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News Release Information

23-505-ATL
Thursday, March 23, 2023

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

County Employment and Wages in South Carolina — Third Quarter 2022

Employment increased in all of South Carolina’s seven largest counties from September 2021 to September 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Charleston County and Horry County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 6.1 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 4.3 percent over the year, with 346 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Orleans, LA, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 10.7 percent. Deschutes, OR, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.4 percent.

Among the seven largest counties in South Carolina, employment was highest in Greenville County (289,000) in September 2022. Together, the seven largest South Carolina counties accounted for 59.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.8 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 39 counties in South Carolina with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 39 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All seven large South Carolina counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Charleston County had the largest gain (+10.7 percent) followed by York County (+10.2 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among South Carolina’s other five large counties ranged from 9.4 percent to 7.3 percent.


Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 345 had over-the-year wage increases. Midland, TX, had the largest percentage wage increase (+13.9 percent). San Mateo, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-19.6 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in all seven of South Carolina’s largest counties were below the national average of $1,334 in the third quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages in South Carolina’s large counties ranged from $1,232 in Charleston County to $871 in Horry County.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 91 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2022. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,061. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 264 counties. At $812 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in South Carolina’s smaller counties

All 39 smaller counties in South Carolina—those with employment below 75,000—had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,334. Among these smaller counties, Lancaster had the highest average weekly wage at $1,139. McCormick County ($754) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 46 counties in South Carolina were considered, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 9 had wages from $800 to $899, 17 had average weekly wages from $900 to $999, 7 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 7 had average weekly wages of $1,100 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 fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 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.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

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.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest counties in South Carolina, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 -- $1,334 -- 6.7 --

South Carolina

166.6 2,200.9 4.7 -- 1,079 44 9.4 6

Charleston

19.9 269.8 6.1 27 1,232 159 10.7 25

Greenville

18.2 289.0 4.6 80 1,126 234 9.3 80

Horry

11.1 140.5 5.8 36 871 352 8.1 143

Lexington

8.1 125.9 2.1 281 1,003 331 8.1 143

Richland

11.7 224.0 3.4 158 1,116 247 7.3 189

Spartanburg

7.5 151.5 3.4 158 1,064 298 9.4 74

York

7.8 103.0 2.5 252 1,106 254 10.2 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 South Carolina, third quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment September 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,608,876 151,239,638 $1,334

South Carolina

166,562 2,200,900 1,079

Abbeville

405 5,406 917

Aiken

3,412 61,950 1,131

Allendale

176 2,391 957

Anderson

4,169 70,328 926

Bamberg

317 3,549 774

Barnwell

417 4,955 792

Beaufort

7,108 69,797 968

Berkeley

4,396 59,591 1,136

Calhoun

268 4,541 1,079

Charleston

19,911 269,792 1,232

Cherokee

927 20,362 833

Chester

594 9,888 1,006

Chesterfield

746 14,476 896

Clarendon

612 6,717 760

Colleton

821 10,032 852

Darlington

1,177 21,019 1,012

Dillon

503 9,519 770

Dorchester

3,004 37,994 958

Edgefield

399 6,133 954

Fairfield

393 5,579 1,099

Florence

3,512 66,894 976

Georgetown

2,230 25,663 909

Greenville

18,206 288,958 1,126

Greenwood

1,496 27,659 939

Hampton

386 4,613 996

Horry

11,149 140,463 871

Jasper

833 10,170 997

Kershaw

1,443 18,225 869

Lancaster

1,907 27,008 1,139

Laurens

964 20,805 929

Lee

299 3,672 863

Lexington

8,083 125,865 1,003

McCormick

247 2,047 754

Marion

477 6,869 787

Marlboro

340 6,075 910

Newberry

874 15,507 876

Oconee

1,895 24,515 1,026

Orangeburg

1,741 28,214 898

Pickens

2,694 37,907 957

Richland

11,729 224,030 1,116

Saluda

285 4,854 822

Spartanburg

7,504 151,548 1,064

Sumter

2,211 36,425 946

Union

472 7,237 908

Williamsburg

616 7,670 946

York

7,824 103,032 1,106

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 2022
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2021–22
Third quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,608.9 151,239.6 4.3 $1,334 -- 6.7 --

