Technical information: (202) 691-6567

http://www.bls.gov/cew/

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-623

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Thursday, April 14, 2005

COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES: THIRD QUARTER 2004

In September 2004, Rutherford County, Tenn., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in

employment among the largest counties in the U.S., according to preliminary data released today by the

Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Rutherford County experienced an over-theyear employment gain of 9.2 percent, compared with national job growth of 1.3 percent. St. Joseph County,

Ind., had the largest over-the-year gain in average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2004, with an increase of 10.4 percent. The U.S. average weekly wage increased by 4.0 percent over the same time span.

Of the 317 largest counties in the United States, as measured by 2003 employment, 139 had over-theyear percentage growth in employment above the national average in September 2004, and 162 experienced

changes below the national average. (See chart 1.) Average weekly wages grew faster than the national

average in 137 of the largest U.S. counties, while the percent change in average weekly wages was below

the national average in 165 counties. (See chart 2.)

The employment and 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

reports submitted by every employer subject to unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The 8.4 million employer

reports cover 130.2 million full- and part-time workers. The attached tables and charts contain data for the

nation and for the 317 U.S. counties with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2003. In

addition, data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, are provided, but not used in calculating U.S. averages, or in the

analysis in the text. (See Technical Note.) September 2004 employment and 2004 third-quarter average

weekly wages for all states are provided in table 4 of this release. Data for all states, metropolitan statistical

areas, counties, and the nation through the second quarter of 2004 are available on the BLS Web site at

http://www.bls.gov/cew/. Preliminary data for the third quarter of 2004 and revised data for the first and

second quarters of 2004 will be available in April on the BLS Web site.

Large County Employment

In September 2004, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program, was 130.2 million, up

1.3 percent from September 2003. The 317 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for

70.2 percent of total U.S. covered employment and 76.1 percent of total covered wages. These 317

counties had a net job gain of 1,073,000 over the year, accounting for 63.8 percent of the U.S. employment

increase. Employment increased in 242 of the large counties from September 2003 to September 2004.

Rutherford County, Tenn., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (9.2 percent).

Clark County, Nev., had the next largest increase, 7.4 percent, followed by the counties of Riverside, Calif.

(7.2 percent), Elkhart, Ind. (6.8 percent), and Montgomery, Texas (6.6 percent). (See table 1.)
2

Table A. Top 10 counties ranked by September 2004 employment, September 2003-04 employment

change, and September 2003-04 percent change in employment

Los Angeles, Calif. 4,019.6 Maricopa, Ariz. 58.6 Rutherford, Tenn. 9.2

Cook, Ill. 2,511.7 Clark, Nev. 56.5 Clark, Nev. 7.4

New York, N.Y. 2,201.7 Orange, Calif. 44.1 Riverside, Calif. 7.2

Harris, Texas 1,838.1 Riverside, Calif. 38.2 Elkhart, Ind. 6.8

Maricopa, Ariz. 1,633.3 Los Angeles, Calif. 29.4 Montgomery, Texas 6.6

Orange, Calif. 1,468.4 Fairfax, Va. 24.9 Lee, Fla. 6.1

Dallas, Texas 1,438.0 Miami-Dade, Fla. 20.0 Prince William, Va. 5.8

San Diego, Calif. 1,268.0 Orange, Fla. 19.8 Utah, Utah 5.3

King, Wash. 1,104.3 San Bernardino, Calif. 19.3 Loudoun, Va. 5.3

Miami-Dade, Fla. 979.5 Hillsborough, Fla. 18.8 Sarasota, Fla. 5.1

Employment in large counties

September 2004 employ-

 ment (thousands)

 Net change in employment,

 September 2003-04

 (thousands)

Percent change in employment,

 September 2003-04

U.S. 130,248.9 U.S. 1,681.6 U.S. 1.3

Employment declined in 54 counties from September 2003 to September 2004. The largest percentage

decline in employment was in Trumbull County, Ohio (-3.7 percent), followed by the counties of Tulare,

Calif. (-2.7 percent), Ingham, Mich. (-2.6 percent), Richmond, Ga. (-2.2 percent), and Okaloosa, Fla.

(-2.0 percent).

The largest gains in employment from September 2003 to September 2004 were recorded in the counties

of Maricopa, Ariz. (58,600), Clark, Nev. (56,500), Orange, Calif. (44,100), Riverside, Calif. (38,200) and

Los Angeles, Calif. (29,400). (See table A.)

The largest absolute declines in employment occurred in Wayne County, Mich. (-9,700), followed by the

counties of Philadelphia, Pa. (-8,500), Cook, Ill. (-7,100), Baltimore City, Md. (-6,800), and Milwaukee,

Wis. (-6,500).

Large County Average Weekly Wages

The national average weekly wage in the third quarter of 2004 was $733. Average weekly wages were

higher than the national average in 118 of the largest 317 U.S. counties. New York County, N.Y., held the

top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,327. Santa Clara

County, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,308, followed by Washington, D.C.

($1,207), Arlington, Va. ($1,196), and Suffolk, Mass. ($1,178). (See table B.)

There were 198 counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the third quarter of

2004. The lowest average weekly wages were reported in Cameron County, Texas ($468), followed by the

counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($475), Horry, S.C. ($487), Webb, Texas ($496), and Yakima, Wash. ($500).

(See table 1.)

Over the year, the national average weekly wage rose by 4.0 percent. Among the largest counties, St.

Joseph, Ind., led the nation in growth in average weekly wages, with an increase of 10.4 percent from the
3

New York, N.Y. $1,327 Suffolk, Mass. $98 St. Joseph, Ind. 10.4

Santa Clara, Calif. 1,308 New York, N.Y. 87 Suffolk, Mass. 9.1

Washington, D.C. 1,207 Arlington, Va. 86 Loudoun, Va. 8.4

Arlington, Va. 1,196 Washington, D.C. 85 Rockingham, N.H. 8.1

Suffolk, Mass. 1,178 Loudoun, Va. 75 Arlington, Va. 7.7

San Mateo, Calif. 1,132 Fairfield, Conn. 66 Washington, D.C. 7.6

Fairfield, Conn. 1,132 St. Joseph, Ind. 64 Catawba, N.C. 7.3

San Francisco, Calif. 1,107 Hartford, Conn. 56 Forsyth, N.C. 7.3

Somerset, N.J. 1,093 Montgomery, Md. 56 Lexington, S.C. 7.3

Fairfax, Va. 1,068 Rockingham, N.H. 55 Henrico, Va. 7.3

U.S. $733 U.S. $28 U.S. 4.0

Average weekly wage in large counties

 Average weekly wage,

 third quarter 2004

Percent change in average

 weekly wage, third

 quarter 2003-04

 Change in average weekly

 wage, third quarter 2003-04

Table B. Top 10 counties ranked by third quarter 2004 average weekly wages, third quarter

2003-04 change in average weekly wages, and third quarter 2003-04 percent change in average

weekly wages

third quarter of 2003. Suffolk, Mass., was second with 9.1 percent growth, followed by the counties of

Loudoun, Va. (8.4 percent), Rockingham, N.H. (8.1 percent), and Arlington, Va. (7.7 percent).

Seven counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Kalamazoo County,

Mich., had the largest decrease, -7.7 percent, followed by the counties of Arapahoe, Colo. (-7.3 percent),

Somerset, N.J. (-6.9 percent), King, Wash. (-2.4 percent), and Santa Cruz, Calif. (-1.3 percent).

Ten Largest U.S. Counties

Of the 10 largest U.S. counties (based on 2003 employment levels), 9 reported increases in employment,

while 1 showed a decline from September 2003 to September 2004. Maricopa County, Ariz., experienced

the fastest growth in employment among the largest counties, with a 3.7 percent increase. Within Maricopa

County, employment rose in every industry group except information. The largest gains were in construction

(9.4 percent) and professional and business services (6.2 percent). (See table 2.) Orange County, Calif.,

had the next largest increase in employment, 3.1 percent, followed by Miami-Dade, Fla. (2.1 percent). The

only decrease in employment for the 10 largest counties was in Cook County, Ill., with a 0.3 percent decline.

