Employment rose in all seven of the largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2022 to March 2023, 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.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that St. Tammany Parish had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 3.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest parishes in Louisiana, March 2023

County	Percent change, March 2023
St. Tammany	3.5
Lafayette	2.6
Orleans	2.4
Calcasieu	1.9
Jefferson	1.4
East Baton Rouge	0.6
Caddo	0.3

National employment increased 2.5 percent over the year, with 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 8.5 percent. Elkhart, IN, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.6 percent.

Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge Parish (265,200) in March 2023. 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 56.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 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 51 of the 57 smaller parishes were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

All seven large Louisiana parishes reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Six parishes had wage growth rates that were above the national rate of 6.6 percent. Lafayette Parish had the largest gain (+12.3 percent), followed by East Baton Rouge Parish (+10.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Louisiana’s other five large parishes ranged from 9.8 percent to 6.4 percent.

  

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2023

County	Percent change, first quarter 2023
Lafayette	12.3
East Baton Rouge	10.7
Caddo	9.8
Calcasieu	9.7
Jefferson	9.6
St. Tammany	9.5
Orleans	6.4

Nationwide, wages increased by 6.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 353 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (24.3 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.3 percent).

Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. Orleans Parish ($1,311, 149^th) had average weekly wages 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 2023. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,922. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 273 counties. At $782 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Among the 57 smaller parishes in Louisiana—those with employment below 75,000—six parishes reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,465. Cameron Parish ($2,721) reported the highest average weekly wage. Madison Parish ($679) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 64 parishes in Louisiana were considered, 9 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 25 registered wages from $800 to $949, 11 had wages from $950 to $1,099, 9 had wages from $1,100 to $1,249, and 10 had wages of $1,250 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 $800, were concentrated in non-metropolitan areas in the state’s northeastern quadrant.

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/.

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.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

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.