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News Release Information

22-2322-DAL
Friday, December 16, 2022

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

County Employment and Wages in Oklahoma – Second Quarter 2022

Employment rose in all three of the largest counties in Oklahoma from June 2021 to June 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Oklahoma County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment (+3.7 percent). (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 4.0 percent over the year, with 338 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Orange, FL, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 9.7 percent. Kanawha, WV, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.0 percent.

Among the three largest counties in Oklahoma, employment was highest in Oklahoma County (468,200) in June 2022. Within Oklahoma County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the three largest Oklahoma counties accounted for 56.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.8 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 74 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,294 in the second quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All three large Oklahoma counties reported average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Two counties had rates of wage gains at or above the national rate of 4.3 percent: Cleveland (+4.9 percent) and Oklahoma (+4.3 percent). Tulsa County’s reported rate of wage gain was 3.8 percent.


Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 340 had over-the-year wage increases. Saratoga, NY, had the largest percentage wage increase (+16.3 percent). Benton, AR, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-16.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the three largest counties in Oklahoma were below the national average of $1,294 in the second quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages in Oklahoma County ($1,131) and Tulsa County ($1,081) ranked 201st and 236th, respectively, in the middle third of the large county national rankings. The average weekly wage for Cleveland County ($912) ranked 342nd among the 355 largest U.S. counties.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 91 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2022. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,262. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 264 counties. At $767 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Oklahoma's smaller counties

All 74 smaller counties in Oklahoma—those with employment below 75,000—reported an average weekly wage below the national average. Dewey County reported the highest average weekly wage, $1,175. McIntosh County reported the lowest average wage in the state at $675 per week.

When all 77 counties in Oklahoma were considered, 20 reported average weekly wages of $799 or less, 25 registered wages from $800 to $899, 26 had wages from $900 to $999, and 6 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.) Most of the highest paying counties were in and around the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas.

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 third quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for third quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Improved Usability of QCEW State and Local Government Employment and Wages

With the Second Quarter 2022 QCEW data released December 6th, 2022, state and local government employment and wage measures include data for some states that were previously suppressed for confidentiality reasons. Publication of these data is possible because state and local government employment and wages are fully disclosable by law in many states. The improved data account for an employment of about 4.2 million in June 2022. Suppressed data were always included in totals and do not represent an increase in employment.

More information is available on the website about the improved usability of state and local government data.


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 three largest counties in Oklahoma, second quarter 2022
AreaEstablishments,
second quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
June 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
June
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Second quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
second quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,460.8149,902.04.0--$1,294--4.3--

Oklahoma

121.91,610.42.5--1,016465.426

Cleveland

6.786.50.43339123424.9156

Oklahoma

30.8468.23.71121,1312014.3200

Tulsa

24.6356.61.62791,0812363.8235

(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 counties in Oklahoma, second quarter 2022
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment June 2022Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,460,819149,901,995$1,294