The next lowest change in employment was recorded in Los Angeles County, Calif. (+0.7 percent), followed

by the counties of New York, N.Y., Dallas, Texas, and Harris, Texas (+0.8 percent each).

Eight of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. New York

County, N.Y., had the fastest growth in wages among the top 10 counties, 7.0 percent. Within New York

County, wages increased the most in natural resources and mining (15.2 percent) and financial activities (14.2

percent). San Diego County, Calif., was second in wage growth, increasing by 5.4 percent, followed by Los

Angeles County, Calif., with a gain of 4.9 percent. The smallest wage gains among the 10 largest counties

occurred in Dallas County, Texas (3.0 percent) and Orange County, Calif. (3.3 percent). King County,

Wash., experienced the only decline in average weekly wages among the largest 10 counties (-2.4 percent).

The information sector in King County posted the largest drop in wages, with a decline of 28.3 percent over
4

the year. A change in wage coverage for business establishments in Washington State contributed significantly to these wage declines. See the Coverage section of the Technical Note for more information.

Largest County by State

Table 3 shows September 2004 employment and the 2004 third-quarter average weekly wage in the

largest county in each state. (This table includes two counties—Yellowstone, Mont., and Laramie, Wyo.—

that have employment levels below 75,000). The employment levels in these counties in September 2004

ranged from approximately 4 million in Los Angeles County, Calif., to 39,800 in Laramie County, Wyo. The

highest average weekly wage of these counties was in New York, N.Y. ($1,327), while the lowest average

weekly wage was in Yellowstone County, Mont. ($572).

Introduction of the Location Quotient Calculator

In March 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics introduced a new tool on its Web site for

analyzing data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. The Location

Quotient Calculator helps data users compare industry employment levels in a defined area to that

of a larger area or base. For example, location quotients can be used to compare state

employment by industry to that of the nation; or employment in a city, county, metropolitan

statistical area, or other defined geographic subarea to that in the state. A link to the Location

Quotient Calculator and other relevant information can be found at http://www.bls.gov/cew/

cewlq.htm.
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. Data for 2004 are preliminary

and subject to revision.

For purposes of this release, large counties are defined as

having employment levels of 75,000 or greater. Each year, these

large counties are selected on the basis of the preliminary

annual average of employment for the previous year. The 318

counties discussed in this release were derived using 2003

preliminary annual averages of employment. These counties

will be included in all 2004 quarterly releases. The counties in

table 2 are selected and sorted each year based on the annual

average employment from the preceding year.

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. Each of these

Source Count of UI administrative records Count of longitudinally-linked UI Sample survey: 400,000 establishsubmitted by 8.4 million establish- administrative records submitted by ments

ments 6.5 million private-sector employers

Coverage UI and UCFE coverage, including UI coverage, excluding govern- Nonfarm wage and salary jobs:

all employers subject to state and ment, private households, and estab- UI coverage, excluding agriculture,

federal UI laws lishments with zero employment private households, and self-employed workers

Other employment, including railroads, religious organizations, and

other non-UI-covered jobs

Publication Quarterly Quarterly Monthly

frequency - 7 months after the end of each - 8 months after the end of each - Usually first Friday of following

quarter quarter month

Use of UI file Directly summarizes and pub- Links each new UI quarter to Uses UI file as a sampling frame

 lishes each new quarter of UI longitudinal database and directly and annually realigns (benchmarks)

 data summarizes gross job gains sample estimates to first quarter

 and losses

Principal Provides a quarterly and annual Provides quarterly employer dy- Provides current monthly estimates

products universe count of estab- namics data on establishment open- of employment, hours, and earnings

lishments, employment, and ings, closings, expansions, and at the MSA, state, and national levwages at the county, MSA, contractions at the national level el by industry

state, and national levels by Future expansions will include

detailed industry data at the county, MSA, and

state level and by size of

establishment

Principal uses Major uses include: Major uses include: Major uses include:

- Detailed locality data - Business cycle analysis - Principal national economic

- Periodic universe counts for - Analysis of employer dynamics indicator

benchmarking sample survey underlying economic expansions - Official time series for

estimates and contractions employment change measures

- Sample frame for BLS - Future: Employment expansion - Input into other major economic

establishment surveys and contraction by size of estab- indicators

lishment

Program www.bls.gov/cew/ www.bls.gov/bdm/ www.bls.gov/ces/

Web sites

•

•

•

•

 •

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

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

 QCEW BED CES

•

UI levels
measures—QCEW, Business Employment Dynamics (BED),

and Current Employment Statistics (CES)—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 over-the-quarter

employment change. It is important to understand program

differences and the intended uses of the program products.

(See table on the previous page.) Additional information on

each program can be obtained from the program Web sites

shown in the table on the previous page.

Coverage

Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI

laws and for federal civilian workers covered by the

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)

program are compiled from quarterly contribution reports

submitted to the SWAs by employers. 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. The employment and wage data included in

this release are derived from microdata summaries of more than

8 million employer reports of employment and wages submitted

by states to the BLS. These reports are based on place of

employment rather than place of residence.

UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable

from state to state. In 2003, UI and UCFE programs covered

workers in 127.8 million jobs. The estimated 122.9 million

workers in these jobs (after adjustment for multiple jobholders)

represented 96.6 percent of civilian wage and salary employment. Covered workers received $4.826 trillion in pay,

representing 94.6 percent of the wage and salary component of

personal income and 43.9 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 over-the-year comparisons

presented in this news release. Effective January 1, 2004, the

Washington Employment Security Department no longer

includes as covered wages an employee’s income attributable

to the transfer of shares of stock to the employee. This change

in wage coverage pertains to all establishments in Washington

State and contributes significantly to over-the-year changes in

wages in the state in 2004.

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.

Average weekly wages are affected by the ratio of full-time to

part-time workers as well as the number of individuals in highpaying and low-paying occupations and the incidence of pay

periods within a quarter. When comparing average weekly wage

levels between industries and/or states, these factors should be

taken into consideration.

Federal government pay levels are subject to periodic,

sometimes large, fluctuations due to a calendar effect that

consists of some quarters having more pay periods than others.

Most federal employees are paid on a biweekly pay schedule. As

a result of this schedule, in some quarters, federal wages contain

payments for six pay periods, while in other quarters their wages

include payments for seven pay periods. Over-the-year

comparisons of average weekly wages may reflect this calendar

effect. Higher growth in average weekly wages may be attributed,

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

which include seven pay periods, with year-ago wages that

reflect only six pay periods. An opposite effect will occur when

wages in the current period, which contain six pay periods, are

compared with year-ago wages that include seven pay periods.

The effect on over-the-year pay comparisons can be pronounced

in federal government due to the uniform nature of federal payroll

processing. This pattern may exist in private sector pay, however,

because there are more pay period types (weekly, biweekly,

semimonthly, monthly) it is less pronounced. The effect is most

visible in counties with large concentrations of federal employment.

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—some reflecting economic

events, others reflecting 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-the-year changes. Percent

changes are calculated using an adjusted version of the final

2003 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 prioryear 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 account for 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.

The adjusted data do not account for administrative changes

caused by (1) multi-unit employers who start reporting for each

individual establishment rather than as a single entity and (2) the

classification of establishments previously reported in the

unknown county or unknown industry categories.

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

An annual bulletin, Employment and Wages, features

comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all

states. Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2003 is

available for sale from the BLS Publications Sales Center, P.O.

Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690, telephone 312-353-1880. The

2003 bulletin will be available in April 2005 in a portable

document format (PDF) on the BLS Web site at

http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn03.htm.

