QCEW Publication Acceleration and Conversion to Two Data Releases

The QCEW publication process is accelerating for a more timely release. Beginning with this 

release, QCEW data will be published in two parts. The current County Employment and Wages 

news release will be accelerated and published first. The full QCEW data release will occur on 

Thursday, June 7, 2018, accompanied by a data release notice.

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Wednesday, May 23, 2018 USDL-18-0868 

Technical Information: (202) 691-6567 • QCEWInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cew 

Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES

Fourth Quarter 2017 

From December 2016 to December 2017, employment increased in 316 of the 346 largest U.S. 

counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Midland, Texas, had the largest percentage

increase with a gain of 11.5 percent over the year, above the national job growth rate of 1.5 percent. 

Within Midland, the largest employment increase occurred in natural resources and mining, which 

gained 5,247 jobs over the year (27.1 percent). Shawnee, Kan., and Caddo, La., had the largest over-theyear percentage decreases in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with losses of 1.8 

percent each. Within Shawnee, professional and business services had the largest decrease in 

employment, with a loss of 1,173 jobs (-8.0 percent). Within Caddo, trade, transportation, and utilities 

had the largest decrease in employment, with a loss of 769 jobs (-3.3 percent). 

The U.S. average weekly wage increased 3.9 percent over the year, growing to $1,109 in the fourth 

quarter of 2017. San Mateo, Calif., and Ada, Idaho, had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in 

average weekly wages, with gains of 11.5 percent each. Within San Mateo, an average weekly wage 

gain of $1,191 (23.1 percent) in information made the largest contribution to the county’s increase in 

average weekly wages. Within Ada, an average weekly wage gain of $1,031 (51.6 percent) in 

manufacturing made the largest contribution to the county’s increase in average weekly wages. Clayton, 

Ga., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 6.7 

percent. Within Clayton, trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest impact on the county’s 

average weekly wage change with a decrease of $182 (-12.9 percent) over the year. 

Chart 1. Large counties ranked by percent increase in 

employment, December 2016-17 

(U.S. average = 1.5 percent)

Chart 2. Large counties ranked by percent increase in 

average weekly wages, fourth quarter 2016-17 

(U.S. average = 3.9 percent)

5

7

9

11

Midland,

Texas

Utah,

Utah

Montgomery,

Texas

Calcasieu,

La.

Elkhart,

Ind.

Percent

7

8

9

10

11

12

San Mateo,

Calif.

Ada,

Idaho

New York,

N.Y.

Douglas,

Colo.

Santa Clara,

Calif.

Percent
- 2 -

County employment and wage data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) 

program, which provides the only detailed quarterly and annual universe count of establishments, 

employment, and wages at the county, metropolitan statistical area, state, and national levels by detailed 

industry. These data are published within 5 months following the end of each quarter. 

Large County Employment 

In December 2017, national employment was 145.9 million (as measured by the QCEW program). Over 

the year, employment increased 1.5 percent, or 2.1 million. In December 2017, the 346 U.S. counties 

with 75,000 or more jobs accounted for 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment and 78.3 percent of total 

wages. These 346 counties had a net job growth of 1.6 million over the year, accounting for 74.4 percent 

of the overall U.S. employment increase. (See chart 3.) The 5 counties with the largest increases in 

employment levels had a combined over-the-year employment gain of 231,600 jobs, which was 10.9 

percent of the overall job increase for the U.S. (See table A.) 

Employment declined in 25 of the largest counties from December 2016 to December 2017. Shawnee, 

Kan., and Caddo, La., had the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment (-1.8 percent

each), followed by Kanawha, W. Va.; Potter, Texas; and Jefferson, La. (See table 1.)

Table A. Large counties ranked by December 2017 employment, December 2016-17 employment increase, 

and December 2016-17 percent increase in employment 

Employment in large counties

December 2017 employment Increase in employment, Percent increase in employment, 

(thousands) December 2016-17 December 2016-17

(thousands)

United States 145,921.1 United States 2,123.0 United States 1.5

Los Angeles, Calif. 4,494.5 Los Angeles, Calif. 71.2 Midland, Texas 11.5

Cook, Ill. 2,604.2 Maricopa, Ariz. 58.5 Utah, Utah 6.0

New York, N.Y. 2,516.0 King, Wash. 38.5 Montgomery, Texas 5.9

Harris, Texas 2,293.3 New York, N.Y. 34.2 Calcasieu, La. 5.8

Maricopa, Ariz. 1,989.4 Kings, N.Y. 29.2 Elkhart, Ind. 5.4

Dallas, Texas 1,712.8 Clark, Nev. 28.7 Weld, Colo. 5.2

Orange, Calif. 1,621.4 Orange, Fla. 28.1 Rutherford, Tenn. 5.2

San Diego, Calif. 1,462.0 Dallas, Texas 28.1 Adams, Colo. 5.1

King, Wash. 1,377.5 Orange, Calif. 27.3 Clark, Wash. 4.8

Miami-Dade, Fla. 1,148.3 Santa Clara, Calif. 26.2 Yakima, Wash. 4.8

Large County Average Weekly Wages 

Average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,109, a 3.9 percent increase, during the year ending 

in the fourth quarter of 2017. Among the 346 largest counties, 339 had over-the-year increases in 

average weekly wages. (See chart 4.) San Mateo, Calif., and Ada, Idaho, had the largest percentage 

wage increases among the largest U.S. counties (11.5 percent each). (See table B.) 

Of the 346 largest counties, 7 experienced an over-the-year decrease in average weekly wages. Clayton, 

Ga., had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages (-6.7 percent), followed by 

Champaign, Ill.; Benton, Ark.; Wyandotte, Kan.; and Rockland, N.Y. (See table 1.)
- 3 -

Table B. Large counties ranked by fourth quarter 2017 average weekly wages, fourth quarter 2016-17

increase in average weekly wages, and fourth quarter 2016-17 percent increase in average weekly wages 

Average weekly wage in large counties

Average weekly wage, Increase in average weekly Percent increase in average 

fourth quarter 2017 wage, fourth quarter 2016-17 weekly wage, fourth

quarter 2016-17

United States $1,109 United States $42 United States 3.9

Santa Clara, Calif. $2,576 San Mateo, Calif. $241 San Mateo, Calif. 11.5

New York, N.Y. 2,439 New York, N.Y. 229 Ada, Idaho 11.5

San Mateo, Calif. 2,341 Santa Clara, Calif. 211 New York, N.Y. 10.4

San Francisco, Calif. 2,232 San Francisco, Calif. 154 Douglas, Colo. 9.0

Suffolk, Mass. 1,986 Douglas, Colo. 108 Santa Clara, Calif. 8.9

Washington, D.C. 1,812 Ada, Idaho 108 Washington, Ore. 8.1

Arlington, Va. 1,727 King, Wash. 103 San Francisco, Calif. 7.4

Fairfield, Conn. 1,688 Suffolk, Mass. 101 Elkhart, Ind. 7.1

Fairfax, Va. 1,646 Washington, Ore. 98 King, Wash. 7.0

Middlesex, Mass. 1,613 Los Angeles, Calif. 81 Weld, Colo. 6.9

Ten Largest U.S. Counties 

All of the 10 largest counties had over-the-year percentage increases in employment in December 2017. 

Maricopa, Ariz., had the largest gain (3.0 percent). Within Maricopa, construction had the largest overthe-year employment level increase, with a gain of 10,168 jobs, or 9.7 percent. Cook, Ill., had the 

smallest percentage increase in employment among the 10 largest counties (0.6 percent). Within Cook, 

education and health services had the largest over-the-year employment level increase, with a gain of 

6,515 jobs, or 1.5 percent. (See table 2.)

Average weekly wages increased over the year in all of the 10 largest U.S. counties. New York, N.Y.

experienced the largest percentage gain in average weekly wages (10.4 percent). Within New York, 

financial activities had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly wage gain. Within financial 

activities, average weekly wages increased by $1,032, or 22.4 percent, over the year. Harris, Texas, had 

the smallest percentage gain in average weekly wages among the 10 largest counties (2.4 percent). 

