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20-1549-DAL
Monday, September 14, 2020
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 122nd 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 changesSix 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 wagesWeekly 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, 162nd) and East Baton Rouge ($1,074, 165th). 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 parishesFor 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 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 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.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
Beginning with this release of first quarter 2020 data, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program will publish response rate tables for establishments, employment, and total quarterly wages. Tables for the first quarter of 2020 are available at www.bls.gov/covid19/county-employment-and-wages-covid-19-impact-first-quarter-2020.htm. For more information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on QCEW data, please visit www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-county-employment-and-wages-data.htm.
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.
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. | ||||||||
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 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. | ||
Note: Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. Data are preliminary. |
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. | |||||||
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 14, 2020