News releases on quarterly measures of gross job flows also

are available upon request from the Division of Administrative

Statistics and Labor Turnover (Business Employment Dynamics), telephone 202-691-6467; (http://www.bls.gov/bdm/);

(e-mail: BDMInfo @bls.gov).

Information in this release will be made available to

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:

202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number:

1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

United States6 .................... 8,421.8 130,248.9 1.3 - $733 4.0 - 

Jefferson, AL ...................... 18.5 368.3 0.0 244 739 3.6 172

Madison, AL ....................... 7.9 165.3 2.6 66 773 2.7 238

Mobile, AL .......................... 9.6 161.3 -0.3 261 601 2.6 247

Montgomery, AL ................ 6.6 131.3 1.4 134 619 2.1 276

Tuscaloosa, AL .................. 4.2 78.8 3.0 51 614 2.7 238

Anchorage Borough, AK .... 7.7 145.0 0.8 175 809 4.0 138

Maricopa, AZ ..................... 79.9 1,633.3 3.7 32 731 4.7 77

Pima, AZ ............................ 17.5 339.6 2.9 56 640 4.1 133

Benton, AR ........................ 4.5 86.1 4.4 16 679 4.5 102

Pulaski, AR ........................ 13.3 242.6 0.9 166 669 4.7 77

Washington, AR ................. 5.1 87.0 2.3 81 599 6.6 15

Alameda, CA ...................... 47.7 674.8 -0.5 270 971 3.6 172

Contra Costa, CA ............... 27.4 339.2 0.7 189 923 5.2 53

Fresno, CA ......................... 28.6 348.8 -0.4 266 591 3.5 187

Kern, CA ............................ 15.8 257.7 0.4 217 632 5.0 60

Los Angeles, CA ................ 360.1 4,019.6 0.7 189 833 4.9 68

Marin, CA ........................... 11.8 110.3 0.8 175 914 4.8 72

Monterey, CA ..................... 11.9 180.2 1.1 154 643 4.7 77

Orange, CA ........................ 89.7 1,468.4 3.1 47 840 3.3 199

Placer, CA .......................... 9.4 130.9 3.7 32 738 3.2 202

Riverside, CA ..................... 38.3 572.4 7.2 3 635 5.3 49

Sacramento, CA ................ 46.5 608.8 1.4 134 817 2.4 262

San Bernardino, CA ........... 41.9 600.7 3.3 40 655 4.1 133

San Diego, CA ................... 86.2 1,268.0 1.4 134 800 5.4 44

San Francisco, CA ............. 43.0 521.9 -0.6 277 1,107 3.4 194

San Joaquin, CA ................ 15.8 221.9 0.6 199 649 3.5 187

San Luis Obispo, CA ......... 8.6 101.7 0.4 217 631 6.9 12

San Mateo, CA .................. 22.7 328.7 0.0 244 1,132 0.8 301

Santa Barbara, CA ............. 13.1 180.6 0.6 199 702 3.7 163

Santa Clara, CA ................. 52.3 850.8 0.7 189 1,308 3.1 209

Santa Cruz, CA .................. 8.3 100.3 1.4 134 684 -1.3 308

Solano, CA ......................... 9.5 128.1 0.8 175 696 2.5 257

Sonoma, CA ...................... 17.2 193.1 1.5 121 732 2.7 238

Stanislaus, CA ................... 13.1 174.9 0.3 225 632 3.8 157

Tulare, CA .......................... 8.5 135.9 -2.7 307 531 5.1 58

Ventura, CA ....................... 20.5 302.2 0.9 166 779 1.3 296

Yolo, CA ............................. 5.1 98.6 1.3 141 734 5.0 60

Adams, CO ........................ 8.7 143.9 0.8 175 706 2.6 247

Arapahoe, CO .................... 19.0 269.0 -0.3 261 870 -7.3 311

Boulder, CO ....................... 11.9 153.5 2.5 73 870 0.6 304

Denver, CO ........................ 24.6 427.3 1.5 121 888 2.9 224

El Paso, CO ....................... 16.1 237.9 1.5 121 696 2.7 238

Jefferson, CO ..................... 18.2 204.4 0.7 189 765 3.2 202

Larimer, CO ....................... 9.3 124.4 2.1 87 689 3.1 209

Fairfield, CT ....................... 31.8 411.4 0.1 233 1,132 6.2 20

Hartford, CT ....................... 24.4 483.0 1.1 154 916 6.5 16

New Haven, CT ................. 22.0 362.2 2.1 87 811 3.4 194

New London, CT ................ 6.6 129.4 0.0 244 762 4.2 120

New Castle, DE ................. 19.3 280.2 0.3 225 858 2.4 262

Washington, DC ................. 30.1 658.3 1.2 147 1,207 7.6 6

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Alachua, FL ........................ 6.0 123.4 1.7 111 $566 5.4 44

Brevard, FL ........................ 12.9 194.5 (7) - 727 (7) - 

Broward, FL ....................... 58.6 687.9 1.8 105 696 3.6 172

Collier, FL .......................... 10.7 115.8 3.6 35 649 4.7 77

Duval, FL ........................... 23.0 436.3 2.6 66 711 2.4 262

Escambia, FL ..................... 7.4 124.8 2.8 62 583 3.2 202

Hillsborough, FL ................. 32.2 606.5 3.2 45 694 3.7 163

Lee, FL ............................... 15.7 194.3 6.1 6 637 6.0 27

Leon, FL ............................. 7.4 143.6 1.9 98 631 3.6 172

Manatee, FL ....................... 7.3 116.9 4.4 16 571 4.6 91

Marion, FL .......................... 6.8 90.3 4.7 13 541 3.6 172

Miami-Dade, FL ................. 82.6 979.5 2.1 87 717 (7) - 

Okaloosa, FL ..................... 5.5 79.8 -2.0 304 592 6.9 12

Orange, FL ......................... 30.8 624.4 3.3 40 682 5.7 33

Palm Beach, FL ................. 44.2 503.7 1.1 154 720 3.9 147

Pasco, FL ........................... 7.7 84.0 3.1 47 534 6.2 20

Pinellas, FL ........................ 29.0 437.1 3.9 25 638 2.2 272

Polk, FL .............................. 10.8 185.7 4.4 16 601 3.6 172

Sarasota, FL ...................... 13.4 153.9 5.1 10 618 5.3 49

Seminole, FL ...................... 12.6 153.4 4.4 16 645 2.9 224

Volusia, FL ......................... 12.3 149.2 (7) - 558 (7) - 

Bibb, GA ............................ 4.7 85.9 0.5 205 623 4.4 111

Chatham, GA ..................... 7.0 127.1 1.5 121 631 4.5 102

Clayton, GA ....................... 4.4 106.1 (7) - 808 5.8 29

Cobb, GA ........................... 19.8 296.8 -1.3 293 803 3.6 172

De Kalb, GA ....................... 16.9 288.7 -0.9 287 792 2.9 224

Fulton, GA .......................... 37.1 726.6 1.5 121 958 4.2 120

Gwinnett, GA ..................... 21.4 307.9 3.1 47 773 1.2 297

Muscogee, GA ................... 4.7 95.9 -1.7 300 589 3.9 147

Richmond, GA ................... 4.8 102.8 -2.2 305 627 4.7 77

Honolulu, HI ....................... 23.2 426.7 2.7 64 703 4.6 91

Ada, ID ............................... 13.2 190.6 3.9 25 675 4.5 102

Champaign, IL ................... 3.9 90.6 0.6 199 639 2.2 272

Cook, IL ............................. 126.7 2,511.7 -0.3 261 871 4.3 116

Du Page, IL ........................ 32.6 577.1 0.8 175 851 2.4 262

Kane, IL ............................. 11.1 201.6 0.4 217 686 2.7 238

Lake, IL .............................. 19.0 326.9 1.2 147 874 4.5 102

McHenry, IL ....................... 7.5 96.8 2.5 73 666 2.6 247

McLean, IL ......................... 3.4 83.9 -1.9 301 702 1.4 292

Madison, IL ........................ 5.6 93.5 -1.0 290 614 4.8 72

Peoria, IL ........................... 4.6 98.4 2.3 81 692 4.8 72

Rock Island, IL ................... 3.4 78.3 -0.7 282 715 2.1 276

St. Clair, IL ......................... 5.1 92.9 -0.1 255 606 5.0 60

Sangamon, IL .................... 5.1 130.3 (7) - 736 (7) - 

Will, IL ................................ 10.8 163.9 2.9 56 698 2.2 272

Winnebago, IL .................... 6.6 137.6 0.7 189 632 0.6 304

Allen, IN ............................. 8.7 180.5 1.2 147 658 2.7 238

Elkhart, IN .......................... 4.8 126.3 6.8 4 658 5.6 34

Hamilton, IN ....................... 6.2 90.6 4.9 11 755 4.1 133

Lake, IN ............................. 9.9 193.9 0.0 244 670 4.2 120

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Marion, IN .......................... 23.7 581.1 1.5 121 $765 3.8 157