Within Harris, trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly 

wage growth with an increase of $49 (4.3 percent) over the year. 
- 4 -

For More Information

The tables and charts included in this release contain data for the nation and for the 346 U.S. counties 

with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2016. December 2017 employment and 

fourth quarter 2017 average weekly wages for all states are provided in table 3 of this release.

The data are derived from reports submitted by employers who are subject to unemployment insurance 

(UI) laws. The 10.0 million employer reports cover 145.9 million full- and part-time workers. The full 

set of data for the fourth quarter of 2017 will be available on June 7, 2018, at www.bls.gov/cew.

Additional information about the quarterly employment and wages data is available in the Technical 

Note. More information about QCEW data may be obtained by calling (202) 691-6567. 

The most current news release on quarterly measures of gross job flows is available from QCEW 

Business Employment Dynamics at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewbd.pdf. 

Several BLS regional offices issue QCEW news releases targeted to local data users. Links to these 

releases are available at www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm. 

The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2017 is scheduled to be 

released on Thursday, June 7, 2018. The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 

2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. 
Technical Note

These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program, 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 summaries 

are a result of the administration of state unemployment insurance 

programs that require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based 

on the employment and wages of workers covered by UI. QCEW 

data in this release are based on the 2017 North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS). Data for 2017 are preliminary and 

subject to revision. 

For purposes of this release, large counties are defined as having 

employment levels of 75,000 or greater. In addition, data for San 

Juan, Puerto Rico, are provided, but not used in calculating U.S. 

averages, rankings, or in the analysis in the text. Each year, these 

large counties are selected on the basis of the preliminary annual 

average of employment for the previous year. The 347 counties 

presented in this release were derived using 2016 preliminary annual averages of employment. For 2017 data, three counties have 

been added to the publication tables: Sussex, Del.; Maui + Kalawao, Hawaii; and Deschutes, Ore. These counties will be included 

in all 2017 quarterly releases. One county, Gregg, Texas, which 

was published in the 2016 releases, will be excluded from this and 

future 2017 releases because its 2016 annual average employment 

level was less than 75,000. The counties in table 2 are selected and 

sorted each year based on the annual average employment from the 

preceding year.

Summary of Major Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES Employment Measures

QCEW BED CES

Source Count of UI administrative records 

submitted by 9.9 million establishments in first quarter of 2017 

Count of longitudinally-linked UI administrative records submitted by 7.9 

million private-sector employers

Sample survey: 651,000 establishments

Coverage UI and UCFE coverage, including 

all employers subject to state and 

federal UI laws

UI coverage, excluding government, 

private households, and establishments with zero employment

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs:

UI coverage, excluding agriculture, private 

households, and self-employed workers

Other employment, including railroads, 

religious organizations, and other nonUI-covered jobs

Publication frequency

Quarterly

— Within 5 months after the end of 

each quarter

Quarterly

— 7 months after the end of each 

quarter

Monthly

— Usually the 3rd Friday after the end 

of the week including the 12th of the 

month

Use of UI file Directly summarizes and publishes 

each new quarter of UI data

Links each new UI quarter to longitudinal database and directly summarizes gross job gains and lossesUses UI file as a sampling frame and to 

annually realign sample-based estimates 

to population counts (benchmarking)

Principal

products

Provides a quarterly and annual universe count of establishments, employment, and wages at the county, 

metropolitan statistical area (MSA), 

state, and national levels by detailed 

industry

Provides quarterly employer dynamics data on establishment openings, 

closings, expansions, and contractions 

at the national level by NAICS supersectors and by size of firm, and at the 

state private-sector total level 

Future expansions will include data 

with greater industry detail and data 

at the county and MSA level 

Provides current monthly estimates of 

employment, hours, and earnings at the 

MSA, state, and national level by industry

Principal uses Major uses include:

— Detailed locality data

— Periodic universe counts for 

benchmarking sample survey estimates

— Sample frame for BLS establishment surveys

Major uses include:

— Business cycle analysis

— Analysis of employer dynamics

underlying economic expansions 

and contractions

— Analysis of employment expansion and contraction by size of 

firm

Major uses include:

— Principal federal economic indicator

— Official time series for employment 

change measures

— Input into other major economic indicators

Program Web 

sites

www.bls.gov/cew www.bls.gov/bdm www.bls.gov/ces
The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ 

from data released by the individual states. These potential differences 

result from the states' continuing receipt of UI data over time and ongoing review and editing. The individual states determine their data 

release timetables.

Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES employment 

measures

The Bureau publishes three different establishment-based employment measures for any given quarter: QCEW, Business Employment 

Dynamics (BED), and Current Employment Statistics (CES). Each of 

these measures makes use of the quarterly UI employment reports in 

producing data; however, each measure has a somewhat different universe coverage, estimation procedure, and publication product. 

Differences in coverage and estimation methods can result in somewhat different measures of employment change over time. It is important to understand program differences and the intended uses of the 

program products. (See table.) Additional information on each program can be obtained from the program Web sites shown in the table.

Coverage

Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws 

are compiled from quarterly contribution reports submitted to the 

SWAs by employers. For federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program, 

employment and wage data are compiled from quarterly reports submitted by four major federal payroll processing centers on behalf of 

all federal agencies, with the exception of a few agencies which still 

report directly to the individual SWA. In addition to the quarterly contribution reports, employers who operate multiple establishments 

within a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite 

Report," which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of their establishments. QCEW employment and wage 

data are derived from microdata summaries of 9.7 million employer 

reports of employment and wages submitted by states to the BLS in 

2016. These reports are based on place of employment rather than 

place of residence.

UI and UCFE coverage is broad and has been basically comparable 

from state to state since 1978, when the 1976 amendments to the Federal Unemployment Tax Act became effective, expanding coverage to 

include most state and local government employees. In 2016, UI and 

UCFE programs covered workers in 141.9 million jobs. The estimated 

136.6 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment for multiple jobholders) represented 96.4 percent of civilian wage and salary employment. Covered workers received $7.607 trillion in pay, representing 

94.1 percent of the wage and salary component of personal income 

and 40.9 percent of the gross domestic product.

Major exclusions from UI coverage include self-employed workers, most agricultural workers on small farms, all members of the 

Armed Forces, elected officials in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic workers, most student workers at schools, and 

employees of certain small nonprofit organizations.

State and federal UI laws change periodically. These changes may 

have an impact on the employment and wages reported by employers 

covered under the UI program. Coverage changes may affect the overthe-year comparisons presented in this news release.

Concepts and methodology

Monthly employment is based on the number of workers who 

worked during or received pay for the pay period including the 12th 

of the month. With few exceptions, all employees of covered firms are 

reported, including production and sales workers, corporation officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical workers. Workers on paid vacations and part-time workers also are included. 

Average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly 

total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels 

(all employees, as described above) and dividing the result by 13, for 

the 13 weeks in the quarter. These calculations are made using unrounded employment and wage values. The average wage values that 

can be calculated using rounded data from the BLS database may differ from the averages reported. Included in the quarterly wage data are 

non-wage cash payments such as bonuses, the cash value of meals and 

lodging when supplied, tips and other gratuities, and, in some states, 

employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans such 

as 401(k) plans and stock options. Over-the-year comparisons of average weekly wages may reflect fluctuations in average monthly employment and/or total quarterly wages between the current quarter and 

prior year levels.

Average weekly wages are affected by the ratio of full-time to parttime workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and 

low-paying occupations and the incidence of pay periods within a 

quarter. For instance, the average weekly wage of the workforce could 

increase significantly when there is a large decline in the number of 

employees that had been receiving below-average wages. Wages may 

include payments to workers not present in the employment counts 

because they did not work during the pay period including the 12th of 

the month. When comparing average weekly wage levels between industries, states, or quarters, these factors should be taken into consideration.

Wages measured by QCEW may be subject to periodic and sometimes large fluctuations. This variability may be due to calendar effects resulting from some quarters having more pay dates than others. 

The effect is most visible in counties with a dominant employer. In 

particular, this effect has been observed in counties where government 

employers represent a large fraction of overall employment. Similar 

calendar effects can result from private sector pay practices. However, 

these effects are typically less pronounced for two reasons: employment is less concentrated in a single private employer, and private employers use a variety of pay period types (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly). 

