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News Release Information

22-1778-DAL
Monday, September 19, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Parish Employment and Wages in Louisiana – First Quarter 2022

Employment rose in 6 of the 7 largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and parishes are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Orleans Parish had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 6.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

 

National employment increased 5.0 percent over the year, with 349 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 12.5 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.8 percent.

Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge Parish (260,500) in March 2022. Within East Baton Rouge Parish’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the seven largest Louisiana parishes accounted for 56.4 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73 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 below 75,000. Wage levels in 52 of the 57 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large parish wage changes

All seven large Louisiana parishes reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Six counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Caddo Parish had the largest gain (+9.1 percent), followed by Jefferson Parish (+8.7 percent) and East Baton Rouge Parish (+8.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Louisiana’s other four large parishes ranged from 7.4 percent to 4.3 percent.

 

Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Peoria, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+25.8 percent). San Francisco, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-9.1 percent).

Large parish average weekly wages

Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. Orleans Parish ($1,237, 141st) had average weekly wages that ranked among the top half of counties and parishes nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2022. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,064. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. At $736 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Louisiana's smaller parishes

Among the 57 smaller parishes in Louisiana—those with employment below 75,000—five counties reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,374. Cameron County ($2,390) reported the highest average weekly wage. Franklin Parish ($641) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 64 parishes in Louisiana were considered, 7 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 24 registered wages from $700 to $849, 14 had wages from $850 to $999, 11 had wages from $1,000 to $1,149, and 8 had wages of $1,150 or more. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying parishes were concentrated around the metropolitan areas of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. The lowest-paid parishes, those with weekly wages under $700, 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. 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 second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

Changes to QCEW with First Quarter 2022 Release

County Changes for the 2022 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2021 are included in this release and will be included in future 2022 releases. Nationally, twelve counties have been added to the publication tables. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.

Industry Changes to QCEW Data

Beginning with the full release of first quarter 2022 data on September 7, 2022, the QCEW program will use the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the publication of economic data by industry. For information on the use of the 2022 version of NAICS in QCEW, please see www.bls.gov/cew/classifications/industry/naics-2022.htm.


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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2022
AreaEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,299.0147,648.45.0--$1,374--6.7--

Louisiana

147.61,820.61.3--1,058428.616

Caddo

7.8105.41.13339813129.168

Calcasieu

5.885.32.72601,1132156.8181

East Baton Rouge

18.3260.53.52021,1391908.0115

Jefferson

15.5178.3-0.83511,1002228.782

Lafayette

11.2129.03.32119693186.8181

Orleans

16.0179.56.4451,2371414.3288

St. Tammany

9.989.81.53221,0412657.4146

(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 parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2022
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment March 2022Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,299,030147,648,359$1,374

