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20-2212-DAL
Wednesday, December 09, 2020
Employment fell in the three largest counties in Oklahoma from June 2019 to June 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2019.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Tulsa County had the largest over-the-year decrease (-6.9 percent). (See chart 1 and table 1.)
National employment decreased 9.4 percent over the year, with all of the 357 largest U.S. counties reporting declines. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment with a loss of 34.2 percent. Cleveland, OK, and Utah, UT, had the smallest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment, each with a loss of 0.2 percent.
Among the three largest counties in Oklahoma, employment was highest in Oklahoma County (438,200) in June 2020. The counties of Tulsa and Cleveland had employment levels of 338,100 and 80,900, respectively. Together, the three largest Oklahoma counties accounted for 56.3 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 357 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 74 counties in Oklahoma with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of these smaller counties were below the national average in the second quarter 2020. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changesAll three large Oklahoma counties reported average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2020. (See chart 2.) However, the rates of wage gain in all large Oklahoma counties were below the national rate of 8.6 percent. Cleveland County had the largest gain (+7.5 percent).
Among the 357 largest counties in the United States, 352 had over-the-year wage increases. The increases in average weekly wages largely reflect substantial employment loss among lower-paid industries. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest percentage wage increase (+22.5 percent). Five large counties had wage declines during the period. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.6 percent).
Large county average weekly wagesWeekly wages in the state’s three large counties were all below the national average of $1,188 in the second quarter of 2020. Average weekly wages in Oklahoma County ($1,059) and Tulsa County ($1,017) ranked 190th and 216th, respectively, in the middle third of the large county national rankings. The average weekly wage in Cleveland County ($865) ranked 338th, near the bottom of the 357 largest U.S. counties.
Among the largest U.S. counties, 101 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2020. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,045. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in 256 counties. At $698 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.
Average weekly wages in Oklahoma's smaller countiesAll 74 smaller counties in Oklahoma – those with employment below 75,000 – reported average weekly wages below the national average of $1,188. Among these smaller counties, Washington posted the highest weekly wage, $1,007, followed by Grant ($949), Woodward ($943) and Kingfisher ($934). Cotton County reported the lowest average wage in the state at $556 per week, followed by McIntosh County at $611 per week. (See table 2.)
When all 77 counties in Oklahoma were considered, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 25 registered wages from $700 to $799, 25 had wages from $800 to $899, and 11 had average weekly wages of $900 or more. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying counties were located in and around the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas, as well as the smaller areas of Duncan and Woodward. The lower-paying counties, those with weekly wages under $700, were concentrated in the southern and eastern portions 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 2019 edition of this publication was published in September 2020. Tables and additional content from the 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2019/home.htm. The 2020 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2021.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for third quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.
Response rate tables for the second quarter of 2020 are available at www.bls.gov/covid19/county-employment-and-wages-covid-19-impact-second-quarter-2020.htm. For more information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on QCEW data, see www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-county-employment-and-wages-data.htm.
Special Notice: Imputation Methodology Improvements
QCEW implemented improvements to imputation methodology, effective with second quarter 2020 processing. For more information on QCEW imputation methodology and the impact of the improved methods, see www.bls.gov/cew/additional-resources/imputation-methodology.htm.
Special Notice: Business Response Survey
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has developed new data on how U.S. businesses changed their operations and employment since the onset of the novel coronavirus through September 2020. Data for the Business Response Survey to the Coronavirus Pandemic are scheduled to be released on December 7, 2020 at 11:00 AM Eastern. For more information, please visit: www.bls.gov/brs/.