For example, the effect on over-the-year pay comparisons can be 

pronounced in federal government due to the uniform nature of federal 

payroll processing. Most federal employees are paid on a biweekly 

pay schedule. As a result, in some quarters federal wages include six 

pay dates, while in other quarters there are seven pay dates. Over-theyear comparisons of average weekly wages may also reflect this calendar effect. Growth in average weekly wages may be attributed, in 

part, to a comparison of quarterly wages for the current year, which 

include seven pay dates, with year-ago wages that reflect only six pay 

dates. An opposite effect will occur when wages in the current quarter 

reflecting six pay dates are compared with year-ago wages for a quarter including seven pay dates. 

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, states verify 

with employers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and 

ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. 

Changes in establishment classification codes resulting from this process are introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the 
year. Changes resulting from improved employer reporting also are 

introduced in the first quarter.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are 

simply the sums of individual establishment records and reflect 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 that reflect economic events or administrative 

changes. For example, economic change would come from a firm relocating into the county; administrative change would come from a 

company correcting its county designation.

The over-the-year changes of employment and wages presented in 

this release have been adjusted to account for most of the administrative corrections made to the underlying establishment reports. This is 

done by modifying the prior-year levels used to calculate the over-theyear changes. Percent changes are calculated using an adjusted version of the final 2016 quarterly data as the base data. The adjusted 

prior-year levels used to calculate the over-the-year percent change in 

employment and wages are not published. These adjusted prior-year 

levels do not match the unadjusted data maintained on the BLS Web 

site. Over-the-year change calculations based on data from the Web 

site, or from data published in prior BLS news releases, may differ 

substantially from the over-the-year changes presented in this news 

release.

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change 

measures presented in this release eliminate the effect of most of the 

administrative changes (those occurring when employers update the 

industry, location, and ownership information of their establishments). The most common adjustments for administrative change are 

the result of updated information about the county location of individual establishments. Included in these adjustments are administrative 

changes involving the classification of establishments that were previously reported in the unknown or statewide county or unknown industry categories. Adjusted data account for improvements in reporting employment and wages for individual and multi-unit establishments. To accomplish this, adjustments were implemented to account 

for: administrative changes caused by multi-unit employers who start 

reporting for each individual establishment rather than as a single entity (first quarter of 2008); selected large administrative changes in 

employment and wages (second quarter of 2011); and state verified 

improvements in reporting of employment and wages (third quarter of 

2014). These adjustments allow QCEW to include county employment and wage growth rates in this news release that would otherwise 

not meet publication standards.

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change 

measures presented in any County Employment and Wages news release are valid for comparisons between the starting and ending points 

(a 12-month period) used in that particular release. Comparisons may 

not be valid for any time period other than the one featured in a release 

even if the changes were calculated using adjusted data.

County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information 

Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, after approval by the 

Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of the Information 

Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106. Areas shown as counties include those designated as independent cities in some jurisdictions and, 

in Alaska, those designated as census areas where counties have not 

been created. County data also are presented for the New England 

states for comparative purposes even though townships are the more 

common designation used in New England (and New Jersey). The regions referred to in this release are defined as census regions.

Additional statistics and other information

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2016 edition of this 

publication, which was published in September 2017, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on 

job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 

2017 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from

the 2016 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online 

are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn16.htm. The 2017 

edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be 

available in September 2018. 

News releases on quarterly measures of gross job flows also are 

available from BED at www.bls.gov/bdm, (202) 691-6467, or 

data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/forms/bdm.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD 

message referral phone number: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

United States4.............................. 9,969.4 145,921.1 1.5 - $1,109 3.9 -

Jefferson, AL................................ 18.8 350.5 1.8 102 1,083 3.8 98

Madison, AL................................. 9.7 198.9 1.9 96 1,137 3.5 122

Mobile, AL.................................... 10.2 171.9 1.0 196 975 4.1 78

Montgomery, AL........................... 6.5 132.3 -0.1 322 939 -0.4 340

Shelby, AL.................................... 5.9 85.3 0.7 240 1,031 2.6 213

Tuscaloosa, AL............................. 4.6 93.9 2.2 81 913 4.6 47

Anchorage, AK............................. 8.3 147.3 -1.1 341 1,104 1.9 281

Maricopa, AZ................................ 97.9 1,989.4 3.0 32 1,024 2.9 180

Pima, AZ....................................... 18.7 372.3 1.0 196 892 3.8 98

Benton, AR................................... 6.5 119.7 1.3 158 1,008 -1.4 344

Pulaski, AR................................... 14.4 253.2 0.9 215 971 2.1 264

Washington, AR........................... 6.0 107.4 2.6 56 1,002 5.5 18

Alameda, CA................................ 64.0 785.6 3.0 32 1,457 5.4 22

Butte, CA..................................... 8.6 83.1 1.3 158 826 4.8 38

Contra Costa, CA......................... 32.6 369.9 0.7 240 1,344 4.0 85

Fresno, CA................................... 35.7 380.2 1.8 102 888 3.6 117

Kern, CA....................................... 19.2 313.6 1.1 181 888 2.5 227

Los Angeles, CA........................... 494.2 4,494.5 1.6 121 1,343 6.4 11

Marin, CA..................................... 12.6 116.8 1.5 135 1,400 1.8 288

Merced, CA................................. 6.7 79.4 3.8 16 816 1.0 317

Monterey, CA............................... 13.8 175.0 0.7 240 951 4.5 52

Napa, CA..................................... 5.9 74.4 1.4 144 1,119 5.6 17

Orange, CA.................................. 121.9 1,621.4 1.7 111 1,234 2.8 188

Placer, CA.................................... 13.1 164.6 4.3 12 1,107 3.1 163

Riverside, CA............................... 64.7 732.3 2.8 48 873 4.7 44

Sacramento, CA........................... 58.6 656.4 2.4 69 1,180 4.5 52

San Bernardino, CA..................... 59.4 754.0 3.3 23 906 2.0 270

San Diego, CA.............................. 111.9 1,462.0 1.8 102 1,221 4.3 67

San Francisco, CA....................... 61.0 730.9 2.9 38 2,232 7.4 7

San Joaquin, CA.......................... 17.9 251.9 2.4 69 923 3.8 98

San Luis Obispo, CA.................... 10.5 115.9 1.6 121 929 4.6 47

San Mateo, CA............................. 28.5 407.5 1.8 102 2,341 11.5 1

Santa Barbara, CA....................... 15.6 195.4 1.6 121 1,066 3.9 92

Santa Clara, CA........................... 73.3 1,093.4 2.5 62 2,576 8.9 5

Santa Cruz, CA............................ 9.6 100.4 1.1 181 970 4.1 78

Solano, CA................................... 11.6 140.8 1.3 158 1,115 4.1 78

Sonoma, CA................................. 20.2 208.3 2.0 90 1,070 4.8 38

Stanislaus, CA.............................. 15.8 187.1 3.0 32 915 3.5 122

Tulare, CA.................................... 10.5 159.3 0.7 240 812 4.9 35

Ventura, CA.................................. 27.4 326.3 0.8 229 1,076 3.0 171

Yolo, CA....................................... 6.8 101.6 2.6 56 1,151 3.9 92

Adams, CO................................... 11.0 211.7 5.1 8 1,075 5.4 22

Arapahoe, CO.............................. 22.0 331.2 1.8 102 1,268 3.4 134

Boulder, CO.................................. 15.3 183.1 2.4 69 1,277 3.5 122

Denver, CO.................................. 32.2 514.2 2.6 56 1,334 3.7 107

Douglas, CO................................. 12.0 123.6 2.9 38 1,314 9.0 4

El Paso, CO.................................. 19.8 274.4 2.5 62 967 2.8 188

Jefferson, CO............................... 20.2 236.4 2.2 81 1,112 2.4 241

Larimer, CO.................................. 12.2 159.0 3.0 32 1,011 3.4 134

Weld, CO...................................... 7.4 106.8 5.2 6 962 6.9 10

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fairfield, CT................................. 35.6 424.4 -0.4 328 $1,688 0.7 325

