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News Release Information

24-541-ATL
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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

County Employment and Wages in North Carolina — Third Quarter 2023

Employment rose in 12 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina from September 2022 to September 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Cabarrus County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 3.7 percent, followed by Iredell County (+3.5 percent) and Wake County (+3.0 percent). (See chart1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 1.5 percent over the year, with 309 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Hall, GA, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+5.4 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-7.3 percent).

Among the 14 largest counties in North Carolina, employment was highest in Mecklenburg County (780,800) in September 2023. Within Mecklenburg County’s private industry, finance and insurance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 14 largest North Carolina counties accounted for 62.3 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 86 counties in North Carolina with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 86 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Ten of North Carolina’s largest counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Durham County had the largest gain (+3.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among North Carolina’s other nine large counties ranged from 1.3 percent to 0.2 percent.


Nationwide, wages increased by 0.1 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 169 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+7.7 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.0 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 4 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina were above the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in two of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Durham ($1,741, 14th) and Mecklenburg ($1,515, 38th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 92 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2023. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,288). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($793).

Smaller county average weekly wages

Among the 86 smaller counties in North Carolina—those with employment below 75,000—Union ($1,103) reported the highest average weekly wage. Pamlico County ($663) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 100 counties in North Carolina were considered, 29 reported average weekly wages of less than $850, 42 registered wages from $850 to $949, 18 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in North Carolina, third quarter 2023.

(U.S. average = $1,334)

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 for the County Employment and Wages News Release or visit the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for the fourth quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 14 largest counties in North Carolina, third quarter 2023
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2023 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2022–23 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,026.4 153,772.8 1.5 -- 1,334 -- 0.1 --

North Carolina

375.6 4,835.1 2.0 -- 1,222 24 1.2 6

Buncombe

12.9 137.7 1.4 155 1,068 297 0.5 122

Cabarrus

6.6 85.1 3.7 10 1,024 322 1.3 57

Catawba

5.2 90.1 -0.3 321 1,020 323 -1.4 283

Cumberland

7.6 122.6 1.3 170 1,029 319 (5) -

Durham

11.6 233.9 2.3 68 1,741 14 3.8 6

Forsyth

11.4 190.7 -0.2 318 1,194 184 0.8 85

Gaston

5.6 77.2 1.2 181 989 336 0.7 97

Guilford

17.6 285.7 0.2 296 1,109 254 -0.7 227

Iredell

7.1 82.7 3.5 14 1,132 235 -3.0 342

Mecklenburg

52.9 780.8 2.3 68 1,515 38 0.7 97

New Hanover

11.2 128.5 2.0 95 1,118 246 1.1 69

Orange

5.5 77.4 2.3 68 1,421 61 0.2 153

Pitt

4.5 80.7 1.3 170 1,054 307 1.2 60

Wake

50.5 637.9 3.0 29 1,365 76 0.7 97

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.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.

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 North Carolina, third quarter 2023
Area Establishments Employment September 2023 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,026,378 153,772,811 1,334