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, second quarter 2020 (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 2020 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2019–20 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | Second quarter 2020 | National ranking by level (3) | Percent change, second quarter 2019–20(2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | ||
United States (4) | 10,451.0 | 135,114.4 | -9.4 | -- | $1,188 | -- | 8.6 | -- |
Oklahoma | 112.1 | 1,521.3 | -6.3 | -- | 940 | 44 | 4.4 | 49 |
Cleveland | 6.1 | 80.9 | -0.2 | 1 | 865 | 338 | 7.5 | 219 |
Oklahoma | 28.6 | 438.2 | -6.0 | 64 | 1,059 | 190 | 6.1 | 279 |
Tulsa | 22.8 | 338.1 | -6.9 | 95 | 1,017 | 216 | 5.5 | 302 |
(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 June 2020 | Average weekly wage(1) |
---|---|---|
United States(2) | 135,114,354 | $1,188 |
Oklahoma | 1,521,349 | 940 |
Adair | 4,228 | 693 |
Alfalfa | 1,294 | 879 |
Atoka | 3,208 | 650 |
Beaver | 1,253 | 821 |
Beckham | 8,232 | 886 |
Blaine | 2,821 | 803 |
Bryan | 19,021 | 810 |
Caddo | 7,118 | 856 |
Canadian | 31,505 | 874 |
Carter | 21,422 | 841 |
Cherokee | 15,599 | 733 |
Choctaw | 3,987 | 682 |
Cimarron | 751 | 678 |
Cleveland | 80,859 | 865 |
Coal | 1,061 | 748 |
Comanche | 39,239 | 779 |
Cotton | 1,520 | 556 |
Craig | 5,013 | 734 |
Creek | 18,453 | 890 |
Custer | 12,018 | 831 |
Delaware | 9,201 | 687 |
Dewey | 1,571 | 932 |
Ellis | 1,149 | 775 |
Garfield | 23,311 | 842 |
Garvin | 9,354 | 910 |
Grady | 11,509 | 790 |
Grant | 1,360 | 949 |
Greer | 901 | 681 |
Harmon | 647 | 706 |
Harper | 1,033 | 746 |
Haskell | 3,038 | 622 |
Hughes | 2,758 | 670 |
Jackson | 9,345 | 885 |
Jefferson | 1,063 | 690 |
Johnston | 2,629 | 717 |
Kay | 16,879 | 827 |
Kingfisher | 6,529 | 934 |
Kiowa | 1,820 | 715 |
Latimer | 2,245 | 753 |
LeFlore | 11,305 | 781 |
Lincoln | 6,545 | 812 |
Logan | 7,423 | 733 |
Love | 6,255 | 658 |
Major | 2,117 | 751 |
Marshall | 4,159 | 795 |
Mayes | 12,373 | 923 |
McClain | 9,333 | 769 |
McCurtain | 11,116 | 721 |
McIntosh | 4,104 | 611 |
Murray | 5,312 | 700 |
Muskogee | 28,233 | 861 |
Noble | 4,404 | 899 |
Nowata | 1,809 | 793 |
Okfuskee | 2,190 | 684 |
Oklahoma | 438,161 | 1,059 |
Okmulgee | 9,032 | 807 |
Osage | 6,251 | 769 |
Ottawa | 11,848 | 654 |
Pawnee | 3,224 | 788 |
Payne | 31,232 | 864 |
Pittsburg | 14,350 | 869 |
Pontotoc | 18,004 | 835 |
Pottawatomie | 20,896 | 770 |
Pushmataha | 2,276 | 695 |
Roger Mills | 826 | 833 |
Rogers | 25,568 | 900 |
Seminole | 6,673 | 770 |
Sequoyah | 9,426 | 652 |
Stephens | 13,255 | 921 |
Texas | 9,445 | 843 |
Tillman | 1,541 | 711 |
Tulsa | 338,097 | 1,017 |
Wagoner | 9,369 | 884 |
Washington | 17,959 | 1,007 |
Washita | 1,833 | 799 |
Woods | 3,112 | 839 |
Woodward | 8,133 | 943 |
(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. |
State | Establishments, second quarter 2020 (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 2020 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2019–20 | Second quarter 2020 | National ranking by level | Percent change, second quarter 2019–20 | National ranking by percent change | ||
United States (2) | 10,451.0 | 135,114.4 | -9.4 | $1,188 | -- | 8.6 | -- |