Louisiana

147,5931,820,5991,058

Acadia

1,39113,968729

Allen

4526,679841

Ascension

3,54046,0011,265

Assumption

3223,487916

Avoyelles

8939,128658

Beauregard

8108,738903

Bienville

3153,870850

Bossier

3,32342,567899

Caddo

7,796105,393981

Calcasieu

5,78585,3091,113

Caldwell

2192,146666

Cameron

1745,7662,390

Catahoula

2622,000645

Claiborne

2872,898813

Concordia

4765,226781

De Soto

6106,5761,132

East Baton Rouge

18,331260,4691,139

East Carroll

1781,360775

East Feliciana

3784,904883

Evangeline

6377,616665

Franklin

4644,631641

Grant

2703,594887

Iberia

1,90822,775975

Iberville

79514,6441,580

Jackson

2993,346906

Jefferson

15,453178,3131,100

Jefferson Davis

8107,879755

Lafayette

11,182128,978969

Lafourche

2,11631,9061,126

LaSalle

4474,663772

Lincoln

1,41917,405793

Livingston

2,79129,657785

Madison

2692,973651

Morehouse

5716,361743

Natchitoches

1,00113,158758

Orleans

16,045179,5041,237

Ouachita

5,13268,207849

Plaquemines

80810,9751,469

Pointe Coupee

5014,902938

Rapides

3,90955,121883

Red River

1962,452861

Richland

5436,201757

Sabine

5815,304761

St. Bernard

96110,2651,092

St. Charles

1,37722,5111,678

St. Helena

1321,518841

St. James

4617,6511,390

St. John the Baptist

99511,8611,147

St. Landry

2,04122,814810

St. Martin

1,05611,010866

St. Mary

1,45619,8921,054

St. Tammany

9,91889,7511,041

Tangipahoa

3,42544,706803

Tensas

131783701

Terrebonne

3,32444,2571,059

Union

4364,494697

Vermilion

1,27812,069812

Vernon

99312,239830

Washington

83810,214792

Webster

97110,872820

West Baton Rouge

78312,3001,100

West Carroll

2132,009785

West Feliciana

2985,1121,302

Winn

3294,114833

(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, first quarter 2022
StateEstablishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2021–22
First quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,299.0147,648.45.0$1,374--6.7--

Alabama

143.71,990.42.51,072398.221

Alaska

24.2303.92.81,178254.945

Arizona

195.83,048.25.01,234217.529

Arkansas

98.31,232.73.11,0604010.92

California

1,667.617,720.87.71,64451.051

Colorado

238.02,767.95.11,45598.811

Connecticut

135.71,618.64.31,71649.26

Delaware

38.1447.83.91,362147.529

District of Columbia

46.9749.15.82,22112.649

Florida

844.09,249.26.11,2222310.83

Georgia

359.64,615.25.01,301178.811

Hawaii

50.4612.17.91,135304.247

Idaho

83.6806.44.7982498.518

Illinois

403.85,808.84.51,48787.333

Indiana

183.03,071.13.71,127329.85

Iowa

108.21,511.62.51,080367.627

Kansas

93.11,369.82.51,073389.010

Kentucky

137.51,911.54.01,038447.627

Louisiana

147.61,820.61.31,058428.616

Maine

60.4604.12.81,1033510.34

Maryland

179.92,623.13.91,410102.050

Massachusetts

286.63,516.05.31,82735.943

Michigan

282.24,212.54.61,225226.241

Minnesota

194.12,772.62.71,374116.837

Mississippi

77.91,134.22.9879518.518

Missouri

227.12,788.23.01,128317.034

Montana

57.5479.93.1991488.320

Nebraska

78.7965.41.51,079379.26

Nevada

102.71,441.311.61,164278.023

New Hampshire

61.1659.94.31,361157.825

New Jersey

317.94,085.17.21,60664.646

New Mexico

68.0817.45.11,018456.540

New York

681.39,107.26.01,97225.644

North Carolina

335.84,638.34.81,241209.26

North Dakota

33.3400.52.71,106346.935

Ohio

320.55,299.03.11,179247.529

Oklahoma

120.71,601.82.91,012468.023

Oregon

175.11,921.94.01,259187.432

Pennsylvania

384.05,778.24.31,309166.935

Rhode Island

45.0469.34.71,249196.837

South Carolina

164.12,142.93.91,043439.26

South Dakota

37.8432.03.51,012468.616

Tennessee

198.13,104.14.61,172268.811

Texas

788.412,985.46.11,369128.714

Utah

126.51,625.64.51,152288.221

Vermont

29.3295.83.91,107337.726

Virginia

310.83,889.43.11,366136.639

Washington

277.33,453.46.01,59673.848

West Virginia

55.2668.12.9968506.142

Wisconsin

193.92,816.52.91,137298.714

Wyoming

28.9263.62.61,0594111.21

Puerto Rico

48.7917.16.8579(3)2.8(3)

Virgin Islands

3.534.8-0.3947(3)-3.7(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, September 19, 2022