St. Joseph, IN .................... 6.0 125.0 1.6 118 677 10.4 1

Vanderburgh, IN ................ 4.8 107.4 -1.3 293 628 5.4 44

Linn, IA ............................... 6.1 116.0 0.9 166 706 3.4 194

Polk, IA .............................. 14.2 261.5 1.8 105 740 4.7 77

Scott, IA ............................. 5.1 86.4 1.9 98 604 2.5 257

Johnson, KS ...................... 18.9 296.6 1.9 98 764 3.8 157

Sedgwick, KS ..................... 11.6 241.3 1.2 147 689 6.5 16

Shawnee, KS ..................... 4.7 94.6 -1.5 298 624 4.2 120

Fayette, KY ........................ 8.8 166.5 0.8 175 681 3.7 163

Jefferson, KY ..................... 21.6 417.1 0.0 244 726 5.5 39

Caddo, LA .......................... 7.0 122.0 1.8 105 612 5.5 39

Calcasieu, LA ..................... 4.6 80.8 -0.4 266 598 0.7 302

East Baton Rouge, LA ....... 13.1 244.9 0.8 175 618 2.0 281

Jefferson, LA ...................... 14.0 210.5 -0.4 266 613 4.3 116

Lafayette, LA ...................... 7.6 118.4 -0.5 270 635 1.6 287

Orleans, LA ........................ 12.6 244.6 -1.6 299 677 1.5 290

Cumberland, ME ................ 12.0 171.0 1.1 154 671 5.5 39

Anne Arundel, MD ............. 13.6 215.7 2.4 77 773 3.9 147

Baltimore, MD .................... 20.7 366.0 1.8 105 751 2.3 270

Frederick, MD .................... 5.5 90.2 2.8 62 701 4.9 68

Howard, MD ....................... 8.0 138.6 0.1 233 846 5.0 60

Montgomery, MD ............... 31.5 450.6 0.5 205 953 6.2 20

Prince Georges, MD .......... 15.2 314.9 1.6 118 820 5.8 29

Baltimore City, MD ............. 14.1 355.4 -1.9 301 825 1.2 297

Barnstable, MA .................. 9.3 99.4 -0.2 258 635 4.6 91

Bristol, MA ......................... 15.4 218.9 -0.5 270 672 6.2 20

Essex, MA .......................... 20.8 294.1 -0.9 287 800 3.1 209

Hampden, MA .................... 14.2 198.6 -1.1 291 704 6.0 27

Middlesex, MA ................... 48.2 782.0 -0.5 270 1,043 4.6 91

Norfolk, MA ........................ 21.9 316.2 -0.8 285 885 1.6 287

Plymouth, MA .................... 13.7 175.0 1.3 141 719 4.8 72

Suffolk, MA ........................ 22.4 557.5 -0.5 270 1,178 9.1 2

Worcester, MA ................... 20.5 318.3 0.1 233 783 6.1 24

Genesee, MI ...................... 8.6 155.3 0.4 217 715 2.6 247

Ingham, MI ......................... 7.0 164.9 -2.6 306 723 3.0 217

Kalamazoo, MI ................... 5.5 116.1 -0.2 258 688 -7.7 312

Kent, MI ............................. 14.6 336.4 1.3 141 703 2.6 247

Macomb, MI ....................... 18.1 325.4 0.5 205 818 4.2 120

Oakland, MI ....................... 41.4 717.1 -0.8 285 893 2.9 224

Ottawa, MI ......................... 5.8 115.1 3.0 51 672 3.9 147

Saginaw, MI ....................... 4.6 89.9 -1.4 297 691 2.4 262

Washtenaw, MI .................. 8.2 195.2 0.4 217 847 1.8 282

Wayne, MI .......................... 35.0 791.2 -1.2 292 874 4.7 77

Anoka, MN ......................... 7.5 113.1 1.0 161 734 4.9 68

Dakota, MN ........................ 9.7 169.2 2.0 93 740 2.9 224

Hennepin, MN .................... 40.5 827.3 0.8 175 933 2.6 247

Olmsted, MN ...................... 3.3 87.3 0.7 189 819 3.5 187

Ramsey, MN ...................... 14.9 329.6 0.3 225 819 2.9 224

St. Louis, MN ..................... 5.7 94.8 1.4 134 634 2.4 262

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Stearns, MN ....................... 4.2 77.7 1.2 147 $611 6.1 24