North Carolina

375,569 4,835,062 1,222

Alamance

4,345 67,124 972

Alexander

700 8,487 804

Alleghany

352 3,262 780

Anson

514 6,725 816

Ashe

760 7,384 812

Avery

715 7,525 795

Beaufort

1,376 15,625 870

Bertie

341 5,003 800

Bladen

692 13,699 868

Brunswick

4,255 39,910 925

Buncombe

12,940 137,710 1,068

Burke

1,738 29,464 875

Cabarrus

6,637 85,059 1,024

Caldwell

1,591 25,311 913

Camden

226 1,268 895

Carteret

2,717 24,885 822

Caswell

310 2,945 850

Catawba

5,249 90,059 1,020

Chatham

2,114 17,444 937

Cherokee

888 7,920 820

Chowan

432 5,074 885

Clay

352 2,151 888

Cleveland

2,335 36,728 995

Columbus

1,223 14,776 874

Craven

2,774 40,918 1,037

Cumberland

7,597 122,572 1,029

Currituck

974 8,215 805

Dare

2,335 21,469 837

Davidson

3,395 46,538 979

Davie

1,107 13,523 933

Duplin

1,222 19,661 879

Durham

11,600 233,927 1,741

Edgecombe

1,025 15,240 867

Forsyth

11,375 190,661 1,194

Franklin

1,628 13,337 1,009

Gaston

5,628 77,201 989

Gates

194 1,342 791

Graham

212 1,936 877

Granville

1,128 20,396 1,030

Greene

387 4,506 841

Guilford

17,637 285,741 1,109

Halifax

1,100 15,261 833

Harnett

2,349 28,103 851

Haywood

1,977 17,262 868

Henderson

4,064 43,158 984

Hertford

491 8,442 900

Hoke

725 9,181 833

Hyde

202 1,843 785

Iredell

7,054 82,667 1,132

Jackson

1,336 14,756 917

Johnston

5,008 58,792 984

Jones

214 1,660 880

Lee

1,816 25,708 978

Lenoir

1,457 28,861 908

Lincoln

2,480 27,589 1,047

McDowell

982 15,705 855

Macon

1,456 12,330 866

Madison

565 4,155 812

Martin

499 6,192 716

Mecklenburg

52,862 780,786 1,515

Mitchell

445 5,032 934

Montgomery

610 9,056 878

Moore

3,368 38,541 965

Nash

2,435 39,470 959

New Hanover

11,176 128,519 1,118

Northampton

378 4,981 934

Onslow

4,336 53,606 865

Orange

5,460 77,395 1,421

Pamlico

360 3,668 663

Pasquotank

1,133 15,869 917

Pender

1,909 14,119 840

Perquimans

287 2,389 823

Person

819 9,447 900

Pitt

4,545 80,727 1,054

Polk

691 5,446 839

Randolph

2,977 42,479 871

Richmond

958 14,496 809

Robeson

2,222 38,141 847

Rockingham

1,888 24,666 843

Rowan

3,335 51,079 1,042

Rutherford

1,509 18,085 857

Sampson

1,311 17,122 863

Scotland

699 11,903 906

Stanly

1,679 20,293 919

Stokes

848 7,426 719

Surry

2,038 28,723 899

Swain

540 10,810 838

Transylvania

1,269 9,736 875

Tyrrell

101 929 786

Union

7,653 72,200 1,103

Vance

979 14,157 867

Wake

50,458 637,922 1,365

Warren

350 2,911 746

Washington

274 3,052 853

Watauga

2,005 25,313 881

Wayne

2,613 41,178 898

Wilkes

1,407 19,071 880

Wilson

2,185 35,855 987

Yadkin

803 9,897 831

Yancey

496 4,535 866

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, third quarter 2023
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2023
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2022–23
Third quarter
2023 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2022–23
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,026.4 153,772.8 1.5 1,334 -- 0.1 --

Alabama

157.7 2,079.6 1.8 1,121 35 0.4 24

Alaska

25.4 335.4 3.1 1,328 15 1.8 2

Arizona

223.1 3,163.8 2.1 1,248 20 -0.2 33

Arkansas

103.1 1,284.3 1.4 1,036 50 0.0 30

California

1,785.3 18,102.2 0.2 1,613 4 0.8 12

Colorado

261.9 2,888.7 2.3 1,431 8 -0.5 40

Connecticut

150.0 1,679.0 1.4 1,480 6 -0.6 42

Delaware

42.3 472.5 2.1 1,269 18 -1.6 51

District of Columbia

52.1 758.7 0.8 2,159 1 1.4 4

Florida

894.2 9,668.6 2.5 1,218 25 -0.1 31

Georgia

392.5 4,807.3 1.5 1,249 19 -0.2 33

Hawaii

57.4 627.9 0.7 1,226 23 1.1 8

Idaho

95.3 852.7 2.1 1,068 46 0.5 19

Illinois

411.3 6,044.1 0.8 1,346 12 -1.0 48

Indiana

192.3 3,175.6 1.0 1,115 36 -0.7 45

Iowa

110.5 1,559.7 1.0 1,112 37 -0.6 42

Kansas

99.7 1,419.7 1.3 1,087 43 0.3 25

Kentucky

152.2 1,985.4 2.0 1,092 42 1.0 11

Louisiana

155.4 1,886.6 0.5 1,107 40 0.6 15

Maine

64.9 649.1 1.5 1,129 34 1.1 8

Maryland

190.1 2,689.7 0.8 1,424 9 0.5 19

Massachusetts

295.8 3,653.5 0.5 1,643 3 -0.7 45

Michigan

325.5 4,422.2 1.9 1,228 22 -0.5 40

Minnesota

206.4 2,923.5 1.4 1,329 14 -1.3 50

Mississippi

88.3 1,163.1 0.9 927 51 -0.6 42

Missouri

250.4 2,894.1 1.5 1,152 31 0.3 25

Montana

66.9 513.2 1.5 1,072 45 1.2 6

Nebraska

78.3 1,014.0 2.3 1,111 38 -0.4 37

Nevada

107.5 1,537.8 2.8 1,201 27 -0.3 36

New Hampshire

66.3 687.6 1.4 1,350 11 -1.2 49

New Jersey

326.8 4,256.9 1.9 1,456 7 -0.4 37

New Mexico

67.9 857.2 1.6 1,096 41 1.1 8

New York

701.8 9,525.5 1.7 1,610 5 0.2 28

North Carolina

375.6 4,835.1 2.0 1,222 24 1.2 6

North Dakota

35.8 428.3 1.9 1,205 26 1.3 5

Ohio

344.4 5,488.1 1.3 1,185 30 -0.1 31

Oklahoma

131.1 1,684.9 2.1 1,052 48 0.5 19

Oregon

203.4 2,001.8 1.0 1,301 16 0.5 19

Pennsylvania

392.5 5,996.0 1.3 1,283 17 -0.9 47

Rhode Island

48.2 495.1 1.6 1,234 21 0.7 14

South Carolina

179.7 2,256.4 2.6 1,086 44 0.6 15

South Dakota

39.8 457.6 2.0 1,058 47 0.6 15

Tennessee

221.2 3,216.1 0.4 1,199 28 0.1 29

Texas

831.9 13,731.1 2.6 1,336 13 0.3 25

Utah

137.2 1,706.1 2.3 1,195 29 0.8 12

Vermont

32.4 306.5 1.4 1,141 32 -0.2 33

Virginia

315.8 4,053.6 1.8 1,383 10 0.5 19

Washington

242.6 3,618.1 1.3 1,682 2 1.5 3

West Virginia

59.1 695.3 1.8 1,044 49 0.6 15

Wisconsin

206.2 2,938.6 1.0 1,133 33 -0.4 37

Wyoming

30.6 285.2 2.1 1,111 38 2.4 1

Puerto Rico

53.6 940.2 1.6 633 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.8 35.1 1.9 953 (3) -4.0 (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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024