Alabama | 131.2 | 1,868.7 | -6.4 | 964 | 40 | 5.9 | 42 |
Alaska | 22.7 | 296.2 | -12.7 | 1,195 | 14 | 11.2 | 11 |
Arizona | 170.7 | 2,708.4 | -5.1 | 1,090 | 22 | 7.9 | 30 |
Arkansas | 93.0 | 1,156.5 | -5.5 | 924 | 47 | 7.3 | 33 |
California | 1,633.1 | 15,911.2 | -10.2 | 1,468 | 4 | 10.9 | 12 |
Colorado | 216.4 | 2,545.9 | -8.0 | 1,226 | 9 | 8.7 | 25 |
Connecticut | 123.4 | 1,483.6 | -12.3 | 1,407 | 6 | 11.3 | 9 |
Delaware | 34.5 | 416.0 | -9.3 | 1,156 | 17 | 9.0 | 22 |
District of Columbia | 41.7 | 701.8 | -10.0 | 1,987 | 1 | 11.7 | 7 |
Florida | 738.0 | 8,113.8 | -7.1 | 1,032 | 28 | 6.6 | 40 |
Georgia | 307.2 | 4,196.0 | -7.0 | 1,075 | 23 | 5.7 | 44 |
Hawaii | 45.9 | 524.9 | -20.1 | 1,108 | 21 | 12.0 | 6 |
Idaho | 67.9 | 748.3 | -2.3 | 882 | 50 | 7.6 | 32 |
Illinois | 379.6 | 5,391.8 | -11.3 | 1,218 | 10 | 8.6 | 26 |
Indiana | 171.6 | 2,865.7 | -7.3 | 960 | 41 | 5.6 | 45 |
Iowa | 104.7 | 1,458.8 | -8.0 | 978 | 36 | 8.4 | 27 |
Kansas | 90.0 | 1,306.0 | -7.0 | 969 | 38 | 7.1 | 34 |
Kentucky | 125.4 | 1,754.0 | -8.2 | 970 | 37 | 6.4 | 41 |
Louisiana | 137.8 | 1,710.1 | -11.0 | 985 | 34 | 6.7 | 39 |
Maine | 53.8 | 572.5 | -10.8 | 980 | 35 | 12.3 | 5 |
Maryland | 175.8 | 2,430.3 | -11.2 | 1,305 | 8 | 10.7 | 13 |
Massachusetts | 263.1 | 3,178.8 | -14.3 | 1,570 | 2 | 14.0 | 1 |
Michigan | 268.5 | 3,850.9 | -12.9 | 1,114 | 20 | 9.5 | 16 |
Minnesota | 185.4 | 2,644.6 | -10.5 | 1,200 | 13 | 9.0 | 22 |
Mississippi | 73.8 | 1,063.1 | -6.4 | 812 | 51 | 5.9 | 42 |
Missouri | 215.9 | 2,622.2 | -7.5 | 1,015 | 32 | 7.1 | 34 |
Montana | 51.5 | 459.5 | -4.9 | 919 | 48 | 9.1 | 19 |
Nebraska | 72.9 | 932.3 | -6.0 | 960 | 41 | 8.0 | 28 |
Nevada | 85.9 | 1,191.6 | -15.4 | 1,048 | 26 | 9.1 | 19 |
New Hampshire | 54.8 | 605.4 | -10.5 | 1,215 | 12 | 11.5 | 8 |
New Jersey | 284.1 | 3,570.3 | -14.6 | 1,376 | 7 | 11.3 | 9 |
New Mexico | 62.4 | 757.0 | -9.4 | 958 | 43 | 7.8 | 31 |
New York | 652.0 | 8,142.6 | -15.9 | 1,520 | 3 | 12.8 | 4 |
North Carolina | 296.2 | 4,205.4 | -6.9 | 1,038 | 27 | 6.9 | 37 |
North Dakota | 32.4 | 390.1 | -9.7 | 1,061 | 24 | 3.3 | 51 |
Ohio | 302.3 | 5,049.8 | -8.0 | 1,031 | 29 | 7.0 | 36 |
Oklahoma | 112.1 | 1,521.3 | -6.3 | 940 | 44 | 4.4 | 49 |
Oregon | 160.9 | 1,789.3 | -9.6 | 1,143 | 19 | 10.3 | 15 |
Pennsylvania | 362.8 | 5,314.5 | -11.1 | 1,170 | 16 | 9.2 | 18 |
Rhode Island | 39.5 | 429.3 | -13.2 | 1,172 | 15 | 13.1 | 3 |
South Carolina | 144.4 | 1,991.0 | -7.2 | 928 | 46 | 6.9 | 37 |
South Dakota | 34.7 | 415.9 | -5.9 | 912 | 49 | 9.0 | 22 |
Tennessee | 171.1 | 2,847.2 | -6.6 | 1,016 | 31 | 5.3 | 46 |
Texas | 727.4 | 11,807.1 | -6.3 | 1,156 | 17 | 5.0 | 47 |
Utah | 111.6 | 1,474.8 | -3.0 | 1,017 | 30 | 9.1 | 19 |
Vermont | 26.1 | 271.8 | -13.6 | 1,055 | 25 | 13.6 | 2 |
Virginia | 283.3 | 3,635.2 | -8.8 | 1,218 | 10 | 9.4 | 17 |
Washington | 253.8 | 3,207.1 | -8.4 | 1,424 | 5 | 10.6 | 14 |
West Virginia | 51.3 | 634.9 | -9.4 | 933 | 45 | 4.9 | 48 |
Wisconsin | 179.2 | 2,690.0 | -8.7 | 1,014 | 33 | 8.0 | 28 |
Wyoming | 27.2 | 260.5 | -9.6 | 965 | 39 | 3.7 | 50 |
Puerto Rico | 46.1 | 798.7 | -7.9 | 556 | (3) | 4.7 | (3) |
Virgin Islands | 3.4 | 35.4 | -7.0 | 1,016 | (3) | 6.9 | (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: Wednesday, December 09, 2020