Harrison, MS ...................... 4.6 90.0 -0.5 270 520 -0.2 306

Hinds, MS .......................... 6.6 130.2 0.1 233 651 4.0 138

Boone, MO ......................... 4.3 78.2 2.6 66 585 2.8 235

Clay, MO ............................ 4.9 86.9 0.5 205 698 4.5 102

Greene, MO ....................... 8.0 146.2 0.8 175 591 4.2 120

Jackson, MO ...................... 18.7 363.3 -0.3 261 757 4.6 91

St. Charles, MO ................. 7.3 114.9 (7) - 644 3.9 147

St. Louis, MO ..................... 33.7 617.5 -0.1 255 778 1.4 292

St. Louis City, MO .............. 8.2 224.8 (7) - 811 4.0 138

Douglas, NE ....................... 14.9 309.4 0.5 205 702 3.4 194

Lancaster, NE .................... 7.5 153.6 2.5 73 621 4.0 138

Clark, NV ........................... 39.0 822.6 7.4 2 701 4.6 91

Washoe, NV ....................... 12.7 209.0 4.7 13 713 2.7 238

Hillsborough, NH ................ 12.4 194.2 0.8 175 828 6.3 19

Rockingham, NH ................ 10.7 136.7 2.9 56 738 8.1 4

Atlantic, NJ ......................... 6.6 147.3 -0.3 261 666 2.9 224

Bergen, NJ ......................... 34.3 447.7 0.2 229 910 2.9 224

Burlington, NJ .................... 11.1 198.8 1.0 161 789 3.5 187

Camden, NJ ....................... 13.4 210.8 3.8 29 741 2.2 272

Essex, NJ ........................... 21.4 357.4 0.1 233 947 4.3 116

Gloucester, NJ ................... 6.1 100.4 3.9 25 679 5.4 44

Hudson, NJ ........................ 13.9 234.4 0.4 217 980 5.6 34

Mercer, NJ ......................... 10.7 217.4 -0.9 287 934 1.5 290

Middlesex, NJ .................... 20.7 392.0 0.8 175 938 4.0 138

Monmouth, NJ ................... 19.9 254.9 2.7 64 786 3.7 163

Morris, NJ .......................... 17.7 281.3 0.4 217 1,034 2.3 270

Ocean, NJ .......................... 11.5 148.9 3.0 51 623 3.1 209

Passaic, NJ ........................ 12.5 178.1 2.0 93 786 4.2 120

Somerset, NJ ..................... 9.9 166.1 (7) - 1,093 -6.9 310

Union, NJ ........................... 14.9 232.1 (7) - 912 (7) - 

Bernalillo, NM .................... 16.5 315.6 1.5 121 665 2.6 247

Albany, NY ......................... 9.6 227.9 0.0 244 787 4.7 77

Bronx, NY .......................... 15.4 216.4 1.2 147 746 5.8 29

Broome, NY ....................... 4.5 94.3 -0.4 266 602 4.2 120

Dutchess, NY ..................... 7.9 116.5 1.5 121 744 1.6 287

Erie, NY ............................. 23.3 457.9 0.7 189 663 5.2 53

Kings, NY ........................... 42.0 446.5 1.7 111 665 3.6 172

Monroe, NY ........................ 17.7 379.9 -0.7 282 752 5.0 60

Nassau, NY ........................ 50.7 597.4 0.6 199 808 3.5 187

New York, NY .................... 112.7 2,201.7 0.8 175 1,327 7.0 11

Oneida, NY ........................ 5.3 108.3 0.6 199 581 3.2 202

Onondaga, NY ................... 12.6 249.0 0.9 166 687 2.8 235

Orange, NY ........................ 9.3 127.4 1.4 134 632 4.5 102

Queens, NY ....................... 40.3 478.1 0.9 166 751 1.8 282

Richmond, NY .................... 8.1 88.3 1.5 121 693 4.2 120

Rockland, NY ..................... 9.4 110.5 0.1 233 772 3.6 172

Suffolk, NY ......................... 47.7 602.1 1.1 154 797 4.2 120

Westchester, NY ................ 35.3 410.4 1.7 111 963 (7) - 

Buncombe, NC .................. 6.9 106.6 0.9 166 588 4.6 91

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Catawba, NC ..................... 4.2 86.7 1.3 141 $588 7.3 7

Cumberland, NC ................ 5.6 112.0 2.9 56 584 5.4 44

Durham, NC ....................... 6.1 166.3 0.9 166 955 3.6 172

Forsyth, NC ........................ 8.4 176.3 0.5 205 761 7.3 7

Guilford, NC ....................... 13.6 266.5 1.5 121 674 2.7 238

Mecklenburg, NC ............... 27.2 507.2 0.5 205 838 1.8 282

New Hanover, NC .............. 6.4 92.9 4.0 23 598 4.7 77

Wake, NC .......................... 23.3 392.6 3.3 40 734 3.2 202

Cass, ND ........................... 5.4 90.0 3.7 32 610 3.9 147

Butler, OH .......................... 6.9 134.5 2.1 87 663 3.8 157

Cuyahoga, OH ................... 38.2 759.8 0.0 244 776 4.9 68

Franklin, OH ....................... 29.1 685.4 0.1 233 741 3.8 157

Hamilton, OH ..................... 24.6 543.8 0.2 229 808 5.8 29

Lake, OH ............................ 6.7 98.8 0.0 244 630 3.6 172

Lorain, OH ......................... 6.2 102.3 0.5 205 646 5.0 60

Lucas, OH .......................... 10.8 226.7 0.1 233 669 1.4 292

Mahoning, OH .................... 6.4 106.9 1.0 161 570 3.1 209

Montgomery, OH ............... 13.2 285.7 -0.5 270 707 4.0 138

Stark, OH ........................... 9.1 166.8 0.0 244 596 3.7 163

Summit, OH ....................... 14.7 268.5 1.2 147 694 2.1 276

Trumbull, OH ..................... 4.8 83.5 -3.7 308 685 6.4 18

Oklahoma, OK ................... 21.7 408.3 1.9 98 645 3.2 202

Tulsa, OK ........................... 18.2 320.0 1.0 161 667 5.0 60

Clackamas, OR .................. 11.5 138.7 2.1 87 688 3.6 172

Jackson, OR ...................... 6.2 81.4 3.3 40 571 3.6 172

Lane, OR ........................... 10.4 142.2 3.3 40 598 3.1 209

Marion, OR ........................ 8.5 135.7 2.6 66 580 1.4 292

Multnomah, OR .................. 25.5 422.4 1.6 118 760 3.7 163

Washington, OR ................ 14.6 227.7 3.2 45 877 5.5 39

Allegheny, PA .................... 35.6 687.2 -0.6 277 774 3.6 172

Berks, PA ........................... 9.0 163.1 1.7 111 668 3.6 172

Bucks, PA .......................... 19.9 257.3 2.6 66 709 4.1 133

Chester, PA ....................... 14.5 224.3 2.0 93 902 4.6 91

Cumberland, PA ................ 5.7 126.5 1.9 98 704 2.9 224

Dauphin, PA ....................... 7.0 176.0 1.5 121 736 4.8 72

Delaware, PA ..................... 13.5 207.7 -0.2 258 778 3.9 147

Erie, PA .............................. 7.2 127.9 1.8 105 586 3.0 217

Lackawanna, PA ................ 5.8 98.7 1.1 154 586 4.6 91

Lancaster, PA .................... 11.7 226.4 1.7 111 656 4.6 91

Lehigh, PA ......................... 8.4 174.2 0.4 217 726 3.7 163

Luzerne, PA ....................... 8.0 141.8 -0.6 277 599 4.0 138

Montgomery, PA ................ 27.6 480.6 0.3 225 909 4.7 77

Northampton, PA ............... 6.1 91.5 0.5 205 664 4.7 77

Philadelphia, PA ................ 28.5 627.6 -1.3 293 869 5.3 49

Westmoreland, PA ............. 9.4 136.8 3.5 37 605 4.5 102

York, PA ............................. 8.5 169.0 2.6 66 666 3.9 147

Kent, RI .............................. 5.6 81.7 0.5 205 676 2.4 262

Providence, RI ................... 17.8 288.5 0.0 244 731 5.2 53

Charleston, SC .................. 11.8 194.1 3.4 38 621 3.7 163

Greenville, SC .................... 12.1 221.1 0.5 205 663 3.3 199

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Horry, SC ........................... 8.0 108.4 4.6 15 $487 3.0 217