Hartford, CT.................................. 28.1 514.6 0.4 281 1,296 2.6 213

New Haven, CT............................ 24.3 369.7 0.5 275 1,121 2.5 227

New London, CT.......................... 7.6 124.5 0.7 240 1,051 2.7 200

New Castle, DE............................ 19.7 293.3 0.5 275 1,195 2.5 227

Sussex, DE.................................. 6.8 77.0 2.7 52 817 3.2 151

Washington, DC........................... 41.2 769.0 0.9 215 1,812 2.7 200

Alachua, FL.................................. 7.2 131.0 1.0 196 912 5.2 28

Bay, FL......................................... 5.6 77.1 1.4 144 795 1.8 288

Brevard, FL................................... 15.9 211.6 2.5 62 972 3.5 122

Broward, FL.................................. 69.7 814.0 1.2 167 1,041 3.7 107

Collier, FL..................................... 14.1 150.4 1.3 158 966 4.4 61

Duval, FL..................................... 29.5 516.7 3.2 24 1,030 2.9 180

Escambia, FL............................... 8.1 135.8 2.8 48 868 4.8 38

Hillsborough, FL........................... 42.5 692.4 0.7 240 1,049 4.0 85

Lake, FL....................................... 8.2 98.9 2.3 77 740 2.5 227

Lee, FL......................................... 22.1 265.5 2.9 38 864 1.9 281

Leon, FL....................................... 8.7 151.1 1.0 196 894 3.8 98

Manatee, FL................................. 11.0 125.7 1.7 111 819 0.9 322

Marion, FL.................................... 8.4 103.2 1.2 167 756 0.7 325

Miami-Dade, FL............................ 98.9 1,148.3 0.8 229 1,065 3.8 98

Okaloosa, FL................................ 6.4 83.0 1.4 144 875 1.3 308

Orange, FL................................... 42.4 845.4 3.4 22 969 2.5 227

Osceola, FL.................................. 7.0 94.4 4.4 11 740 2.5 227

Palm Beach, FL............................ 56.7 611.5 1.0 196 1,103 4.5 52

Pasco, FL..................................... 10.9 119.4 2.1 87 760 3.0 171

Pinellas, FL................................... 33.1 432.8 1.6 121 988 2.9 180

Polk, FL........................................ 13.3 220.7 2.9 38 821 2.6 213

Sarasota, FL................................ 16.0 171.2 1.0 196 941 4.8 38

Seminole, FL................................ 15.0 194.6 3.5 21 932 3.1 163

Volusia, FL................................... 14.4 173.1 1.9 96 784 3.2 151

Bibb, GA....................................... 4.2 83.6 -1.0 340 840 2.8 188

Chatham, GA................................ 8.0 154.2 2.2 81 906 2.3 249

Clayton, GA.................................. 4.0 126.7 1.0 196 988 -6.7 346

Cobb, GA...................................... 21.7 363.7 1.9 96 1,125 3.5 122

DeKalb, GA................................. 17.8 301.5 0.6 255 1,086 2.5 227

Fulton, GA.................................... 43.1 870.2 2.4 69 1,449 5.0 33

Gwinnett, GA................................ 24.6 359.9 2.7 52 1,048 2.3 249

Hall, GA....................................... 4.4 86.8 1.8 102 979 5.8 16

Muscogee, GA.............................. 4.5 94.5 0.9 215 875 4.0 85

Richmond, GA.............................. 4.4 105.9 0.6 255 887 2.3 249

Honolulu, HI.................................. 26.2 480.3 0.5 275 1,030 3.4 134

Maui + Kalawao, HI...................... 6.2 78.3 0.8 229 863 1.4 304

Ada, ID......................................... 16.2 238.3 3.6 20 1,044 11.5 1

Champaign, IL.............................. 4.0 90.9 1.0 196 933 -1.6 345

Cook, IL........................................ 136.9 2,604.2 0.6 255 1,283 2.6 213

DuPage, IL................................. 34.3 622.3 0.4 281 1,239 2.4 241

Kane, IL........................................ 12.4 211.2 0.1 309 1,005 4.4 61

Lake, IL........................................ 20.0 338.1 1.2 167 1,411 1.0 317

McHenry, IL.................................. 7.7 98.6 1.4 144 917 3.9 92

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

McLean, IL.................................... 3.4 83.3 -0.9 336 $944 2.3 249

Madison, IL................................... 5.4 101.7 1.8 102 857 2.0 270

Peoria, IL...................................... 4.2 104.2 0.9 215 1,088 1.6 300

St. Clair, IL.................................... 5.0 94.8 -0.4 328 856 2.4 241

Sangamon, IL............................... 4.7 129.4 -0.3 326 1,065 3.3 141

Will, IL.......................................... 14.5 245.6 1.7 111 954 2.1 264

Winnebago, IL.............................. 6.0 128.1 0.1 309 904 2.8 188

Allen, IN........................................ 8.8 187.6 1.1 181 885 4.6 47

Elkhart, IN..................................... 4.7 137.8 5.4 5 983 7.1 8

Hamilton, IN.................................. 9.4 140.9 1.5 135 1,036 1.2 312

Lake, IN........................................ 10.4 189.2 0.3 295 929 2.0 270

Marion, IN..................................... 24.0 601.9 0.8 229 1,086 3.2 151

St. Joseph, IN............................... 5.8 123.9 -0.3 326 879 1.4 304

Tippecanoe, IN............................. 3.4 84.7 0.8 229 920 3.3 141

Vanderburgh, IN........................... 4.7 110.2 1.7 111 903 3.7 107

Johnson, IA.................................. 4.2 85.3 1.1 181 971 2.2 260

Linn, IA......................................... 6.9 131.3 0.6 255 1,119 5.9 15

Polk, IA........................................ 17.6 300.9 1.2 167 1,117 2.7 200

Scott, IA........................................ 5.6 91.4 -0.2 325 899 1.7 297

Johnson, KS................................. 23.5 349.9 1.8 102 1,089 2.3 249

Sedgwick, KS............................... 12.6 250.2 0.0 317 917 1.4 304

Shawnee, KS................................ 5.1 96.7 -1.8 345 860 2.0 270

Wyandotte, KS............................. 3.5 93.7 3.2 24 1,027 -1.1 343

Boone, KY................................... 4.4 91.3 2.4 69 914 1.8 288

Fayette, KY................................... 10.9 199.8 1.3 158 970 0.1 338

Jefferson, KY................................ 25.0 472.3 0.4 281 1,048 2.3 249

Caddo, LA.................................... 7.3 112.8 -1.8 345 872 1.9 281

Calcasieu, LA............................... 5.4 100.3 5.8 4 971 5.1 30

East Baton Rouge, LA.................. 15.8 266.2 -0.1 322 1,010 0.5 331

Jefferson, LA................................ 14.1 191.9 -1.2 342 976 2.3 249

Lafayette, LA................................ 9.7 129.7 -0.4 328 944 3.5 122

Orleans, LA.................................. 12.9 196.1 1.0 196 1,036 3.8 98

St. Tammany, LA.......................... 8.4 89.7 0.1 309 916 1.0 317

Cumberland, ME.......................... 14.0 185.7 2.8 48 1,007 2.7 200

Anne Arundel, MD........................ 15.3 273.8 0.6 255 1,177 1.3 308

Baltimore, MD............................... 21.3 381.7 -0.6 332 1,118 3.1 163

Frederick, MD............................... 6.5 102.7 2.0 90 989 2.0 270

Harford, MD.................................. 5.8 95.9 2.0 90 1,009 2.6 213

Howard, MD................................. 10.0 171.4 0.4 281 1,331 2.5 227

Montgomery, MD.......................... 33.0 474.5 0.0 317 1,482 4.2 71

Prince George's, MD.................... 16.0 323.8 0.4 281 1,123 3.0 171

Baltimore City, MD....................... 13.7 344.9 1.4 144 1,365 4.5 52

Barnstable, MA............................. 9.5 91.8 0.8 229 962 2.3 249

Bristol, MA.................................... 17.7 229.6 0.6 255 979 4.0 85

Essex, MA.................................... 25.9 329.2 1.1 181 1,161 3.3 141

Hampden, MA.............................. 18.3 211.7 1.6 121 973 2.1 264

Middlesex, MA.............................. 55.3 915.0 1.6 121 1,613 5.1 30

Norfolk, MA................................... 25.4 356.9 0.6 255 1,358 4.1 78

Plymouth, MA............................... 16.0 195.6 2.0 90 1,033 1.8 288

Suffolk, MA................................... 30.0 679.7 1.0 196 1,986 5.4 22

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Worcester, MA.............................. 25.5 353.8 1.4 144 $1,078 2.9 180