Oklahoma

121,9071,610,3801,016

Adair

3314,476779

Alfalfa

1501,259913

Atoka

3203,229748

Beaver

1701,250854

Beckham

7979,254921

Blaine

3002,936858

Bryan

1,14520,166951

Caddo

6167,024906

Canadian

3,59235,371917

Carter

1,78222,819940

Cherokee

86416,460864

Choctaw

3744,426775

Cimarron

102835677

Cleveland

6,72186,474912

Coal

1221,110752

Comanche

2,52340,200903

Cotton

1121,584838

Craig

4235,054802

Creek

1,64919,405973

Custer

99612,018864

Delaware

8909,930766

Dewey

2011,8621,175

Ellis

1371,072838

Garfield

1,74123,134941

Garvin

8269,8091,004

Grady

1,21012,008874

Grant

1681,332982

Greer

108828746

Harmon

76637745

Harper

1451,004787

Haskell

2573,273750

Hughes

2822,700740

Jackson

6559,267944

Jefferson

1421,006699

Johnston

2492,719849

Kay

1,23017,418889

Kingfisher

5906,5871,012

Kiowa

2371,909796

Latimer

2222,423822

LeFlore

1,00211,886865

Lincoln

7126,865903

Logan

8348,012817

Love

2395,185833

McClain

1,16410,313828

McCurtain

81112,190806

McIntosh

4064,262675

Major

2582,150807

Marshall

3164,913972

Mayes

97212,892975

Murray

3715,416794

Muskogee

1,55428,535942

Noble

2614,784910

Nowata

1751,888909

Okfuskee

2242,261740

Oklahoma

30,786468,1771,131

Okmulgee

7939,279875

Osage

5616,769882

Ottawa

76212,866791

Pawnee

3223,165838

Payne

2,15932,818907

Pittsburg

1,03914,705959

Pontotoc

1,17319,142942

Pottawatomie

1,42422,281840

Pushmataha

2782,321786

Roger Mills

106818884

Rogers

2,07926,118994

Seminole

5286,607863

Sequoyah

7339,446681

Stephens

1,14214,842921

Texas

5999,484919

Tillman

1761,392795

Tulsa

24,569356,5521,081

Wagoner

8589,318936

Washington

1,36818,4871,038

Washita

2801,983844

Woods

3093,380812

Woodward

8367,914974

(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, second quarter 2022
StateEstablishments,
second quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
June 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
June
2021–22
Second quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
second quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,460.8149,902.04.0$1,294--4.3--

Alabama

147.82,007.02.11,069376.216

Alaska

24.4329.54.41,237174.736

Arizona

199.82,962.13.31,220215.822

Arkansas

98.51,240.42.8997492.447

California

1,706.117,915.35.61,5724-0.651

Colorado

242.32,838.54.11,36196.216

Connecticut

137.61,654.73.11,45863.542

Delaware

39.1456.42.51,227185.822

District of Columbia

48.2747.63.22,13912.048

Florida

858.79,126.75.01,186226.510

Georgia

369.24,669.64.91,221207.25

Hawaii

51.6612.63.41,152263.244

Idaho

83.2824.22.71,009488.51

Illinois

408.05,959.33.71,325115.229

Indiana

184.63,087.82.51,083356.98

Iowa

110.21,555.31.71,057405.822

Kansas

93.81,381.21.51,039444.638

Kentucky

140.91,886.91.81,070367.17

Louisiana

149.91,837.01.21,067386.510

Maine

61.6637.61.91,086348.03

Maryland

184.92,640.31.51,37884.638

Massachusetts

288.53,654.34.31,63722.846

Michigan

289.64,326.63.71,183233.542

Minnesota

197.82,876.62.01,289134.040

Mississippi

79.51,136.62.4887515.328

Missouri

231.62,852.03.31,106325.132

Montana

59.4504.82.71,028457.44

Nebraska

79.9988.51.21,060396.313

Nevada

106.91,462.47.81,163245.229

New Hampshire

62.4671.92.01,349100.450

New Jersey

321.74,221.95.81,44073.841

New Mexico

69.6822.43.61,040435.525

New York

672.29,341.55.11,58733.145

North Carolina

344.04,695.04.01,160256.313

North Dakota

33.9416.92.31,131306.019

Ohio

322.75,404.12.61,127315.426

Oklahoma

121.91,610.42.51,016465.426

Oregon

176.71,956.62.71,253154.835

Pennsylvania

387.95,901.33.91,252164.934

Rhode Island

45.7488.63.31,227185.033

South Carolina

162.72,170.73.51,043426.89

South Dakota

38.4454.02.6997496.510

Tennessee

201.03,151.94.71,152265.229

Texas

796.913,135.75.21,284146.118

Utah

130.31,644.03.71,137287.25

Vermont

29.9297.71.21,135298.12

Virginia

320.63,949.12.41,316124.736

Washington

264.93,547.24.71,56951.649

West Virginia

56.5672.11.21,013476.019

Wisconsin

197.92,897.01.61,097335.921

Wyoming

29.5280.61.61,048416.313

Puerto Rico

49.2910.14.8597(3)5.3(3)

Virgin Islands

3.633.7-5.21,014(3)9.1(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: Friday, December 16, 2022