Alabama

150.1 2,031.6 3.2 1,120 35 9.1 9

Alaska

24.9 325.2 2.5 1,304 15 8.2 29

Arizona

205.4 3,080.6 3.9 1,251 20 7.7 36

Arkansas

100.1 1,262.1 4.4 1,036 50 7.5 38

California

1,741.3 18,051.1 4.9 1,601 5 1.5 50

Colorado

247.1 2,813.9 3.3 1,432 8 8.5 22

Connecticut

140.6 1,652.8 2.8 1,491 6 6.5 42

Delaware

39.7 465.7 5.1 1,292 18 8.4 25

District of Columbia

49.0 756.6 2.7 2,134 1 4.5 48

Florida

860.6 9,417.2 5.6 1,220 23 9.0 11

Georgia

378.4 4,726.4 5.1 1,255 19 8.5 22

Hawaii

52.8 623.2 4.5 1,208 24 5.1 46

Idaho

86.7 834.7 3.8 1,063 45 11.5 1

Illinois

410.9 5,982.2 3.9 1,361 12 6.9 40

Indiana

188.3 3,140.6 3.9 1,123 34 8.6 19

Iowa

111.1 1,541.1 1.9 1,118 36 10.1 3

Kansas

95.6 1,401.3 3.7 1,085 41 8.8 15

Kentucky

142.9 1,941.5 3.8 1,082 43 9.4 6

Louisiana

150.7 1,866.3 4.5 1,103 39 8.2 29

Maine

62.2 637.7 2.5 1,117 37 8.4 25

Maryland

188.3 2,669.1 2.5 1,418 9 7.9 32

Massachusetts

292.6 3,628.8 3.6 1,651 3 3.6 49

Michigan

296.0 4,334.0 3.5 1,236 21 7.2 39

Minnesota

201.6 2,880.9 3.4 1,346 13 7.9 32

Mississippi

81.5 1,151.8 2.4 933 51 8.7 17

Missouri

236.9 2,849.2 3.2 1,149 31 8.9 14

Montana

61.2 505.5 3.9 1,059 46 10.0 4

Nebraska

80.5 989.2 2.4 1,117 37 9.9 5

Nevada

107.0 1,496.1 7.5 1,205 26 6.2 43

New Hampshire

63.8 677.3 3.4 1,365 11 1.2 51

New Jersey

320.9 4,176.5 5.0 1,461 7 5.6 44

New Mexico

70.9 838.1 3.5 1,087 40 9.1 9

New York

683.2 9,355.0 4.8 1,608 4 4.8 47

North Carolina

348.9 4,737.5 4.9 1,207 25 8.5 22

North Dakota

34.5 419.8 2.9 1,190 28 10.7 2

Ohio

328.9 5,402.7 2.9 1,187 29 8.1 31

Oklahoma

123.9 1,646.6 3.8 1,047 48 8.6 19

Oregon

179.5 1,932.6 1.1 1,301 16 6.6 41

Pennsylvania

390.7 5,913.7 3.8 1,296 17 7.6 37

Rhode Island

46.5 487.3 3.1 1,225 22 8.3 27

South Carolina

166.6 2,200.9 4.7 1,079 44 9.4 6

South Dakota

39.1 448.5 2.9 1,052 47 9.0 11

Tennessee

204.0 3,202.4 5.1 1,198 27 7.9 32

Texas

805.5 13,371.1 5.9 1,333 14 8.6 19

Utah

134.1 1,663.9 4.4 1,186 30 9.0 11

Vermont

30.8 300.6 2.4 1,142 32 7.9 32

Virginia

330.1 3,979.4 3.4 1,380 10 9.3 8

Washington

235.3 3,572.9 4.4 1,657 2 5.2 45

West Virginia

56.8 678.8 1.9 1,042 49 8.3 27

Wisconsin

200.7 2,899.1 2.8 1,140 33 8.7 17

Wyoming

29.9 278.2 2.3 1,083 42 8.8 15

Puerto Rico

50.0 924.6 3.9 616 (3) 8.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 34.3 -1.0 1,030 (3) 9.2 (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.

Chart 3. Average weekly wages by country in South Carolina, third quarter 2022

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023