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19-1555-DAL
Monday, September 09, 2019
Employment rose in 4 of the 7 largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2018 to March 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties/parishes are those with 2018 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that the rate of job growth in St. Tammany Parish, 2.2 percent, ranked 69th highest among the 355 large U.S. counties. (See table 1.)
Nationally, employment advanced 1.4 percent from March 2018 to March 2019 as 298 of the 355 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Midland, TX, had the largest percentage increase, up 5.8 percent over the year. Bay, FL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 5.9 percent.
Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge (267,600) in March 2019, followed by Orleans (197,800) and Jefferson (188,200). Together, Louisiana's seven large parishes accounted for 56.7 percent of the state’s total employment. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.5 percent of total U.S. employment.
From the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019, Calcasieu recorded the biggest increase in average weekly wages among the large Louisiana parishes, with a gain of 5.1 percent. (See table 1.) Orleans had the highest average wage among the largest parishes at $1,064 per week. Nationally, average weekly wages increased 2.8 percent over the year to $1,184.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 57 parishes in Louisiana with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in six of these smaller parishes were above the national average. (See table 2.)
Large parish wage changesAverage weekly wages rose in all seven large Louisiana parishes from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. Calcasieu Parish’s 5.1-percent rise in average weekly wages ranked 31st among the nation’s 355 largest counties. (See table 1.) Jefferson Parish’s 3.3-percent weekly wage increase ranked 110th in the nation. The smallest increase among the large Louisiana parishes was in Orleans (0.8 percent, 303rd). Over-the-year wage gains in the remaining four large parishes ranged from 2.8 percent to 2.2 percent.
Among the 355 largest U.S. counties, 325 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. San Francisco, CA, had the largest over-the-year wage gain, up 10.2 percent from the first quarter of 2018. Over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages occurred in 28 large U.S. counties. Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 7.6 percent.
Large parish average weekly wagesWeekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,184 in the first quarter of 2019. However, average weekly wage levels in two of these parishes placed in the top half of the national ranking. Orleans ($1,064) had the highest average weekly wage among the state's large parishes and ranked 153rd in the country, followed by East Baton Rouge ($1,050, 166th). Average weekly wages in the five remaining large parishes ranged from $1,007 to $859 and placed in bottom half of the national ranking.
In the first quarter of 2019, 263 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reported wages below the national weekly average of $1,184. Cameron, TX, reported the lowest wage ($648), followed by Horry County, SC ($652), and Hidalgo, TX ($662).
Among the nation’s 355 largest counties, 92 registered weekly wages above the U.S. average. New York, NY, held the top position with an average weekly wage of $3,153. San Francisco, CA, was second at $2,759, closely followed by Santa Clara, CA, at $2,758. Average wages in the highest-ranked county, New York, NY, were nearly five times the average wage in the lowest-ranked county, Cameron, TX ($648).
Average weekly wages in Louisiana's smaller parishesFor smaller parishes in Louisiana – those with employment below 75,000 – 51 of 57 reported weekly wages below the national average ($1,184) in the first quarter of 2019. In the six remaining smaller parishes, wages not only exceeded the national average, but were also the highest in the state, ranging from $1,900 in Cameron to $1,419 in West Feliciana. Franklin Parish had the lowest weekly wages in the state at $574. (See table 2.)
When all 64 parishes were considered, 3 reported average weekly wages of $599 or less, 28 registered wages from $600 to $749, 11 had wages from $750 to $899, 11 had wages from $900 to $1,049, and 11 had wages of $1,050 or more. (See chart 1.) The higher-paying parishes were concentrated in the southern half of the state around the metropolitan areas of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. The lowest-paid parishes, those with weekly wages under $600, were located in the northeastern quadrant of the state.
Additional statistics and other informationQCEW 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. The 2018 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2019 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm.
The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data is now available in Census Business Builder Version 2.6, a suite of U.S. Census Bureau web tools that assists business owners and regional analysts in data-driven decision making. As the first collaboration of this type between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, this data-sharing project makes data more accessible for local users and enhances the efficiency of digital service delivery. The Census Business Builder is available at: www.census.gov/data/data-tools/cbb.html.