Genesee, MI................................. 6.8 136.0 0.4 281 899 0.9 322

Ingham, MI................................... 6.0 153.1 0.6 255 1,041 1.1 314

Kalamazoo, MI............................. 5.0 119.8 1.2 167 1,002 2.0 270

Kent, MI....................................... 14.5 402.5 1.2 167 956 1.9 281

Macomb, MI.................................. 17.6 328.8 0.6 255 1,091 2.6 213

Oakland, MI.................................. 39.5 735.1 1.0 196 1,253 3.6 117

Ottawa, MI.................................... 5.7 124.3 1.3 158 976 2.7 200

Saginaw, MI.................................. 3.9 84.6 -0.9 336 897 3.7 107

Washtenaw, MI............................. 8.3 215.6 1.7 111 1,134 3.2 151

Wayne, MI.................................... 30.9 725.3 0.2 302 1,212 2.4 241

Anoka, MN.................................... 7.3 123.5 1.5 135 1,034 4.1 78

Dakota, MN.................................. 10.1 188.9 0.7 240 1,044 2.9 180

Hennepin, MN.............................. 40.4 926.8 1.1 181 1,335 3.0 171

Olmsted, MN................................ 3.5 97.8 1.6 121 1,118 4.0 85

Ramsey, MN................................. 13.6 334.5 1.3 158 1,202 3.8 98

St. Louis, MN................................ 5.3 98.0 0.7 240 895 3.2 151

Stearns, MN................................. 4.4 87.1 0.6 255 907 4.3 67

Washington, MN........................... 5.6 86.3 4.2 13 943 5.5 18

Harrison, MS................................ 4.6 85.4 0.1 309 749 2.5 227

Hinds, MS..................................... 5.8 122.0 -0.9 336 884 2.1 264

Boone, MO................................... 5.1 94.5 1.1 181 846 0.5 331

Clay, MO...................................... 5.8 106.5 2.6 56 948 1.4 304

Greene, MO.................................. 9.1 167.2 1.2 167 841 4.2 71

Jackson, MO................................ 22.5 370.3 0.7 240 1,103 3.4 134

St. Charles, MO............................ 9.7 147.9 1.4 144 847 1.0 317

St. Louis, MO................................ 39.9 613.9 0.9 215 1,168 3.6 117

St. Louis City, MO........................ 14.8 226.4 0.9 215 1,145 1.7 297

Yellowstone, MT........................... 6.9 81.4 0.3 295 924 0.5 331

Douglas, NE................................. 19.5 342.7 0.7 240 1,011 3.0 171

Lancaster, NE............................... 10.6 170.3 1.5 135 882 2.9 180

Clark, NV..................................... 54.9 981.8 3.0 32 938 3.1 163

Washoe, NV................................. 14.8 221.8 3.7 17 969 2.5 227

Hillsborough, NH.......................... 12.2 206.0 0.4 281 1,240 3.2 151

Merrimack, NH............................. 5.2 78.1 0.8 229 1,050 3.3 141

Rockingham, NH.......................... 11.0 150.0 1.0 196 1,116 4.9 35

Atlantic, NJ................................... 6.6 123.2 0.7 240 914 2.6 213

Bergen, NJ................................... 33.3 458.4 0.9 215 1,298 1.2 312

Burlington, NJ............................... 11.1 209.4 0.6 255 1,105 1.7 297

Camden, NJ................................. 12.2 209.4 1.9 96 1,096 2.6 213

Essex, NJ.................................... 20.7 349.5 1.5 135 1,318 1.8 288

Gloucester, NJ.............................. 6.4 112.6 2.7 52 926 1.1 314

Hudson, NJ................................... 15.3 267.9 2.5 62 1,408 3.1 163

Mercer, NJ.................................... 11.3 253.7 1.3 158 1,355 -0.4 340

Middlesex, NJ.............................. 22.5 440.4 1.9 96 1,259 1.9 281

Monmouth, NJ.............................. 20.2 262.9 0.6 255 1,097 2.8 188

Morris, NJ..................................... 17.2 295.6 1.4 144 1,582 3.9 92

Ocean, NJ.................................... 13.4 166.9 2.4 69 883 1.3 308

Passaic, NJ.................................. 12.8 170.1 0.2 302 1,066 1.9 281

Somerset, NJ............................... 10.3 190.4 0.3 295 1,568 0.3 336

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Union, NJ..................................... 14.5 224.7 0.7 240 $1,385 2.4 241

Bernalillo, NM............................... 18.4 328.5 0.2 302 912 1.8 288

Albany, NY................................... 10.4 236.9 -0.7 335 1,135 4.2 71

Bronx, NY..................................... 18.8 306.8 0.9 215 1,030 2.7 200

Broome, NY.................................. 4.5 87.7 -0.4 328 838 4.8 38

Dutchess, NY............................... 8.4 114.9 1.0 196 1,032 2.1 264

Erie, NY........................................ 24.9 477.5 0.6 255 965 2.7 200

Kings, NY..................................... 63.0 736.4 4.1 14 920 1.8 288

Monroe, NY.................................. 19.0 391.5 0.6 255 1,000 2.8 188

Nassau, NY.................................. 54.4 646.0 1.1 181 1,242 2.0 270

New York, NY............................... 128.4 2,516.0 1.4 144 2,439 10.4 3

Oneida, NY................................... 5.3 106.2 0.2 302 838 3.6 117

Onondaga, NY.............................. 12.9 248.6 0.4 281 995 2.5 227

Orange, NY.................................. 10.5 146.4 1.5 135 921 3.7 107

Queens, NY.................................. 53.3 676.3 2.0 90 1,041 2.3 249

Richmond, NY.............................. 9.8 118.8 1.2 167 984 4.0 85

Rockland, NY............................... 10.9 126.3 1.2 167 1,030 -0.8 342

Saratoga, NY................................ 6.0 87.8 3.7 17 978 3.5 122

Suffolk, NY................................... 53.2 664.9 0.1 309 1,217 6.0 13

Westchester, NY.......................... 36.4 433.5 0.6 255 1,468 4.9 35

Buncombe, NC............................. 9.2 132.2 1.2 167 851 1.8 288

Catawba, NC................................ 4.4 88.7 1.8 102 841 2.6 213

Cumberland, NC........................... 6.2 120.6 0.4 281 829 3.5 122

Durham, NC................................. 8.4 201.9 1.0 196 1,286 2.6 213

Forsyth, NC.................................. 9.1 186.8 0.5 275 1,005 3.3 141

Guilford, NC.................................. 14.3 282.1 -0.6 332 946 5.3 26

Mecklenburg, NC.......................... 37.7 693.5 2.8 48 1,232 3.2 151

New Hanover, NC........................ 8.1 111.6 1.6 121 875 1.0 317

Wake, NC..................................... 34.4 553.5 2.9 38 1,117 2.5 227

Cass, ND...................................... 7.2 118.1 0.2 302 990 3.0 171

Butler, OH..................................... 7.8 157.3 2.0 90 933 0.2 337

Cuyahoga, OH.............................. 36.0 724.9 0.2 302 1,126 3.5 122

Delaware, OH............................... 5.4 88.4 1.1 181 1,021 2.0 270

Franklin, OH................................. 32.3 766.4 1.2 167 1,051 2.2 260

Hamilton, OH................................ 24.0 519.7 0.7 240 1,157 3.2 151

Lake, OH...................................... 6.3 95.3 0.4 281 893 3.4 134

Lorain, OH.................................... 6.2 98.4 0.6 255 830 1.1 314

Lucas, OH.................................... 10.2 209.9 -0.1 322 921 2.0 270

Mahoning, OH.............................. 5.9 98.0 0.4 281 775 3.3 141

Montgomery, OH.......................... 11.9 257.7 1.1 181 920 2.8 188

Stark, OH..................................... 8.6 161.1 1.1 181 834 5.3 26

Summit, OH................................. 14.4 268.0 0.0 317 962 2.2 260

Warren, OH................................. 4.9 91.7 2.5 62 954 0.7 325

Cleveland, OK.............................. 5.9 82.0 1.7 111 769 0.5 331

Oklahoma, OK.............................. 28.4 455.9 1.4 144 1,016 3.8 98

Tulsa, OK..................................... 22.7 357.7 0.8 229 968 2.7 200

Clackamas, OR............................ 15.1 164.5 2.5 62 1,023 3.8 98

Deschutes, OR............................. 8.6 80.9 3.7 17 874 4.3 67

Jackson, OR................................ 7.5 89.3 2.4 69 833 4.0 85

Lane, OR...................................... 12.2 156.0 1.4 144 862 2.0 270

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Marion, OR................................... 10.9 152.1 1.6 121 $901 4.6 47