Lexington, SC .................... 5.5 86.3 1.8 105 589 7.3 7

Richland, SC ...................... 9.4 208.0 2.0 93 645 4.4 111

Spartanburg, SC ................ 6.2 115.0 -0.6 277 654 4.1 133

Minnehaha, SD .................. 6.0 109.4 1.7 111 624 5.6 34

Davidson, TN ..................... 17.9 432.2 0.9 166 733 3.1 209

Hamilton, TN ...................... 8.3 191.1 1.7 111 645 3.0 217

Knox, TN ............................ 10.3 219.1 3.4 38 632 2.8 235

Rutherford, TN ................... 3.7 91.6 9.2 1 647 0.9 300

Shelby, TN ......................... 19.8 495.9 0.1 233 787 6.8 14

Bell, TX .............................. 4.2 91.5 3.6 35 573 4.0 138

Bexar, TX ........................... 29.8 661.0 0.7 189 644 4.2 120

Brazoria, TX ....................... 4.1 76.1 0.0 244 693 3.0 217

Brazos, TX ......................... 3.5 78.9 1.5 121 535 2.7 238

Cameron, TX ..................... 6.1 115.6 0.7 189 468 4.7 77

Collin, TX ........................... 12.8 211.8 (7) - 797 1.0 299

Dallas, TX .......................... 68.2 1,438.0 0.8 175 889 3.0 217

Denton, TX ......................... 8.5 133.2 2.6 66 639 2.9 224

El Paso, TX ........................ 12.5 254.5 0.5 205 531 4.5 102

Fort Bend, TX .................... 6.4 102.3 4.4 16 729 2.1 276

Galveston, TX .................... 4.8 86.6 -1.9 301 641 3.9 147

Harris, TX ........................... 90.2 1,838.1 0.8 175 862 4.5 102

Hidalgo, TX ........................ 9.3 185.3 3.9 25 475 4.2 120

Jefferson, TX ..................... 5.8 117.2 -0.1 255 661 2.6 247

Lubbock, TX ....................... 6.5 118.5 2.9 56 554 0.7 302

McLennan, TX ................... 4.7 99.4 2.3 81 583 1.7 286

Montgomery, TX ................ 6.4 92.8 6.6 5 654 3.0 217

Nueces, TX ........................ 8.0 143.3 0.7 189 612 5.2 53

Potter, TX ........................... 3.9 76.5 0.1 233 585 5.6 34

Smith, TX ........................... 4.9 86.8 1.9 98 648 6.1 24

Tarrant, TX ......................... 34.0 701.0 1.3 141 758 5.0 60

Travis, TX .......................... 25.2 516.3 2.4 77 824 2.4 262

Webb, TX ........................... 4.3 78.0 2.3 81 496 4.4 111

Williamson, TX ................... 5.1 87.0 4.1 22 746 -0.4 307

Davis, UT ........................... 6.4 94.2 4.0 23 614 3.2 202

Salt Lake, UT ..................... 35.0 524.7 2.3 81 671 3.5 187

Utah, UT ............................ 11.2 152.2 5.3 8 565 2.5 257

Weber, UT ......................... 5.4 86.8 1.3 141 556 1.8 282

Chittenden, VT ................... 5.7 96.4 2.1 87 725 5.1 58

Arlington, VA ...................... 7.0 155.6 (7) - 1,196 7.7 5

Chesterfield, VA ................. 6.7 112.4 2.9 56 670 4.2 120

Fairfax, VA ......................... 29.8 548.5 4.8 12 1,068 2.5 257

Henrico, VA ........................ 8.3 166.8 1.4 134 779 7.3 7

Loudoun, VA ...................... 6.3 115.2 5.3 8 970 8.4 3

Prince William, VA ............. 6.0 95.9 5.8 7 664 3.8 157

Alexandria City, VA ............ 5.7 92.9 0.9 166 948 4.6 91

Chesapeake City, VA ......... 4.8 93.6 4.2 21 582 3.7 163

Newport News City, VA ..... 3.7 97.3 2.5 73 673 4.7 77

Norfolk City, VA ................. 5.6 144.5 0.1 233 722 3.4 194

Richmond City, VA ............. 6.9 157.4 0.2 229 824 3.5 187

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the 318 largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Ranking by

percent

change

Virginia Beach City, VA ...... 10.6 174.0 3.8 29 $567 3.1 209

Clark, WA ........................... 10.4 122.1 3.8 29 685 3.3 199

King, WA ............................ 77.3 1,104.3 1.1 154 940 -2.4 309

Kitsap, WA ......................... 6.1 80.2 3.0 51 695 2.1 276

Pierce, WA ......................... 19.6 252.0 1.5 121 673 5.2 53

Snohomish, WA ................. 16.1 212.0 3.0 51 763 2.6 247

Spokane, WA ..................... 14.6 193.5 1.0 161 604 2.5 257

Thurston, WA ..................... 6.2 91.5 2.4 77 681 2.9 224

Yakima, WA ....................... 8.3 104.5 0.6 199 500 4.4 111

Kanawha, WV .................... 6.2 107.7 -0.7 282 627 4.3 116

Brown, WI .......................... 6.8 146.6 0.2 229 657 4.0 138

Dane, WI ............................ 13.9 292.4 2.3 81 715 4.4 111

Milwaukee, WI ................... 22.2 492.8 -1.3 293 750 5.6 34

Outagamie, WI ................... 5.0 100.7 3.1 47 653 5.5 39

Racine, WI ......................... 4.3 76.8 2.0 93 694 3.9 147

Waukesha, WI ................... 13.5 228.9 1.9 98 759 5.3 49

Winnebago, WI .................. 4.0 87.6 -0.6 277 707 4.7 77

San Juan, PR ..................... 13.4 324.3 2.4 77 475 2.6 247

1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

These 317 U.S. counties comprise 70.2 percent of the total covered workers in the U.S. 2 Data are preliminary. 3 Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See Technical Note. 4 Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See Technical

Note. 5 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. 6 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. 7 Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
Table 2. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the ten largest counties,

third quarter 20042

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage4

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-043

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-043

United States5 .................................................... 8,421.8 130,248.9 1.3 $733 4.0

Private industry .............................................. 8,149.4 109,436.9 1.4 724 4.0

Natural resources and mining .................... 122.7 1,777.2 0.5 654 7.7

Construction ............................................... 823.7 7,167.2 3.3 769 3.4

Manufacturing ............................................ 370.7 14,332.0 -0.4 898 5.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 1,859.1 25,216.7 0.7 648 3.8

Information ................................................. 143.4 3,062.0 -2.4 1,120 1.8

Financial activities ...................................... 785.8 7,899.5 0.5 1,039 4.0

Professional and business services ........... 1,341.4 16,486.7 3.0 859 4.4

Education and health services ................... 747.7 16,097.5 2.0 704 4.5

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 680.4 12,747.5 2.4 314 3.0

Other services ............................................ 1,082.4 4,281.7 0.2 477 3.2

Government ................................................... 272.3 20,812.0 0.6 781 4.1

Los Angeles, CA ................................................ 360.1 4,019.6 0.7 833 4.9

Private industry .............................................. 356.3 3,472.9 1.2 814 5.3

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.6 12.0 0.9 1,031 29.0

Construction ............................................... 13.1 144.4 8.0 827 4.3

Manufacturing ............................................ 17.1 478.5 -2.3 874 8.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 53.5 776.6 1.5 706 3.7

Information ................................................. 8.8 205.2 1.9 1,370 6.1

Financial activities ...................................... 23.0 235.6 0.7 1,269 7.8

Professional and business services ........... 39.9 566.2 1.3 919 4.4

Education and health services ................... 26.9 453.9 0.7 759 4.4

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 25.5 373.0 1.8 505 5.9

Other services ............................................ 147.8 226.5 3.1 404 2.3

Government ................................................... 3.9 546.8 -1.9 956 3.6

Cook, IL .............................................................. 126.7 2,511.7 -0.3 871 4.3

Private industry .............................................. 125.4 2,195.1 -0.1 862 4.2

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.1 1.4 (6) 1,137 (6) 

Construction ............................................... 10.6 98.8 -4.0 1,073 3.6

Manufacturing ............................................ 7.6 257.7 -1.6 908 7.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 26.5 477.0 0.2 732 5.5

Information ................................................. 2.5 61.4 -5.5 1,206 2.5

Financial activities ...................................... 14.0 215.8 -1.1 1,318 4.9

Professional and business services ........... 25.9 409.4 1.4 1,052 3.4

Education and health services ................... 12.5 348.0 0.4 761 3.8

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 10.6 226.5 1.7 378 4.4

Other services ............................................ 12.6 94.1 -1.2 633 3.1

Government ................................................... 1.2 316.5 -1.5 932 4.7

New York, NY ..................................................... 112.7 2,201.7 0.8 1,327 7.0

Private industry .............................................. 112.4 1,764.4 1.0 1,404 7.4

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.0 0.1 -15.6 1,124 15.2

Construction ............................................... 2.1 29.3 -3.5 1,312 0.8

Manufacturing ............................................ 3.3 45.6 -1.6 1,016 6.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 21.8 233.1 1.4 996 3.2

Information ................................................. 4.2 130.2 -0.9 1,723 8.0

Financial activities ...................................... 16.9 347.9 0.0 2,406 14.2

Professional and business services ........... 22.6 430.2 0.8 1,517 5.5

Education and health services ................... 8.0 267.1 1.1 923 3.0

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 10.3 188.3 4.1 642 3.5

Other services ............................................ 16.0 81.1 0.6 776 2.8

Government ................................................... 0.2 437.3 -0.1 1,023 4.9

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the ten largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage4

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-043

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-043

Harris, TX ........................................................... 90.2 1,838.1 0.8 $862 4.5

