Employment fell in 6 of the 7 largest Louisiana parishes from March 2019 to March 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and parishes are those with 2019 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that St. Tammany was the only large parish in Louisiana to experience employment growth, up 0.7 percent, ranking 122^nd among the 357 large U.S. counties. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Employment in the U.S. (as measured by the QCEW program) increased 0.4 percent over the year with 202 of the 357 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. St. John’s, FL, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 3.7 percent over the year. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 5.5 percent.

Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge (261,600) in March 2020. Together, the seven largest Louisiana parishes accounted for 56.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 357 largest counties made up 73.7 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 57 parishes in Louisiana with employment levels below 75,000. Wage levels in 52 of these smaller parishes were below the national average in the first quarter of 2020. (See table 2.)

Large parish wage changes

Six of the seven large parishes in Louisiana reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020, though all six were below the national rate of 3.3 percent. Jefferson Parish had the largest gain (+3.1 percent). (See chart 2.) The five other large parishes registering over-the-year wage gains ranged from 2.6 percent to 1.4 percent. Wages fell over the year in Calcasieu Parish (-1.1 percent.)

Among the 357 largest counties in the United States, 335 had over-the-year wage increases. McLean, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+13.3 percent). Twenty large counties had wage declines during the period. Peoria, IL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-12.8 percent).

Large parish average weekly wages

Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the nationwide average of $1,222 in the first quarter of 2020. Only two large parishes had average weekly wages ranking in the top half of the 357 large U.S. counties: Orleans ($1,078, 162^nd) and East Baton Rouge ($1,074, 165^th). Average weekly wages in the five remaining large parishes ranged from $1,007 to $879 and placed in the bottom half of the national ranking.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 92 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2020. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,270. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 265 counties. At $666 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage. New York’s average weekly wage was nearly five times the average weekly wage in Cameron, TX.

Average weekly wages in Louisiana's smaller parishes

For smaller parishes in Louisiana – those with employment of less than 75,000 – 52 of 57 reported weekly wages below the national average of $1,222 in the first quarter of 2020. In the five remaining smaller parishes, wages not only exceeded the national average, but were also the highest in the state, ranging from $1,826 in Cameron to $1,399 in Iberville. Franklin Parish had the lowest weekly wages in the state at $594.

When all 64 parishes in Louisiana were considered, 8 reported average weekly wages of $649 or less, 19 registered wages from $650 to $749, 13 had wages from $750 to $849, 5 had wages from $850 to $949, and 19 had wages of $950 or more. (See chart 3.) 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 $650, were concentrated in non-metropolitan areas in the northeastern quadrant of the state.

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. The 2018 edition of this publication was published in September 2019. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm. The 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2020.

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 employment and wages in the United States and the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2020

Area	Establishments, first quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2019-20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2020	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2019-20 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	10,447.2	147,088.9	0.4	--	$1,222	--	3.3	--
Louisiana	137.4	1,897.0	-1.3	--	969	37	1.7	45
Caddo	7.4	108.9	-1.9	340	879	316	2.3	241
Calcasieu	5.5	97.0	-5.4	356	1,007	211	-1.1	349
East Baton Rouge	16.6	261.6	-2.7	354	1,074	165	2.6	214
Jefferson	14.6	188.3	-0.6	263	987	228	3.1	174
Lafayette	10.3	130.7	-0.3	240	929	284	1.9	263
Orleans	13.9	197.0	-0.9	287	1,078	162	1.4	291
St. Tammany	9.0	89.7	0.7	122	935	279	2.4	230
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly 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 employment and wages in the United States and all parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2020

Area	Employment March 2020	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	147,088,945	$1,222
Louisiana	1,897,014	969
Acadia	14,052	687
Allen	7,837	760
Ascension	47,047	1,188
Assumption	3,638	810
Avoyelles	10,252	638
Beauregard	8,429	844
Bienville	4,078	799
Bossier	44,308	795
Caddo	108,896	879
Calcasieu	96,964	1,007
Caldwell	2,226	639
Cameron	8,284	1,826
Catahoula	2,056	599
Claiborne	3,081	767
Concordia	5,319	708
De Soto	6,756	1,046
East Baton Rouge	261,581	1,074
East Carroll	1,565	666
East Feliciana	4,765	875
Evangeline	7,748	645
Franklin	4,822	594
Grant	3,317	763
Iberia	26,190	959
Iberville	14,857	1,399
Jackson	3,419	798
Jefferson	188,314	987
Jefferson Davis	8,124	688
La Salle	4,835	745
Lafayette	130,679	929
Lafourche	34,241	1,039
Lincoln	18,953	709
Livingston	29,300	736
Madison	3,071	616
Morehouse	6,589	683
Natchitoches	13,529	712
Orleans	196,999	1,078
Ouachita	69,230	807
Plaquemines	11,830	1,401
Pointe Coupee	5,251	853
Rapides	56,031	823
Red River	2,436	765
Richland	6,280	664
Sabine	5,526	692
St. Bernard	9,990	1,038
St. Charles	23,551	1,498
St. Helena	1,564	733
St. James	8,213	1,437
St. John the Baptist	13,968	1,150
St. Landry	23,668	720
St. Martin	11,806	838
St. Mary	20,597	972
St. Tammany	89,717	935
Tangipahoa	44,431	707
Tensas	839	628
Terrebonne	48,994	987
Union	4,987	655
Vermilion	12,743	778
Vernon	12,246	740
Washington	10,178	684
Webster	11,608	736
West Baton Rouge	12,516	1,159
West Carroll	2,060	602
West Feliciana	5,436	1,198
Winn	4,465	727
(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: Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary.