Multnomah, OR............................ 35.2 510.5 1.9 96 1,146 4.2 71

Washington, OR........................... 19.5 294.7 2.4 69 1,307 8.1 6

Allegheny, PA............................... 35.6 702.2 1.1 181 1,172 3.1 163

Berks, PA..................................... 9.0 174.3 1.1 181 971 3.4 134

Bucks, PA..................................... 20.1 266.1 1.3 158 1,033 1.5 301

Butler, PA..................................... 5.1 85.9 0.6 255 1,008 0.1 338

Chester, PA.................................. 15.6 253.7 1.7 111 1,339 2.5 227

Cumberland, PA........................... 6.5 135.4 0.3 295 972 5.2 28

Dauphin, PA................................ 7.6 183.3 0.9 215 1,069 3.6 117

Delaware, PA............................... 14.2 227.2 1.0 196 1,146 3.3 141

Erie, PA........................................ 7.0 121.6 0.1 309 812 0.5 331

Lackawanna, PA.......................... 5.7 99.5 0.6 255 831 4.5 52

Lancaster, PA............................... 13.5 241.0 1.6 121 902 2.7 200

Lehigh, PA.................................... 8.9 192.1 1.4 144 1,084 3.1 163

Luzerne, PA.................................. 7.4 147.3 1.2 167 835 2.3 249

Montgomery, PA........................... 27.8 500.4 1.0 196 1,320 2.3 249

Northampton, PA.......................... 6.8 116.4 0.8 229 921 2.8 188

Philadelphia, PA........................... 34.8 684.6 1.4 144 1,290 4.4 61

Washington, PA............................ 5.5 87.7 2.2 81 1,181 5.1 30

Westmoreland, PA....................... 9.3 134.4 0.7 240 886 6.1 12

York, PA....................................... 9.2 180.9 0.8 229 955 5.4 22

Providence, RI.............................. 18.5 290.7 0.9 215 1,116 3.2 151

Charleston, SC............................. 15.4 248.9 1.6 121 979 4.7 44

Greenville, SC.............................. 14.1 272.9 2.3 77 953 2.8 188

Horry, SC..................................... 8.9 122.8 2.7 52 674 2.7 200

Lexington, SC............................... 6.7 122.9 3.0 32 805 1.8 288

Richland, SC................................ 10.3 221.0 0.2 302 914 3.3 141

Spartanburg, SC........................... 6.3 141.2 2.3 77 906 3.2 151

York, SC....................................... 5.8 94.8 3.2 24 872 2.6 213

Minnehaha, SD............................. 7.3 126.8 0.9 215 949 3.0 171

Davidson, TN................................ 22.8 492.5 2.6 56 1,197 2.7 200

Hamilton, TN................................ 9.7 204.0 2.1 87 1,041 3.7 107

Knox, TN...................................... 12.3 240.7 0.4 281 979 2.1 264

Rutherford, TN.............................. 5.7 129.3 5.2 6 946 0.6 329

Shelby, TN.................................... 20.6 501.9 0.5 275 1,115 2.6 213

Williamson, TN............................. 8.9 132.9 2.9 38 1,258 4.1 78

Bell, TX......................................... 5.5 119.5 0.6 255 925 5.5 18

Bexar, TX..................................... 41.5 865.4 1.0 196 980 2.7 200

Brazoria, TX................................. 5.8 111.0 0.6 255 1,134 3.2 151

Brazos, TX.................................... 4.6 105.2 2.5 62 806 4.5 52

Cameron, TX................................ 6.5 140.5 0.5 275 652 2.2 260

Collin, TX...................................... 25.3 409.2 4.1 14 1,249 1.9 281

Dallas, TX..................................... 77.5 1,712.8 1.7 111 1,318 3.1 163

Denton, TX.................................. 15.2 244.7 2.9 38 1,008 4.6 47

El Paso, TX.................................. 15.2 305.6 1.5 135 748 2.9 180

Fort Bend, TX............................... 13.5 184.7 3.2 24 1,014 3.0 171

Galveston, TX............................... 6.2 110.7 0.0 317 944 3.3 141

Harris, TX..................................... 115.3 2,293.3 1.1 181 1,352 2.4 241

Hidalgo, TX................................... 12.4 261.8 2.2 81 664 2.8 188

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 347 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 2

County1

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-173

Ranking by

percent

change

Jefferson, TX................................ 5.9 121.3 -0.6 332 $1,136 4.4 61

Lubbock, TX................................. 7.6 140.7 0.3 295 865 3.3 141

McLennan, TX.............................. 5.3 113.5 0.0 317 904 5.5 18

Midland, TX.................................. 5.5 94.7 11.5 1 1,341 3.7 107

Montgomery, TX........................... 11.4 183.5 5.9 3 1,073 4.4 61

Nueces, TX.................................. 8.3 163.5 0.8 229 930 3.7 107

Potter, TX..................................... 4.0 78.7 -1.3 343 907 4.1 78

Smith, TX..................................... 6.2 104.9 1.5 135 901 4.5 52

Tarrant, TX................................... 43.6 890.8 2.2 81 1,075 4.5 52

Travis, TX..................................... 41.0 737.7 2.9 38 1,278 2.4 241

Webb, TX..................................... 5.4 101.2 1.6 121 706 3.4 134

Williamson, TX............................. 10.9 169.4 3.2 24 1,041 3.0 171

Davis, UT..................................... 8.6 126.4 2.3 77 897 4.2 71

Salt Lake, UT................................ 45.7 701.6 3.1 31 1,056 2.7 200

Utah, UT....................................... 16.5 238.7 6.0 2 891 3.7 107

Weber, UT.................................... 6.1 106.8 3.2 24 808 2.4 241

Chittenden, VT............................. 6.9 103.3 1.0 196 1,045 1.3 308

Arlington, VA................................ 9.3 178.6 1.7 111 1,727 2.8 188

Chesterfield, VA........................... 9.2 139.9 0.4 281 917 2.9 180

Fairfax, VA.................................... 37.6 611.0 1.1 181 1,646 2.0 270

Henrico, VA.................................. 11.8 196.5 1.4 144 1,043 4.3 67

Loudoun, VA................................ 12.5 165.9 2.1 87 1,270 2.6 213

Prince William, VA........................ 9.4 129.7 1.5 135 949 1.5 301

Alexandria City, VA...................... 6.4 93.9 -0.9 336 1,531 2.5 227

Chesapeake City, VA................... 6.1 101.2 0.4 281 844 4.2 71

Newport News City, VA................ 3.9 100.5 2.9 38 1,026 0.6 329

Norfolk City, VA........................... 6.0 144.2 1.6 121 1,080 0.7 325

Richmond City, VA....................... 7.8 155.2 0.1 309 1,180 3.5 122

Virginia Beach City, VA................ 12.3 177.8 0.3 295 861 3.7 107

Benton, WA.................................. 5.7 86.6 2.6 56 1,055 4.4 61

Clark, WA..................................... 14.7 158.9 4.8 9 1,022 3.9 92

King, WA...................................... 86.6 1,377.5 2.9 38 1,583 7.0 9

Kitsap, WA.................................... 6.6 88.4 1.7 111 1,009 4.8 38

Pierce, WA................................... 21.8 307.3 1.6 121 976 4.7 44

Snohomish, WA............................ 20.8 286.1 0.1 309 1,148 3.2 151

Spokane, WA............................... 15.6 220.2 1.2 167 921 4.5 52

Thurston, WA............................... 8.3 114.8 3.2 24 969 5.0 33

Whatcom, WA.............................. 7.3 89.7 1.2 167 903 6.0 13

Yakima, WA................................. 7.7 107.0 4.8 9 772 4.2 71

Kanawha, WV............................... 5.7 99.3 -1.5 344 904 2.8 188

Brown, WI..................................... 7.0 157.3 0.7 240 989 3.9 92

Dane, WI...................................... 15.9 336.5 0.9 215 1,070 3.5 122

Milwaukee, WI.............................. 27.0 492.1 1.0 196 1,056 1.5 301

Outagamie, WI............................. 5.4 108.6 0.9 215 943 2.6 213

Waukesha, WI.............................. 13.4 244.7 0.9 215 1,082 0.8 324

Winnebago, WI............................. 3.8 94.5 0.3 295 1,039 3.5 122

San Juan, PR............................... 10.4 252.6 -0.9 (5) 678 0.9 (5)

1 Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See Technical Note.