Private industry .............................................. 89.8 1,594.9 0.7 871 5.1

Natural resources and mining .................... 1.3 63.1 1.5 2,018 11.1

Construction ............................................... 6.3 129.7 -8.1 842 6.4

Manufacturing ............................................ 4.6 163.9 -0.1 1,080 6.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 21.2 388.5 0.2 782 2.6

Information ................................................. 1.4 33.4 -1.7 1,064 3.7

Financial activities ...................................... 9.7 114.6 2.2 1,046 0.7

Professional and business services ........... 17.1 289.7 3.7 988 8.0

Education and health services ................... 9.1 188.8 0.7 781 3.6

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 6.8 161.5 2.8 323 1.6

Other services ............................................ 10.4 57.1 1.2 513 2.6

Government ................................................... 0.4 243.2 1.5 796 0.1

Maricopa, AZ ...................................................... 79.9 1,633.3 3.7 731 4.7

Private industry .............................................. 79.4 1,414.4 3.9 726 4.3

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.5 7.6 0.4 564 12.8

Construction ............................................... 8.3 143.2 9.4 717 3.8

Manufacturing ............................................ 3.2 128.4 0.8 1,039 6.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 18.3 328.5 3.9 713 3.9

Information ................................................. 1.5 33.6 -7.8 857 5.2

Financial activities ...................................... 9.6 135.7 1.9 900 2.0

Professional and business services ........... 17.7 270.4 6.2 719 6.0

Education and health services ................... 7.8 167.1 5.8 776 4.7

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 5.7 152.8 2.2 353 3.2

Other services ............................................ 5.6 44.7 1.7 499 4.0

Government ................................................... 0.5 218.8 2.3 766 7.0

Dallas, TX ........................................................... 68.2 1,438.0 0.8 889 3.0

Private industry .............................................. 67.7 1,281.0 0.9 894 3.1

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.5 6.5 5.2 2,143 -10.3

Construction ............................................... 4.4 76.5 0.6 798 3.4

Manufacturing ............................................ 3.4 144.2 1.0 1,013 5.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 15.7 310.0 0.0 879 4.8

Information ................................................. 1.8 59.2 -5.9 1,222 2.5

Financial activities ...................................... 8.7 140.1 1.0 1,115 1.4

Professional and business services ........... 13.8 244.6 3.0 962 1.7

Education and health services ................... 6.2 130.8 1.0 862 5.3

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 5.1 126.0 1.6 401 0.3

Other services ............................................ 6.6 39.7 -3.4 570 2.7

Government ................................................... 0.5 157.0 (6) 840 (6) 

Orange, CA ........................................................ 89.7 1,468.4 3.1 840 3.3

Private industry .............................................. 88.3 1,328.4 3.2 835 3.3

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.2 7.4 7.3 515 1.6

Construction ............................................... 6.6 96.3 9.3 882 2.8

Manufacturing ............................................ 5.9 183.8 0.9 987 5.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 17.2 266.5 2.0 785 2.3

Information ................................................. 1.4 32.6 -3.4 1,205 10.1

Financial activities ...................................... 10.0 136.8 6.1 1,361 0.8

Professional and business services ........... 17.5 264.1 3.9 834 2.1

Education and health services ................... 9.2 127.9 1.7 785 6.9

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 6.7 165.6 3.2 368 4.0

Other services ............................................ 13.4 46.9 3.7 510 2.4

Government ................................................... 1.4 140.0 1.8 886 3.4

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the ten largest counties,

third quarter 20042 — Continued

County by NAICS supersector

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage4

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-043

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-043

San Diego, CA ................................................... 86.2 1,268.0 1.4 $800 5.4

Private industry .............................................. 84.8 1,058.6 1.6 780 5.5

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.9 11.6 -1.4 498 6.2

Construction ............................................... 6.7 90.0 9.9 822 5.4

Manufacturing ............................................ 3.5 104.8 -0.2 1,070 9.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 14.2 211.7 2.4 654 3.3

Information ................................................. 1.3 36.7 -1.3 1,682 11.6

Financial activities ...................................... 9.1 81.2 1.4 1,012 0.5

Professional and business services ........... 14.9 203.6 0.9 910 4.7

Education and health services ................... 7.6 118.2 -1.0 734 6.5

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 6.6 147.7 1.6 378 8.3

Other services ............................................ 20.0 52.8 1.4 440 3.0

Government ................................................... 1.4 209.4 0.1 907 5.3

King, WA ............................................................ 77.3 1,104.3 1.1 940 -2.4

Private industry .............................................. 76.7 950.8 1.1 946 -3.3

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.4 3.3 -4.5 966 3.1

Construction ............................................... 6.2 57.9 1.6 882 1.7

Manufacturing ............................................ 2.6 102.2 -1.6 1,205 8.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 14.8 218.7 1.5 817 4.3

Information ................................................. 1.5 67.8 -1.5 2,135 -28.3

Financial activities ...................................... 6.2 76.0 -1.6 1,106 0.5

Professional and business services ........... 12.0 163.1 4.1 1,039 4.0

Education and health services ................... 6.0 110.6 3.2 729 4.6

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 5.5 105.1 2.3 401 0.5

Other services ............................................ 21.5 46.1 -4.7 483 8.3

Government ................................................... 0.5 153.5 1.1 903 4.0

Miami-Dade, FL .................................................. 82.6 979.5 2.1 717 (6) 

Private industry .............................................. 82.3 829.7 2.6 694 3.4

Natural resources and mining .................... 0.5 8.0 6.7 437 0.9

Construction ............................................... 5.2 42.2 3.3 761 9.2

Manufacturing ............................................ 2.8 50.4 0.6 646 5.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 24.0 240.4 0.5 664 3.9

Information ................................................. 1.8 26.6 -3.1 1,021 9.8

Financial activities ...................................... 8.9 67.5 2.6 965 -0.4

Professional and business services ........... 16.4 136.5 6.4 804 2.8

Education and health services ................... 8.2 125.2 2.0 730 2.5

Leisure and hospitality ............................... 5.6 94.6 5.7 403 3.6

Other services ............................................ 7.7 35.1 1.4 434 1.6

Government ................................................... 0.3 149.8 -0.6 849 (6) 

1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)

programs. 2 Data are preliminary. 3 Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. See

Technical Note. 4 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. 5 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. 6 Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
Table 3. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the largest county

by state, third quarter 20042

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

United States6 .................... 8,421.8 130,248.9 1.3 $733 4.0

Jefferson, AL ...................... 18.5 368.3 0.0 739 3.6

Anchorage Borough, AK .... 7.7 145.0 0.8 809 4.0

Maricopa, AZ ..................... 79.9 1,633.3 3.7 731 4.7

Pulaski, AR ........................ 13.3 242.6 0.9 669 4.7

Los Angeles, CA ................ 360.1 4,019.6 0.7 833 4.9

Denver, CO ........................ 24.6 427.3 1.5 888 2.9

Hartford, CT ....................... 24.4 483.0 1.1 916 6.5

New Castle, DE ................. 19.3 280.2 0.3 858 2.4

Washington, DC ................. 30.1 658.3 1.2 1,207 7.6

Miami-Dade, FL ................. 82.6 979.5 2.1 717 (7) 

