranked 300^th and 339^th nationwide, respectively, 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 Mississippi’s smaller counties

Among the 80 counties in Mississippi—those with employment below 75,000—Claiborne ($1,164) had the highest average weekly wage in the state, while Issaquena County ($458) had the lowest average weekly wage.

When all 82 counties in Mississippi were considered, 14 had average weekly wages below $700, 30 had wages from $700 to $749, 15 had wages from $750 to $799, and 23 had average weekly wages of $800 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 two largest counties in Mississippi, 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	--
Mississippi	75.7	1,107.1	4.1	--	843	51	3.8	22
Harrison	4.7	84.6	6.6	129	828	339	1.8	240
Hinds	5.5	112.3	1.6	332	962	300	3.9	144
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 Mississippi, second quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment June 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	10,863,217	144,044,799	$1,241
Mississippi	75,728	1,107,140	843
Adams	808	9,783	740
Alcorn	837	13,038	741
Amite	194	1,756	787
Attala	391	4,409	716
Benton	87	1,030	742
Bolivar	802	10,104	756
Calhoun	266	3,020	639
Carroll	140	1,049	675
Chickasaw	359	5,063	703
Choctaw	148	2,187	888
Claiborne	135	3,133	1,164
Clarke	230	2,726	702
Clay	390	5,522	782
Coahoma	588	6,944	750
Copiah	469	6,138	679
Covington	360	5,669	753
De Soto	3,252	64,601	792
Forrest	1,816	38,442	845
Franklin	131	1,406	837
George	360	4,835	725
Greene	146	1,874	660
Grenada	561	9,752	753
Hancock	907	14,306	1,064
Harrison	4,679	84,640	828
Hinds	5,499	112,296	962
Holmes	285	2,962	760
Humphreys	171	2,005	614
Issaquena	34	171	458
Itawamba	372	5,824	740
Jackson	2,471	49,348	1,009
Jasper	219	3,966	847
Jefferson	70	912	716
Jefferson Davis	144	1,357	706
Jones	1,342	25,629	798
Kemper	123	1,706	719
Lafayette	1,387	23,416	821
Lamar	1,454	19,429	725
Lauderdale	1,844	30,655	791
Lawrence	193	2,405	837
Leake	333	4,976	735
Lee	2,503	54,206	848
Leflore	805	14,185	735
Lincoln	819	12,539	801
Lowndes	1,523	23,808	900
Madison	3,572	52,750	917
Marion	571	8,352	748
Marshall	484	9,287	854
Monroe	627	9,937	817
Montgomery	221	2,273	652
Neshoba	552	11,908	716
Newton	354	5,402	740
Noxubee	223	2,260	722
Oktibbeha	988	19,804	791
Panola	627	9,928	756
Pearl River	879	10,394	700
Perry	165	2,270	805
Pike	986	14,535	685
Pontotoc	526	12,117	710
Prentiss	536	7,563	710
Quitman	136	997	610
Rankin	4,124	61,946	869
Scott	513	12,625	743
Sharkey	147	1,041	631
Simpson	466	7,019	593
Smith	188	2,269	879
Stone	306	4,690	714
Sunflower	526	7,801	666
Tallahatchie	215	2,404	722
Tate	404	5,555	715
Tippah	382	6,473	717
Tishomingo	440	6,328	745
Tunica	263	5,502	750
Union	541	10,803	917
Walthall	216	2,367	628
Warren	1,080	18,596	927
Washington	1,204	15,283	719
Wayne	393	4,721	751
Webster	201	1,980	706
Wilkinson	139	1,560	670
Winston	349	4,934	739
Yalobusha	202	2,681	764
Yazoo	427	5,944	857
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.