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 10.0 million employer reports cover 144.6 million full- and part-time workers. 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 (see Technical Note below) 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 sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Area | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2019 (thousands) | Percent change, March 2018-19 (2) | National ranking | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level (3) | Percent change, first quarter 2018-19 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | |
United States (4) | 146,497.6 | 1.4 | -- | $1,184 | -- | 2.8 | -- |
Louisiana | 1,916.8 | -0.1 | -- | 954 | 34 | 2.5 | 32 |
Caddo, La. | 111.5 | -0.3 | 316 | 859 | 314 | 2.3 | 200 |
Calcasieu, La. | 102.5 | -1.6 | 348 | 1,007 | 191 | 5.1 | 31 |
East Baton Rouge, La. | 267.6 | 0.3 | 263 | 1,050 | 166 | 2.2 | 212 |
Jefferson, La. | 188.2 | -0.2 | 308 | 960 | 223 | 3.3 | 110 |
Lafayette, La. | 130.4 | 1.0 | 184 | 914 | 273 | 2.8 | 153 |
Orleans, La. | 197.8 | 0.9 | 201 | 1,064 | 153 | 0.8 | 303 |
St. Tammany, La. | 89.3 | 2.2 | 69 | 921 | 270 | 2.8 | 153 |
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. | |||||||
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. |
Area | Employment March 2019 | Average weekly wage(1) |
---|---|---|
United States(2) | 146,497,599 | $1,184 |
Louisiana | 1,916,817 | 954 |
Acadia | 14,285 | 682 |
Allen | 7,643 | 735 |
Ascension | 47,501 | 1,151 |
Assumption | 3,795 | 825 |
Avoyelles | 10,373 | 601 |
Beauregard | 7,222 | 871 |
Bienville | 4,227 | 767 |
Bossier | 44,402 | 800 |
Caddo | 111,522 | 859 |
Calcasieu | 102,496 | 1,007 |
Caldwell | 2,265 | 637 |
Cameron | 9,467 | 1,900 |
Catahoula | 1,933 | 594 |
Claiborne | 3,417 | 736 |
Concordia | 5,109 | 677 |
De Soto | 6,967 | 1,044 |
East Baton Rouge | 267,609 | 1,050 |
East Carroll | 1,673 | 584 |
East Feliciana | 5,189 | 862 |
Evangeline | 7,661 | 649 |
Franklin | 4,742 | 574 |
Grant | 3,368 | 737 |
Iberia | 26,326 | 925 |
Iberville | 15,595 | 1,440 |
Jackson | 3,289 | 753 |
Jefferson | 188,182 | 960 |
Jefferson Davis | 8,021 | 709 |
La Salle | 4,684 | 745 |
Lafayette | 130,353 | 914 |
Lafourche | 33,727 | 961 |
Lincoln | 19,330 | 696 |
Livingston | 28,620 | 732 |
Madison | 3,061 | 600 |
Morehouse | 6,560 | 660 |
Natchitoches | 13,265 | 692 |
Orleans | 197,774 | 1,064 |
Ouachita | 70,299 | 800 |
Plaquemines | 12,171 | 1,450 |
Pointe Coupee | 5,250 | 911 |
Rapides | 56,397 | 796 |
Red River | 2,519 | 725 |
Richland | 6,453 | 641 |
Sabine | 5,417 | 687 |
St. Bernard | 10,027 | 1,043 |
St. Charles | 23,031 | 1,525 |
St. Helena | 1,542 | 711 |
St. James | 8,069 | 1,575 |
St. John the Baptist | 14,801 | 1,118 |
St. Landry | 23,708 | 698 |
St. Martin | 11,761 | 822 |
St. Mary | 21,236 | 969 |
St. Tammany | 89,287 | 921 |
Tangipahoa | 43,520 | 685 |
Tensas | 868 | 626 |
Terrebonne | 49,782 | 974 |
Union | 5,160 | 625 |
Vermilion | 12,544 | 747 |
Vernon | 12,547 | 767 |
Washington | 10,301 | 682 |
Webster | 11,707 | 736 |
West Baton Rouge | 12,840 | 1,127 |
West Carroll | 2,020 | 630 |
West Feliciana | 5,795 | 1,419 |
Winn | 4,441 | 730 |