Fulton, GA .......................... 37.1 726.6 1.5 958 4.2

Honolulu, HI ....................... 23.2 426.7 2.7 703 4.6

Ada, ID ............................... 13.2 190.6 3.9 675 4.5

Cook, IL ............................. 126.7 2,511.7 -0.3 871 4.3

Marion, IN .......................... 23.7 581.1 1.5 765 3.8

Polk, IA .............................. 14.2 261.5 1.8 740 4.7

Johnson, KS ...................... 18.9 296.6 1.9 764 3.8

Jefferson, KY ..................... 21.6 417.1 0.0 726 5.5

Orleans, LA ........................ 12.6 244.6 -1.6 677 1.5

Cumberland, ME ................ 12.0 171.0 1.1 671 5.5

Montgomery, MD ............... 31.5 450.6 0.5 953 6.2

Middlesex, MA ................... 48.2 782.0 -0.5 1,043 4.6

Wayne, MI .......................... 35.0 791.2 -1.2 874 4.7

Hennepin, MN .................... 40.5 827.3 0.8 933 2.6

Hinds, MS .......................... 6.6 130.2 0.1 651 4.0

St. Louis, MO ..................... 33.7 617.5 -0.1 778 1.4

Yellowstone, MT ................ 5.6 71.2 2.4 572 3.8

Douglas, NE ....................... 14.9 309.4 0.5 702 3.4

Clark, NV ........................... 39.0 822.6 7.4 701 4.6

Hillsborough, NH ................ 12.4 194.2 0.8 828 6.3

Bergen, NJ ......................... 34.3 447.7 0.2 910 2.9

Bernalillo, NM .................... 16.5 315.6 1.5 665 2.6

New York, NY .................... 112.7 2,201.7 0.8 1,327 7.0

Mecklenburg, NC ............... 27.2 507.2 0.5 838 1.8

Cass, ND ........................... 5.4 90.0 3.7 610 3.9

Cuyahoga, OH ................... 38.2 759.8 0.0 776 4.9

Oklahoma, OK ................... 21.7 408.3 1.9 645 3.2

Multnomah, OR .................. 25.5 422.4 1.6 760 3.7

Allegheny, PA .................... 35.6 687.2 -0.6 774 3.6

Providence, RI ................... 17.8 288.5 0.0 731 5.2

Greenville, SC .................... 12.1 221.1 0.5 663 3.3

Minnehaha, SD .................. 6.0 109.4 1.7 624 5.6

Shelby, TN ......................... 19.8 495.9 0.1 787 6.8

Harris, TX ........................... 90.2 1,838.1 0.8 862 4.5

Salt Lake, UT ..................... 35.0 524.7 2.3 671 3.5

Chittenden, VT ................... 5.7 96.4 2.1 725 5.1

Fairfax, VA ......................... 29.8 548.5 4.8 1,068 2.5

King, WA ............................ 77.3 1,104.3 1.1 940 -2.4

Kanawha, WV .................... 6.2 107.7 -0.7 627 4.3

Milwaukee, WI ................... 22.2 492.8 -1.3 750 5.6

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 3. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages in the largest county

by state, third quarter 20042 — Continued

County3

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage5

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-044

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-044

Laramie, WY ...................... 2.9 39.8 0.7 $596 4.0

San Juan, PR ..................... 13.4 324.3 2.4 475 2.6

St. Thomas, VI ................... 1.7 22.6 -0.5 565 3.9

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

Employees (UCFE) programs. 2 Data are preliminary. 3 Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See Technical Note. 4 Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county

reclassifications. See Technical Note. 5 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. 6 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. 7 Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
Table 4. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages by state, 

third quarter 20042

State

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage3

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-04

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-04

United States4 .................... 8,421.8 130,248.9 1.3 $733 4.0

Alabama ............................. 114.4 1,858.0 1.8 629 3.6

Alaska ................................ 20.3 314.2 1.9 755 3.4

Arizona ............................... 126.3 2,357.6 3.6 691 4.9

Arkansas ............................ 76.4 1,145.7 1.4 570 5.2

California ............................ 1,204.0 15,106.6 1.5 829 3.9

Colorado ............................ 164.8 2,163.4 1.8 752 1.1

Connecticut ........................ 109.5 1,642.1 0.9 917 5.4

Delaware ............................ 29.1 414.9 2.0 769 2.1

District of Columbia ............ 30.1 658.3 1.2 1,207 7.6

Florida ................................ 529.1 7,397.2 2.5 655 4.5

Georgia .............................. 249.2 3,837.8 0.8 711 3.8

Hawaii ................................ 35.7 585.6 2.9 676 4.5

Idaho .................................. 49.6 608.1 3.0 569 4.0

Illinois ................................. 328.1 5,747.7 0.2 779 3.9

Indiana ............................... 152.6 2,887.8 1.4 655 4.5

Iowa ................................... 91.8 1,431.8 1.2 604 4.1

Kansas ............................... 82.4 1,304.8 1.2 620 4.6

Kentucky ............................ 106.6 1,742.9 0.8 619 4.4

Louisiana ........................... 116.7 1,861.1 0.1 595 2.8

Maine ................................. 50.1 608.8 0.7 603 4.3

Maryland ............................ 155.0 2,479.5 1.2 795 4.2

Massachusetts ................... 211.3 3,156.5 -0.4 907 5.5

Michigan ............................ 254.3 4,344.5 -0.3 757 3.4

Minnesota .......................... 158.1 2,629.9 1.0 753 3.2

Mississippi ......................... 66.7 1,113.8 1.0 540 3.6

Missouri ............................. 167.8 2,656.2 0.9 655 3.0

Montana ............................. 42.4 413.0 2.6 525 3.6

Nebraska ........................... 55.6 887.4 1.1 601 3.6

Nevada .............................. 63.5 1,168.5 6.5 703 4.1

New Hampshire ................. 47.6 622.6 1.4 731 6.1

New Jersey ........................ 267.8 3,918.8 0.9 876 2.8

New Mexico ....................... 50.3 769.3 1.9 588 4.1

New York ........................... 556.3 8,307.9 0.9 891 5.3

North Carolina .................... 229.9 3,814.9 1.9 654 4.1

North Dakota ...................... 24.3 327.2 2.0 548 4.0

Ohio ................................... 288.3 5,333.0 0.4 685 4.1

Oklahoma .......................... 92.6 1,435.7 1.3 581 3.9

Oregon ............................... 120.5 1,627.6 2.5 676 3.7

Pennsylvania ..................... 330.9 5,531.4 0.7 722 4.3

Rhode Island ...................... 35.2 484.6 0.6 708 4.6

South Carolina ................... 112.9 1,799.2 1.4 604 4.1

South Dakota ..................... 28.6 375.5 2.0 538 4.9

Tennessee ......................... 130.2 2,668.6 1.9 659 4.4

Texas ................................. 511.6 9,357.6 1.4 719 3.6

Utah ................................... 77.5 1,084.4 3.4 607 3.2

Vermont ............................. 24.5 302.0 1.5 634 5.8

Virginia ............................... 206.5 3,522.7 2.7 757 4.6

Washington ........................ 213.0 2,749.9 1.7 756 0.4

West Virginia ...................... 47.8 693.1 1.4 559 5.1

Wisconsin .......................... 161.2 2,745.6 1.1 653 4.8

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Covered1 establishments, employment, and wages by state, 

third quarter 20042 — Continued

State

Establishments,

third quarter

2004

(thousands)

Employment Average weekly wage3

September

2004

(thousands)

Percent

change,

September

2003-04

Average

weekly

wage

Percent

change,

third quarter

2003-04

Wyoming ............................ 22.6 253.6 1.5 $590 5.0

Puerto Rico ........................ 52.7 1,042.4 2.2 417 3.0

Virgin Islands ..................... 3.2 42.7 3.4 599 5.8

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

Employees (UCFE) programs. 2 Data are preliminary. 3 Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. 4 Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Chart 1. Percent change in employment in counties with 75,000 emp

September 200304 (U.S. Average = 1.3%)

Note: The following counties have fewer than 75,000 employees

but are included because they are the largest county in their state

or territory: Laramie, Wyo., Yellowstone, Mont., and St. Thomas, V.I.

So

Ap
Chart 2. Percent change in average weekly wage in counties with 75

or more, third quarter 200304 (U.S. Average = 4.0%)

Note: The following counties have fewer than 75,000 employees

but are included because they are the largest county in their state

or territory: Laramie, Wyo., Yellowstone, Mont., and St. Thomas, V.I.

So

Ap