2 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.

3 Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See Technical Note.

4 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

5 This county was not included in the U.S. rankings.

Note: Data are preliminary. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees

(UCFE) programs. These 346 U.S. counties comprise 73.0 percent of the total covered workers in the U.S.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017

Employment Average weekly wage 1

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-172

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-172

United States3................................................................. 9,969.4 145,921.1 1.5 $1,109 3.9

 Private industry............................................................. 9,671.1 124,015.7 1.7 1,114 4.1

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 137.4 1,801.6 3.7 1,135 4.8

 Construction............................................................... 792.8 6,962.2 3.7 1,282 3.9

 Manufacturing............................................................ 347.9 12,504.4 1.2 1,331 3.6

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,919.8 28,219.9 0.9 911 3.5

 Information................................................................. 165.0 2,825.6 0.1 2,035 8.0

 Financial activities...................................................... 879.4 8,150.9 1.2 1,826 6.8

 Professional and business services........................... 1,803.3 20,625.1 1.7 1,483 4.2

 Education and health services................................... 1,669.5 22,468.6 1.9 995 2.4

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 845.8 15,681.4 1.7 481 4.1

 Other services............................................................ 846.4 4,441.5 1.0 746 3.8

 Government.................................................................. 298.4 21,905.4 0.2 1,076 2.6

Los Angeles, CA.............................................................. 494.2 4,494.5 1.6 1,343 6.4

 Private industry............................................................. 488.0 3,914.4 1.8 1,340 7.0

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.5 8.0 3.2 1,176 0.1

 Construction............................................................... 14.5 140.3 4.5 1,332 4.6

 Manufacturing............................................................ 12.3 343.2 -2.9 1,481 6.7

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 54.9 859.5 0.8 994 3.9

 Information................................................................. 10.6 223.0 0.9 2,722 14.0

 Financial activities...................................................... 26.7 221.9 0.4 2,186 12.7

 Professional and business services........................... 49.6 618.3 1.8 1,794 8.5

 Education and health services................................... 232.6 789.6 2.5 947 2.3

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 33.9 522.3 1.3 1,074 5.9

 Other services............................................................ 26.8 148.8 -0.2 791 7.6

 Government.................................................................. 6.2 580.2 0.4 1,363 2.8

Cook, IL........................................................................... 136.9 2,604.2 0.6 1,283 2.6

 Private industry............................................................. 135.7 2,310.8 0.7 1,291 2.8

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.1 1.2 17.4 1,239 -5.6

 Construction............................................................... 10.6 72.5 0.8 1,661 2.5

 Manufacturing............................................................ 5.8 184.8 0.5 1,369 1.0

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 27.5 488.8 -0.3 1,009 2.5

 Information................................................................. 2.3 53.5 -0.8 1,838 5.7

 Financial activities...................................................... 13.7 196.8 1.3 2,380 4.6

 Professional and business services........................... 28.5 482.6 0.6 1,711 2.9

 Education and health services................................... 15.3 450.4 1.5 1,042 1.6

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 13.6 278.9 0.8 553 4.3

 Other services............................................................ 15.4 99.0 1.7 977 2.5

 Government.................................................................. 1.3 293.4 -0.4 1,223 0.5

New York, NY.................................................................. 128.4 2,516.0 1.4 2,439 10.4

 Private industry............................................................. 127.5 2,246.8 1.5 2,569 10.8

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.0 0.2 3.6 1,861 -9.3

 Construction............................................................... 2.3 42.5 4.7 2,356 0.5

 Manufacturing............................................................ 2.0 25.5 -2.6 1,681 1.7

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 19.5 265.0 -1.2 1,546 5.6

 Information................................................................. 5.0 169.7 3.7 2,761 2.9

 Financial activities...................................................... 19.5 380.3 1.9 5,637 22.4

 Professional and business services........................... 27.2 588.1 2.4 2,753 5.4

 Education and health services................................... 10.2 351.6 0.6 1,456 5.1

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 14.7 309.4 0.6 1,050 2.9

 Other services............................................................ 20.4 105.5 0.7 1,251 4.9

 Government.................................................................. 0.8 269.2 0.1 1,362 2.3

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 1

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-172

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-172

Harris, TX........................................................................ 115.3 2,293.3 1.1 $1,352 2.4

 Private industry............................................................. 114.8 2,014.1 1.2 1,377 2.5

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 1.6 67.2 1.7 3,255 0.1

 Construction............................................................... 7.4 156.8 0.7 1,481 0.5

 Manufacturing............................................................ 4.8 171.0 2.4 1,672 1.3

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 25.0 482.2 1.1 1,178 4.3

 Information................................................................. 1.2 26.4 -4.6 1,584 7.7

 Financial activities...................................................... 12.2 126.5 1.4 1,815 1.9

 Professional and business services........................... 23.2 394.4 1.4 1,790 2.9

 Education and health services................................... 16.1 292.4 0.5 1,095 1.8

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 10.1 228.2 1.1 490 4.3

 Other services............................................................ 11.6 65.9 1.4 840 1.7

 Government.................................................................. 0.5 279.3 0.5 1,173 2.5

Maricopa, AZ.................................................................... 97.9 1,989.4 3.0 1,024 2.9

 Private industry............................................................. 97.2 1,776.0 3.4 1,025 2.9

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.4 8.7 3.5 974 4.1

 Construction............................................................... 7.0 114.5 9.7 1,185 6.2

 Manufacturing............................................................ 3.1 121.1 3.9 1,432 4.0

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 18.2 393.9 1.8 919 2.8

 Information................................................................. 1.5 34.5 0.7 1,420 3.2

 Financial activities...................................................... 11.1 178.9 3.1 1,344 2.1

 Professional and business services........................... 20.8 339.9 2.4 1,133 2.1

 Education and health services................................... 11.0 302.5 2.9 1,017 1.7

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 8.0 218.1 3.8 495 4.0

 Other services............................................................ 6.3 50.9 -1.0 753 4.3

 Government.................................................................. 0.7 213.5 0.0 1,012 2.7

Dallas, TX........................................................................ 77.5 1,712.8 1.7 1,318 3.1

 Private industry............................................................. 76.9 1,538.5 1.8 1,330 3.2

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.5 9.2 14.7 3,218 -20.0

 Construction............................................................... 4.6 88.8 2.7 1,420 3.3

 Manufacturing............................................................ 2.8 112.6 0.8 1,584 9.9

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 15.9 363.6 2.3 1,077 2.1

 Information................................................................. 1.4 48.2 -2.2 1,852 1.9

 Financial activities...................................................... 9.6 165.4 2.2 1,802 2.3

 Professional and business services........................... 17.6 344.8 1.1 1,628 3.1

 Education and health services................................... 9.6 199.5 2.1 1,206 4.3

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 6.9 160.9 1.9 560 3.3

 Other services............................................................ 6.9 43.1 0.6 876 9.0

 Government.................................................................. 0.6 174.4 0.2 1,211 2.2

Orange, CA...................................................................... 121.9 1,621.4 1.7 1,234 2.8

 Private industry............................................................. 120.4 1,475.6 2.0 1,235 2.8

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.2 2.5 -7.4 987 1.9

 Construction............................................................... 6.9 103.5 4.8 1,481 6.5

 Manufacturing............................................................ 5.0 158.2 -1.2 1,506 0.5

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 17.2 271.1 1.2 1,055 1.0

 Information................................................................. 1.4 26.9 0.5 2,104 2.2

 Financial activities...................................................... 11.6 118.5 0.0 2,187 7.6