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. | ||
Note: Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary. |
State | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2019 (thousands) | Percent change, March 2018-19 | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level | Percent change, first quarter 2018-19 | National ranking by percent change | |
United States (2) | 146,497.6 | 1.4 | $1,184 | -- | 2.8 | -- |
Alabama | 1,978.0 | 1.6 | 944 | 38 | 2.5 | 32 |
Alaska | 312.4 | 0.3 | 1,108 | 18 | 3.3 | 9 |
Arizona | 2,895.1 | 2.5 | 1,056 | 22 | 3.0 | 21 |
Arkansas | 1,218.5 | 0.7 | 896 | 45 | 2.2 | 38 |
California | 17,436.4 | 1.8 | 1,401 | 5 | 3.8 | 4 |
Colorado | 2,690.3 | 1.9 | 1,231 | 9 | 4.8 | 2 |
Connecticut | 1,650.6 | 0.0 | 1,487 | 4 | 2.3 | 34 |
Delaware | 444.1 | 1.3 | 1,199 | 13 | -0.1 | 51 |
District of Columbia | 773.5 | 0.5 | 1,921 | 1 | 0.2 | 49 |
Florida | 8,894.3 | 2.1 | 1,015 | 26 | 2.7 | 25 |
Georgia | 4,488.6 | 2.1 | 1,121 | 17 | 2.6 | 28 |
Hawaii | 658.1 | -0.4 | 1,006 | 27 | 3.4 | 8 |
Idaho | 732.3 | 2.7 | 828 | 50 | 2.3 | 34 |
Illinois | 5,912.0 | 0.1 | 1,275 | 8 | 2.7 | 25 |
Indiana | 3,059.1 | 1.2 | 963 | 33 | 0.9 | 48 |
Iowa | 1,527.1 | 0.1 | 942 | 39 | 2.3 | 34 |
Kansas | 1,379.3 | 0.6 | 940 | 40 | 3.2 | 12 |
Kentucky | 1,882.6 | 0.6 | 920 | 41 | 2.2 | 38 |
Louisiana | 1,916.8 | -0.1 | 954 | 34 | 2.5 | 32 |
Maine | 599.8 | 1.2 | 919 | 42 | 3.1 | 16 |
Maryland | 2,670.3 | 0.9 | 1,228 | 10 | 1.7 | 45 |
Massachusetts | 3,558.1 | 1.1 | 1,561 | 3 | 3.5 | 7 |
Michigan | 4,307.4 | 0.6 | 1,078 | 20 | 0.1 | 50 |
Minnesota | 2,840.8 | 0.5 | 1,203 | 12 | 2.3 | 34 |
Mississippi | 1,129.8 | 0.4 | 779 | 51 | 1.8 | 43 |
Missouri | 2,788.4 | 0.5 | 986 | 31 | 2.6 | 28 |
Montana | 458.8 | 0.9 | 844 | 49 | 3.1 | 16 |
Nebraska | 965.6 | 0.1 | 917 | 43 | 2.2 | 38 |
Nevada | 1,392.2 | 3.0 | 992 | 29 | 1.5 | 47 |
New Hampshire | 656.2 | 1.2 | 1,156 | 15 | 3.1 | 16 |
New Jersey | 4,040.2 | 1.3 | 1,399 | 6 | 1.7 | 45 |
New Mexico | 825.4 | 1.3 | 890 | 47 | 3.2 | 12 |
New York | 9,453.5 | 1.5 | 1,639 | 2 | 2.6 | 28 |
North Carolina | 4,458.5 | 2.0 | 1,054 | 23 | 3.2 | 12 |
North Dakota | 414.3 | 1.5 | 1,021 | 25 | 3.3 | 9 |
Ohio | 5,363.2 | 0.7 | 1,035 | 24 | 3.0 | 21 |
Oklahoma | 1,617.0 | 1.1 | 953 | 35 | 4.3 | 3 |
Oregon | 1,921.9 | 1.3 | 1,060 | 21 | 3.3 | 9 |
Pennsylvania | 5,850.3 | 1.1 | 1,146 | 16 | 2.8 | 24 |
Rhode Island | 474.7 | 0.8 | 1,104 | 19 | 1.8 | 43 |
South Carolina | 2,110.0 | 2.0 | 901 | 44 | 3.0 | 21 |
South Dakota | 419.0 | 0.4 | 865 | 48 | 2.7 | 25 |
Tennessee | 3,004.2 | 2.0 | 996 | 28 | 1.9 | 42 |
Texas | 12,455.6 | 2.2 | 1,204 | 11 | 3.1 | 16 |
Utah | 1,501.4 | 3.0 | 978 | 32 | 3.1 | 16 |
Vermont | 309.1 | 0.4 | 950 | 36 | 3.7 | 5 |
Virginia | 3,896.9 | 1.2 | 1,186 | 14 | 2.1 | 41 |
Washington | 3,371.1 | 1.8 | 1,368 | 7 | 4.9 | 1 |
West Virginia | 687.1 | 0.3 | 896 | 45 | 3.2 | 12 |
Wisconsin | 2,838.9 | 0.1 | 992 | 29 | 2.6 | 28 |
Wyoming | 269.0 | 1.9 | 948 | 37 | 3.7 | 5 |
Puerto Rico | 875.8 | 2.2 | 553 | (3) | -2.1 | (3) |
Virgin Islands | 36.6 | 9.6 | 966 | (3) | -1.0 | (3) |
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. | ||||||
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: Monday, September 09, 2019