 

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, first quarter 2020

State	Establishments, first quarter 2020 (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2020 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2019-20	First quarter 2020	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2019-20	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	10,447.2	147,088.9	0.4	$1,222	--	3.3	--
Alabama	132.6	1,983.8	0.3	974	36	3.2	23
Alaska	22.6	312.8	-0.1	1,130	19	2.1	44
Arizona	170.4	2,957.2	1.9	1,098	22	4.4	1
Arkansas	93.6	1,220.5	0.2	922	45	3.0	29
California	1,631.1	17,570.5	0.8	1,459	5	4.2	3
Colorado	214.5	2,725.2	1.2	1,284	9	4.3	2
Connecticut	124.1	1,639.4	-0.7	1,510	4	1.5	48
Delaware	34.6	443.7	-0.3	1,251	11	1.7	45
District of Columbia	42.3	778.1	0.6	1,994	1	3.8	14
Florida	740.5	8,975.1	0.8	1,051	25	3.6	18
Georgia	301.5	4,522.2	0.9	1,159	17	3.4	19
Hawaii	45.4	655.5	-1.0	1,033	27	3.0	29
Idaho	66.8	755.2	3.1	864	50	4.2	3
Illinois	381.5	5,872.9	-0.7	1,302	8	2.3	41
Indiana	171.1	3,028.5	-1.0	994	33	3.2	23
Iowa	104.8	1,523.4	-0.2	978	35	3.7	16
Kansas	89.8	1,383.3	0.2	969	37	3.2	23
Kentucky	124.0	1,884.9	0.1	943	43	2.5	38
Louisiana	137.4	1,897.0	-1.3	969	37	1.7	45
Maine	53.9	601.0	0.1	955	40	4.0	11
Maryland	175.7	2,661.5	-0.4	1,277	10	4.1	8
Massachusetts	263.3	3,565.1	-0.2	1,605	3	3.0	29
Michigan	267.0	4,281.4	-0.6	1,103	20	2.3	41
Minnesota	183.9	2,838.2	-0.1	1,235	12	2.7	35
Mississippi	73.9	1,128.1	-0.2	801	51	2.8	34
Missouri	214.8	2,795.7	0.3	1,016	31	3.0	29
Montana	50.6	465.2	1.5	869	49	3.1	27
Nebraska	72.3	972.4	0.8	956	39	4.1	8
Nevada	86.1	1,410.8	1.3	1,033	27	4.2	3
New Hampshire	54.3	657.0	0.2	1,194	15	3.3	20
New Jersey	285.8	4,052.7	0.4	1,455	6	3.9	13
New Mexico	64.0	835.6	0.9	923	44	3.7	16
New York	657.2	9,415.7	-0.3	1,693	2	3.3	20
North Carolina	296.0	4,501.1	0.9	1,094	23	4.1	8
North Dakota	32.2	414.3	0.0	1,046	26	2.4	39
Ohio	304.4	5,349.6	-0.3	1,063	24	2.9	33
Oklahoma	112.8	1,598.0	-1.3	949	42	-0.5	51
Oregon	162.4	1,938.9	0.7	1,103	20	4.2	3
Pennsylvania	363.5	5,851.3	0.0	1,177	16	2.7	35
Rhode Island	39.5	473.9	-0.2	1,132	18	2.7	35
South Carolina	142.7	2,112.8	0.1	922	45	2.2	43
South Dakota	34.7	420.6	0.4	901	48	4.2	3
Tennessee	171.2	3,033.5	1.0	1,027	29	3.1	27
Texas	725.7	12,626.2	1.2	1,232	14	2.4	39
Utah	109.8	1,526.8	1.8	1,026	30	3.2	23
Vermont	26.1	303.9	-1.8	980	34	3.3	20
Virginia	282.9	3,921.0	0.6	1,233	13	4.0	11
Washington	255.6	3,427.3	1.7	1,414	7	3.8	14
West Virginia	51.2	674.9	-1.8	904	47	0.9	49
Wisconsin	178.2	2,836.5	-0.2	1,008	32	1.7	45
Wyoming	27.2	268.5	-0.5	955	40	0.6	50
Puerto Rico	47.5	886.4	1.0	551	(3)	0.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.3	40.1	5.7	1,046	(3)	6.3	(3)
(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.