 Professional and business services........................... 21.0 305.4 0.7 1,436 2.7

 Education and health services................................... 34.1 213.9 3.1 1,024 2.8

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 8.7 217.3 2.6 552 3.4

 Other services............................................................ 6.9 45.7 -0.4 748 2.7

 Government.................................................................. 1.5 145.8 -0.9 1,224 3.0

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 1

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-172

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-172

San Diego, CA................................................................ 111.9 1,462.0 1.8 $1,221 4.3

 Private industry............................................................. 110.0 1,226.5 2.0 1,198 4.5

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.6 8.5 5.9 834 12.4

 Construction............................................................... 7.0 81.5 4.0 1,329 5.7

 Manufacturing............................................................ 3.2 109.1 0.4 1,655 4.3

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 14.4 237.0 0.8 960 5.7

 Information................................................................. 1.2 24.3 -1.4 2,077 13.8

 Financial activities...................................................... 10.3 74.6 1.3 1,581 1.5

 Professional and business services........................... 18.6 237.1 2.4 1,791 4.5

 Education and health services................................... 32.0 201.6 2.0 1,029 2.9

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 8.4 192.1 0.7 528 3.1

 Other services............................................................ 7.4 50.3 -0.5 656 1.9

 Government.................................................................. 1.9 235.5 0.7 1,335 3.0

King, WA......................................................................... 86.6 1,377.5 2.9 1,583 7.0

 Private industry............................................................. 86.0 1,209.4 3.4 1,610 7.1

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.4 3.0 3.8 1,321 9.8

 Construction............................................................... 6.7 70.9 4.2 1,455 5.1

 Manufacturing............................................................ 2.5 101.4 -1.1 1,679 1.0

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 14.3 275.3 5.7 1,714 15.0

 Information................................................................. 2.3 104.5 4.9 3,127 8.9

 Financial activities...................................................... 6.7 68.4 2.9 1,843 3.7

 Professional and business services........................... 18.0 227.1 2.6 1,892 3.8

 Education and health services................................... 18.6 174.3 2.8 1,092 3.4

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 7.3 139.1 3.1 608 7.4

 Other services............................................................ 9.2 45.4 2.3 884 3.2

 Government.................................................................. 0.5 168.2 -0.4 1,384 4.5

Miami-Dade, FL............................................................... 98.9 1,148.3 0.8 1,065 3.8

 Private industry............................................................. 98.6 1,007.9 0.9 1,053 3.8

 Natural resources and mining.................................... 0.5 9.2 1.0 643 -4.5

 Construction............................................................... 6.6 46.0 2.0 1,031 4.8

 Manufacturing............................................................ 2.9 41.1 1.0 985 2.8

 Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 25.4 293.2 1.1 936 2.5

 Information................................................................. 1.5 17.8 -1.4 1,768 5.7

 Financial activities...................................................... 10.7 76.3 0.5 1,700 3.7

 Professional and business services........................... 22.2 160.9 0.9 1,379 5.3

 Education and health services................................... 10.7 181.7 1.9 1,034 0.9

 Leisure and hospitality............................................... 7.4 140.7 -0.8 665 9.9

 Other services............................................................ 8.4 39.6 -0.7 674 6.8

 Government.................................................................. 0.3 140.3 0.3 1,151 3.3

1 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.

2 Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See Technical Note.

3 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Counties selected are based on 2016 annual average employment. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance

(UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state,

fourth quarter 2017

Employment Average weekly wage 1

State

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-17

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-17

United States2.......................................... 9,969.4 145,921.1 1.5 $1,109 3.9

Alabama.................................................... 126.5 1,955.3 1.1 928 2.9

Alaska........................................................ 22.1 306.7 -1.2 1,052 1.5

Arizona...................................................... 160.5 2,834.7 2.6 978 3.5

Arkansas................................................... 90.3 1,217.2 1.0 848 2.5

California................................................... 1,550.5 17,293.0 2.1 1,346 5.7

Colorado.................................................... 199.3 2,653.3 2.5 1,133 4.3

Connecticut............................................... 119.7 1,689.7 0.3 1,317 2.2

Delaware................................................... 31.8 444.9 0.6 1,081 2.6

District of Columbia................................... 41.2 769.0 0.9 1,812 2.7

Florida....................................................... 685.4 8,712.0 2.0 975 3.4

Georgia...................................................... 276.2 4,425.0 1.8 1,027 3.4

Hawaii........................................................ 42.2 664.5 0.8 984 3.1

Idaho......................................................... 62.6 712.4 3.0 857 7.1

Illinois........................................................ 367.4 6,001.1 0.8 1,151 2.6

Indiana....................................................... 165.0 3,057.8 1.1 915 3.6

Iowa........................................................... 102.5 1,549.7 0.4 938 3.0

Kansas...................................................... 88.9 1,390.3 0.4 894 1.9

Kentucky.................................................... 121.8 1,903.8 0.5 892 2.1

Louisiana................................................... 132.4 1,918.8 0.4 933 2.1

Maine......................................................... 54.6 610.3 1.2 884 3.4

Maryland.................................................... 171.5 2,683.6 0.5 1,207 3.3

Massachusetts.......................................... 254.7 3,582.2 1.3 1,411 4.4

Michigan.................................................... 245.4 4,321.8 0.9 1,062 3.4

Minnesota.................................................. 172.6 2,875.7 1.3 1,100 3.4

Mississippi................................................. 74.1 1,140.6 0.5 774 2.4

Missouri..................................................... 209.7 2,809.5 1.0 945 2.9

Montana.................................................... 50.1 461.4 1.0 843 2.7

Nebraska................................................... 74.3 980.9 0.9 901 3.0

Nevada...................................................... 81.1 1,351.9 3.5 955 3.2

New Hampshire......................................... 52.8 661.3 0.7 1,132 3.7

New Jersey............................................... 273.4 4,106.9 1.6 1,262 1.8

New Mexico............................................... 58.5 816.7 0.6 865 2.5

New York.................................................. 647.1 9,465.3 1.4 1,428 6.4

North Carolina........................................... 274.8 4,388.6 1.5 964 3.3

North Dakota............................................. 32.0 416.1 0.4 1,010 3.3

Ohio........................................................... 296.9 5,409.2 0.8 973 3.1

Oklahoma.................................................. 111.6 1,607.8 1.2 895 3.5

Oregon...................................................... 153.2 1,900.4 2.0 1,014 4.5

Pennsylvania............................................. 357.5 5,870.4 1.2 1,075 3.5

Rhode Island............................................. 37.5 483.6 1.1 1,056 2.7

South Carolina.......................................... 131.2 2,058.8 1.6 879 2.8

South Dakota............................................ 33.5 423.8 0.9 856 3.4

Tennessee................................................. 159.2 2,984.8 1.3 1,000 3.0

Texas......................................................... 681.4 12,207.8 2.0 1,109 3.5

Utah........................................................... 102.0 1,465.5 3.6 936 2.9

Vermont..................................................... 25.7 314.7 0.5 919 2.5

Virginia...................................................... 275.2 3,884.2 1.3 1,121 2.8

Washington............................................... 239.6 3,305.0 2.4 1,217 5.8

West Virginia............................................. 50.7 693.1 0.1 847 4.7

Wisconsin.................................................. 175.0 2,872.6 1.0 951 3.0

 See footnotes at end of table.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state,

fourth quarter 2017 - Continued

Employment Average weekly wage 1

State

Establishments,

fourth quarter

2017

(thousands)

December

2017

(thousands)

Percent

change,

December

2016-17

Fourth

quarter

2017

Percent

change,

fourth quarter

2016-17

Wyoming................................................... 26.3 267.5 0.6 $935 4.6

Puerto Rico............................................... 44.5 887.0 -4.4 570 2.5

Virgin Islands............................................ 3.4 34.3 -11.1 827 7.7

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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for

Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Chart 3. Percent change in employment in counties with 75,000 or more employees,

December 2016-17 (U.S. average = 1.5 percent)

Higher than U.S. average.

U.S. average or lower.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Chart 4. Percent change in average weekly wage in counties with 75,000 or more

employees, fourth quarter 2016-17 (U.S. average = 3.9 percent)

Higher tha U.S. average.

U.S. average or lower.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics