Technical information:  (202) 691-6567     USDL 03-190
               http://www.bls.gov/cew/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Wednesday, April 23, 2003


                 WAGES AND EMPLOYMENT:  THIRD QUARTER 2002


   The average weekly wages of all workers covered by state and federal
unemployment insurance (UI) programs was $683 in the third quarter of 2002,
an increase of 2.2 percent from the same quarter in 2001, according to
preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
U.S. Department of Labor.  
   
   Quarterly employment and wage data are compiled from reports submitted
by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws,
covering 129.7 million full- and part-time jobs.  Average weekly wages are
computed by dividing total quarterly payrolls of employees covered by UI
programs by the average monthly number of these employees and dividing by
13, for the 13 weeks in the quarter. These wage levels reflect both the
level of wages and salaries paid per employee during the quarter and
nonwage cash payments, such as tips, bonuses, and some stock options and
other contributions that these employees earned.  (See Technical Note.)
   
   Wage differences among industries reflect the varying composition of
employment by occupation, industry, and hours of work, as well as other
factors.  For example, average weekly wage levels in retail trade indus-
tries are reduced by the relatively large share of part-time workers.
Correspondingly, wage levels in construction industries reflect the pre-
valence of part-year employment due to weather and seasonal factors.  
Over-the-year wage changes may reflect shifts in the composition of
employment, as well as changes in the level of average wages.

Industry
   
   Among private sector industries, agriculture, forestry, fishing and
hunting had the largest growth in weekly wages from the third quarter of
2001 to the third quarter of 2002, with a 4.7 percent gain.  This was
followed by health care and social assistance (4.0 percent), educational
services (3.7 percent), and arts, entertainment, and recreation, manu-
facturing, and utilities (3.4 percent each).  (See table 2.)
   
   The information sector was the only industry sector to record an over-
the-year decline in average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2002,
falling by 0.5 percent.  The information sector has experienced over-the-
year declines in average weekly wages in each of the first three quarters
of 2002.  The pay declines in the information industry had a minimal effect
on the U.S. average weekly wage since it accounted for only 4 percent of
total wages in the third quarter.

  
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
 |                                                                  |
 |           Third Quarter 2002 County Totals Available             |
 |                                                                  |
 |   County level establishment counts, employment, and wage totals |
 | for the third quarter 2002 are available for the largest U.S.    |
 | counties on the Covered Employment and Wages Web site at         |
 | ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cew/2002/Quarter/.        |
 |                                                                  |
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   
                                  - 2 -

   Management of companies and enterprises was the highest paid sector in
the third quarter of 2002, with average weekly wages of $1,212.  Utilities 
was second with average weekly wages of $1,190, followed by mining ($1,098), 
professional and technical services ($1,074), and finance and insurance 
($1,052).  These five highest paying sectors accounted for 19 percent of 
total covered wages paid in the third quarter and had weekly earnings that 
ranged from 54 percent to 77 percent higher than the national average.
   
   The lowest paid sector was accommodation and food services with average
weekly wages of $269.  The next lowest paid sector was agriculture, forestry, 
fishing and hunting at $391, followed by retail trade ($445), other services, 
except public administration ($452), and arts, entertainment, and recreation 
($454).
   
States
   
   All 50 states and the District of Columbia showed growth in wages over
year-ago levels.  The highest wage growth (4.9 percent) occurred in Hawaii,
followed by Nebraska (4.6 percent), Rhode Island (4.5 percent), the District 
of Columbia (4.3 percent), and Maine, Montana, and South Dakota (3.8 percent 
each).
   
   No state experienced a decline in its weekly wage level compared with
the third quarter of 2001.  Massachusetts and New York had the slowest rate
of growth, 0.9 percent each, followed by Colorado (1.0 percent) and Arizona
and Texas (1.3 percent each).  These five states had 21 percent of total
wages in the third quarter.
   
   Among the states and the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia
had the highest weekly wage level ($1,064) in the third quarter of 2002,
followed by Connecticut ($842), Massachusetts ($830), New Jersey ($824),
and New York ($820).  (See table 3.)  The 2002 third-quarter wage levels 
of these five states and jurisdictions ranged from 20 percent to 56 percent
above the national average.
   
   Montana posted the lowest wages ($490) in the third quarter of 2002.
The next lowest wage levels were in Mississippi and South Dakota ($502
each), North Dakota ($503), and West Virginia ($521).  The third-quarter
2002 average wage figures for these states were 24 to 28 percent below 
the national average.
                     
                     ______________________________
   

   BLS will release fourth-quarter 2002 wages and employment data in July
of 2003.


  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 |                                                                |
 |                    Federal Government Wages                    |
 |                                                                |
 |   Federal government quarterly wage data for the 2-year period |
 | from the third quarter 1999 through the third quarter 2001 are |
 | currently under review for an underreporting issue involving a |
 | missing pay period for some workers.  Employment data are un-  |
 | affected.                                                      |
 |                                                                |
  ----------------------------------------------------------------





                                  - 3 -

Technical Note
   
   These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program,
the Covered Employment and Wages (CEW) 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) legis-
lation and provided by State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs).  The 
summaries are a byproduct of the administration of state unemployment in-
surance programs that require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based
on the employment and wages of workers covered by UI.  Data for 2002 are
preliminary and subject to revision.
   
   The employment and wage universe totals from the CEW differ from the
official Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates of employment and
earnings produced by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program due 
to differences in scope and coverage.  The preliminary universe totals
released by BLS are based on establishment reports including more than 
95 percent of the employees within the scope of the CEW program.  Estimates
are used to impute employment and wages for the remaining establishments.
Please see http://www.bls.gov/ces/ for more detailed technical information
on the CES program concepts, coverage, and methodology.
   
   The preliminary CEW state data presented in table 3 of this release may
differ from data released by the individual states.  These potential differ-
ences result from the states' continuing receipt of UI data over time and 
ongoing review and editing.  The individual states determine their data
release timetables.
   
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 SESAs 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 wages data included in this
release are derived from microdata summaries of nearly 8.0 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 2001, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 129.7 million
jobs.  The estimated 124.8 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders) represented 99.7 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment.  Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS).  Covered workers received $4.695 trillion
in pay, representing 94.8 percent of the wage and salary component of
personal income and 46.6 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.
   
                                  - 4 -

Concepts and methodology
   
   Average monthly employment was calculated by averaging the employment
for the 3 months in the quarter.  Monthly employment is based on the num-
ber of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period in-
cluding the 12th of the month.  With few exceptions, all employees of
covered firms are reported, including production and sales workers, cor-
poration officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical work-
ers.  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 from unrounded employment and wage
values so the average wage values that can be calculated from data from
this database may differ from the averages reported due to rounding.  In-
cluded in the quarterly wage data are non-wage cash payments such as bo-
nuses, 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 high-paying and low-paying
occupations.  When comparing average weekly wage levels between industries
and/or states, these factors should be taken into consideration.
   
   Percent changes are calculated using the final 2001 quarterly data as the 
base data.  Final data for 2001 may differ from preliminary data published 
earlier.
   
   In order to insure the highest possible quality of data, SESAs verify
with employers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and own-
ership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes
in establishment classification codes resulting from the verification pro-
cess are introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the 
year.  Changes resulting from improved employer reporting also are intro-
duced in the first quarter.  For these reasons, some data, especially at 
more detailed industry levels, may not be strictly comparable with earlier 
years.
   
Change in industry classification systems
   
   Beginning with the release of data for 2001 in 2002, publications present-
ing data from the Covered Employment and Wages program use the 2002 version 
of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for
the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry.  NAICS is the
product of a cooperative effort on the part of the statistical agencies of
the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  The NAICS structure is significantly 
different from that of the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 
system, which had been used for industry classification purposes until 2002.  
Due to the differences in NAICS and SIC structures, industry data for 2001 
are not comparable to the SIC-based data for earlier years.
   
                                  - 5 -   

   NAICS uses a production-oriented approach to categorize economic units.
Units with similar production processes are classified in the same industry.  
NAICS focuses on how products and services are created, as opposed to the 
SIC focus on what is produced.  This approach yields significantly different 
industry groupings than those produced by the SIC approach.
   
   Data users will be able to work with new NAICS industrial groupings that
better reflect the workings of the U.S. economy.  For example, a new industry 
sector called Information brings together units which turn information into a 
commodity with units which distribute that commodity.  Information's major 
components are publishing, broadcasting, telecommunications, information ser-
vices, and data processing.  Under the SIC system, these units were spread 
across the manufacturing, communications, business services, and amusement 
services groups.  Another new sector of interest is Professional and techni-
cal services.  This sector is comprised of establishments engaged in activi-
ties where human capital is the major input.
   
   Users interested in more information about NAICS can access the Bureau
of Labor Statistics Web page (http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm) and the 
U.S. Census Bureau Web page (http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html).
The NAICS 2002 manual is available from the National Technical Information
Service (NTIS) Web page (http://www.ntis.gov/).
   
Additional statistics and other information
   
   An annual bulletin, Employment and Wages, features comprehensive infor-
mation by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for 
the nation and all states.  Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2001 is 
available for sale from the BLS Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, 
Chicago, Illinois 60690, telephone 312-353-1880.
   
    News releases on 2001 average annual employment and pay data by state
and industry (USDL 02-540), average annual pay for the nation's metropolitan 
areas (USDL 02-625), and 2001 employment and average annual pay for large 
counties (USDL 02-650) are available upon request from the Division of Ad-
ministrative Statistics and Labor Turnover, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212; telephone 202-691-6567; 
(http://www.bls.gov/cew/); (e-mail: CEWInfo@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. Covered establishments and employment by NAICS classification, 
preliminary data, third quarter 2002
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                  Establishments        Average monthly employment
                                                                                              (in thousands)      
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                  NAICS code / Industry                                  Change from                 Change from  
                                                              Third     third quarter     Third     third quarter 
                                                             quarter         2001        quarter         2001     
                                                               2002                        2002                   
                                                                                                                  
                                                                        Number Percent              Number Percent
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
Total U.S.................................................  8,166,111  158,105    2.0    128,194.9 -1141.2   -0.9 
                                                                                                                  
Private industry..........................................  7,902,468  154,124    2.0    108,626.3 -1417.3   -1.3 
                                                                                                                  
Natural resources and mining..............................    126,617   -1,790   -1.4      1,786.2   -65.1   -3.5 
                                                                                                                  
  11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting...........    100,912   -1,577   -1.5      1,275.9   -26.3   -2.0 
    111 Crop production...................................     46,459     -946   -2.0        640.7   -15.5   -2.4 
    112 Animal production.................................     20,967       20    0.1        208.3     1.9    0.9 
    113 Forestry and logging..............................     13,197     -556   -4.0         77.7    -2.6   -3.2 
    114 Fishing, hunting and trapping.....................      2,883     -135   -4.5         11.4    -0.3   -2.6 
    115 Agriculture and forestry support activities.......     17,406       40    0.2        337.7    -9.8   -2.8 
                                                                                                                  
  21 Mining...............................................     25,705     -213   -0.8        510.3   -38.8   -7.1 
    211 Oil and gas extraction............................      7,920     -271   -3.3        121.6    -3.2   -2.6 
    212 Mining, except oil and gas........................      7,980     -181   -2.2        212.3   -14.6   -6.4 
    213 Support activities for mining.....................      9,805      239    2.5        176.4   -21.0  -10.7 
                                                                                                                  
Construction..............................................    799,772   17,730    2.3      6,944.3  -113.4   -1.6 
                                                                                                                  
  23 Construction.........................................    799,772   17,730    2.3      6,944.3  -113.4   -1.6 
    236 Construction of buildings.........................    239,354    6,621    2.8      1,608.9    -6.3   -0.4 
    237 Heavy and civil engineering construction..........     59,966     -663   -1.1        981.7   -39.1   -3.8 
    238 Specialty trade contractors.......................    500,452   11,772    2.4      4,353.7   -68.0   -1.5 
                                                                                                                  
Manufacturing.............................................    388,002   -9,334   -2.3     15,213.9 -1046.3   -6.4 
                                                                                                                  
  31-33 Manufacturing.....................................    388,002   -9,334   -2.3     15,213.9 -1046.3   -6.4 
    311 Food manufacturing................................     29,359     -519   -1.7      1,563.9   -25.8   -1.6 
    312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing........      4,269      -35   -0.8        210.6    -2.6   -1.2 
    313 Textile mills.....................................      5,252     -351   -6.3        291.1   -30.4   -9.5 
    314 Textile product mills.............................      8,439      -46   -0.5        195.5    -6.4   -3.1 
    315 Apparel manufacturing.............................     14,357   -1,126   -7.3        354.8   -63.2  -15.1 
    316 Leather and allied product manufacturing..........      1,609     -119   -6.9         48.9    -9.1  -15.7 
    321 Wood product manufacturing........................     18,559     -425   -2.2        564.1   -11.1   -1.9 
    322 Paper manufacturing...............................      6,840     -169   -2.4        541.8   -31.7   -5.5 
    323 Printing and related support activities...........     41,099   -1,293   -3.1        703.2   -55.1   -7.3 
    324 Petroleum and coal products manufacturing.........      2,531      -76   -2.9        121.7    -1.8   -1.5 
    325 Chemical manufacturing............................     15,707     -172   -1.1        924.7   -25.6   -2.7 
    326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing........     15,612     -385   -2.4        847.2   -38.3   -4.3 
    327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing.........     17,791     -209   -1.2        525.2   -23.7   -4.3 
    331 Primary metal manufacturing.......................      6,359      -53   -0.8        504.0   -55.9  -10.0 
    332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing............     62,971     -900   -1.4      1,538.0  -107.4   -6.5 
    333 Machinery manufacturing...........................     34,415   -1,326   -3.7      1,212.9  -124.3   -9.3 
    334 Computer and electronic product manufacturing.....     21,431     -929   -4.2      1,480.3  -233.2  -13.6 
    335 Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing..      7,736     -244   -3.1        488.4   -52.3   -9.7 
    336 Transportation equipment manufacturing............     15,644     -231   -1.5      1,813.1   -89.1   -4.7 
    337 Furniture and related product manufacturing.......     25,156     -575   -2.2        602.0   -33.4   -5.3 
    339 Miscellaneous manufacturing.......................     32,866     -151   -0.5        682.7   -26.0   -3.7 
                                                                                                                  
Trade, transportation, and utilities......................  1,861,749   11,865    0.6     25,201.3  -332.4   -1.3 
                                                                                                                  
  22 Utilities............................................     16,477      419    2.6        594.3    -6.3   -1.0 
    221 Utilities.........................................     16,477      419    2.6        594.3    -6.3   -1.0 
                                                                                                                  
  42 Wholesale trade......................................    587,738   10,224    1.8      5,635.6  -100.2   -1.7 
    423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods...............    273,901   -1,051   -0.4      2,984.7  -118.1   -3.8 
    424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods............    147,303    1,052    0.7      2,016.5    -6.2   -0.3 
    425 Electronic markets and agents and brokers.........    166,534   10,223    6.5        634.4    24.1    3.9 
                                                                                                                  
  44-45 Retail trade......................................  1,046,607      414    0.0     14,982.5   -87.8   -0.6 
    441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers...................    119,216    1,097    0.9      1,898.7    21.3    1.1 
    442 Furniture and home furnishings stores.............     58,832      -93   -0.2        537.8     7.8    1.5 
    443 Electronics and appliance stores..................     56,208   -1,109   -1.9        515.6   -24.0   -4.5 
    444 Building material and garden supply stores........     77,762     -587   -0.7      1,207.4    53.0    4.6 
    445 Food and beverage stores..........................    140,925      770    0.5      2,876.2   -63.6   -2.2 
    446 Health and personal care stores...................     76,743      233    0.3        923.2    -5.2   -0.6 
    447 Gasoline stations.................................    108,136      263    0.2        908.9   -22.5   -2.4 
    448 Clothing and clothing accessories stores..........    129,122      -91   -0.1      1,308.5    12.1    0.9 
    451 Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores......     64,932   -1,037   -1.6        652.7   -14.9   -2.2 
    452 General merchandise stores........................     44,856    2,285    5.4      2,764.9     1.8    0.1 
    453 Miscellaneous store retailers.....................    137,152   -1,000   -0.7        962.7   -20.0   -2.0 
    454 Nonstore retailers................................     32,723     -317   -1.0        425.9   -33.7   -7.3 
                                                                                                                  
  48-49 Transportation and warehousing....................    210,927      808    0.4      3,988.9  -138.1   -3.3 
    481 Air transportation................................      5,989      -93   -1.5        569.4   -60.0   -9.5 
    482 Rail transportation...............................         60       10   20.0          0.4     0.0    6.1 
    483 Water transportation..............................      1,472       74    5.3         54.8     0.2    0.3 
    484 Truck transportation..............................    114,302      414    0.4      1,360.0   -37.6   -2.7 
    485 Transit and ground passenger transportation.......     17,707      175    1.0        335.5    -2.0   -0.6 
    486 Pipeline transportation...........................      2,477      -47   -1.9         42.4    -2.3   -5.2 
    487 Scenic and sightseeing transportation.............      3,085      -19   -0.6         33.9    -3.1   -8.3 
    488 Support activities for transportation.............     37,690       13    0.0        517.3   -12.3   -2.3 
    491 Postal service....................................        626      141   29.1          2.8     0.7   35.6 
    492 Couriers and messengers...........................     14,739      127    0.9        559.8   -26.6   -4.5 
    493 Warehousing and storage...........................     12,780       13    0.1        512.6     4.8    0.9 
                                                                                                                  
Information...............................................    151,321   -1,573   -1.0      3,329.1  -228.1   -6.4 
                                                                                                                  
  51 Information..........................................    151,321   -1,573   -1.0      3,329.1  -228.1   -6.4 
    511 Publishing industries, except Internet............     36,337     -225   -0.6        954.5   -53.6   -5.3 
    512 Motion picture and sound recording industries.....     27,511     -776   -2.7        383.3    19.9    5.5 
    515 Broadcasting, except Internet.....................     10,178      -31   -0.3        333.8    -6.6   -1.9 
    516 Internet publishing and broadcasting..............      3,529     -258   -6.8         33.4    -7.6  -18.6 
    517 Telecommunications................................     44,045    1,560    3.7      1,146.1  -136.0  -10.6 
    518 ISPs, search portals, and data processing.........     26,077   -1,961   -7.0        431.5   -44.4   -9.3 
    519 Other information services........................      3,644      118    3.3         46.3     0.2    0.3 
                                                                                                                  
Financial activities......................................    741,338   18,511    2.6      7,742.0     2.6    0.0 
                                                                                                                  
  52 Finance and insurance................................    423,642   10,693    2.6      5,680.1    14.5    0.3 
    521 Monetary authorities - central bank...............        182       30   19.7         23.4     0.3    1.3 
    522 Credit intermediation and related activities......    168,496    6,345    3.9      2,670.6    64.2    2.5 
    523 Securities, commodity contracts, investments......     73,271    3,716    5.3        787.3   -46.8   -5.6 
    524 Insurance carriers and related activities.........    175,905      308    0.2      2,112.8    -2.4   -0.1 
    525 Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles.......      5,788      294    5.4         86.1    -0.8   -1.0 
                                                                                                                  
  53 Real estate and rental and leasing...................    317,696    7,818    2.5      2,061.9   -11.9   -0.6 
    531 Real estate.......................................    252,189    7,669    3.1      1,379.3    19.6    1.4 
    532 Rental and leasing services.......................     62,392      239    0.4        655.4   -28.7   -4.2 
    533 Lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets.........      3,115      -90   -2.8         27.2    -2.8   -9.3 
                                                                                                                  
Professional and business services........................  1,304,509   40,515    3.2     16,102.5  -269.2   -1.6 
                                                                                                                  
  54 Professional and technical services..................    858,007   26,460    3.2      6,608.6  -198.5   -2.9 
    541 Professional and technical services...............    858,007   26,460    3.2      6,608.6  -198.5   -2.9 
                                                                                                                  
  55 Management of companies and enterprises..............     37,699      683    1.8      1,696.0   -16.7   -1.0 
    551 Management of companies and enterprises...........     37,699      683    1.8      1,696.0   -16.7   -1.0 
                                                                                                                  
  56 Administrative and waste services....................    408,803   13,372    3.4      7,798.0   -54.0   -0.7 
    561 Administrative and support services...............    388,475   12,923    3.4      7,474.5   -55.7   -0.7 
    562 Waste management and remediation services.........     20,328      449    2.3        323.4     1.7    0.5 
                                                                                                                  
Education and health services.............................    709,765   19,825    2.9     15,305.7   465.4    3.1 
                                                                                                                  
  61 Educational services.................................     70,004    2,960    4.4      1,862.9    58.0    3.2 
    611 Educational services..............................     70,004    2,960    4.4      1,862.9    58.0    3.2 
                                                                                                                  
  62 Health care and social assistance....................    639,761   16,865    2.7     13,442.8   407.4    3.1 
    621 Ambulatory health care services...................    452,503   12,128    2.8      4,670.4   184.0    4.1 
    622 Hospitals.........................................      7,244      113    1.6      4,122.7    91.3    2.3 
    623 Nursing and residential care facilities...........     61,343    1,125    1.9      2,749.3    72.7    2.7 
    624 Social assistance.................................    118,671    3,499    3.0      1,900.3    59.4    3.2 
                                                                                                                  
Leisure and hospitality...................................    653,730   16,755    2.6     12,479.2   134.3    1.1 
                                                                                                                  
  71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................    109,352    3,260    3.1      1,998.3    20.4    1.0 
    711 Performing arts and spectator sports..............     40,269    1,611    4.2        406.3     3.8    0.9 
    712 Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks........      4,810      161    3.5        122.5    -0.5   -0.4 
    713 Amusements, gambling, and recreation..............     64,273    1,488    2.4      1,469.4    17.1    1.2 
                                                                                                                  
  72 Accommodation and food services......................    544,378   13,495    2.5     10,480.9   113.9    1.1 
    721 Accommodation.....................................     61,542    1,263    2.1      1,873.5   -59.3   -3.1 
    722 Food services and drinking places.................    482,836   12,232    2.6      8,607.4   173.2    2.1 
                                                                                                                  
Other services............................................  1,025,322   41,767    4.2      4,283.9    37.6    0.9 
                                                                                                                  
  81 Other services, except public administration.........  1,025,322   41,767    4.2      4,283.9    37.6    0.9 
    811 Repair and maintenance............................    230,250    1,152    0.5      1,241.1   -14.2   -1.1 
    812 Personal and laundry services.....................    178,881    3,018    1.7      1,263.6     5.1    0.4 
    813 Membership associations and organizations.........    131,442    1,809    1.4      1,319.5    24.9    1.9 
    814 Private households................................    484,749   35,788    8.0        459.7    21.8    5.0 
                                                                                                                  
Federal government........................................     50,863       19    0.0      2,765.4    -8.0   -0.3 
                                                                                                                  
State government..........................................     65,822    1,187    1.8      4,434.7    18.2    0.4 
                                                                                                                  
Local government..........................................    146,958    2,775    1.9     12,368.6   266.0    2.2 





Table 2. Covered wages by NAICS classification, preliminary data, third quarter 2002
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                          
                                                                   Total quarterly wages            Average weekly wages  
                                                                       (in thousands)                                     
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                          
                  NAICS code / Industry                                      Change from third                Change from  
                                                                Third           quarter 2001        Third    third quarter 
                                                               quarter                             quarter        2001     
                                                                2002                                 2002                  
                                                                                                                          
                                                                               Number     Percent            Number Percent
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                          
Total U.S................................................. $1,137,829,201   $14,362,843     1.3      $683      $15    2.2 
                                                                                                                          
Private industry..........................................    953,508,585     3,467,802     0.4       675       11    1.7 
                                                                                                                          
Natural resources and mining..............................     13,765,996      -310,343    -2.2       593        8    1.4 
                                                                                                                          
  11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting...........      6,483,261       160,998     2.5       391       17    4.7 
    111 Crop production...................................      3,053,812        43,052     1.4       367       14    3.9 
    112 Animal production.................................      1,208,334        45,845     3.9       446       13    3.0 
    113 Forestry and logging..............................        572,441        -4,762    -0.8       567       14    2.5 
    114 Fishing, hunting and trapping.....................         98,297         2,042     2.1       661       31    4.8 
    115 Agriculture and forestry support activities.......      1,550,378        74,821     5.1       353       27    8.1 
                                                                                                                          
  21 Mining...............................................      7,282,735      -471,341    -6.1     1,098       12    1.1 
    211 Oil and gas extraction............................      2,561,471       -63,587    -2.4     1,620        2    0.1 
    212 Mining, except oil and gas........................      2,556,721      -136,217    -5.1       926       14    1.5 
    213 Support activities for mining.....................      2,164,542      -271,537   -11.1       944       -5   -0.5 
                                                                                                                          
Construction..............................................     66,214,613       -14,204     0.0       733       12    1.6 
                                                                                                                          
  23 Construction.........................................     66,214,613       -14,204     0.0       733       12    1.6 
    236 Construction of buildings.........................     16,036,757       249,230     1.6       767       15    2.0 
    237 Heavy and civil engineering construction..........     10,813,356      -149,455    -1.4       847       21    2.6 
    238 Specialty trade contractors.......................     39,364,501      -113,979    -0.3       696        9    1.3 
                                                                                                                          
Manufacturing.............................................    162,495,842    -5,531,574    -3.3       822       27    3.4 
                                                                                                                          
  31-33 Manufacturing.....................................    162,495,842    -5,531,574    -3.3       822       27    3.4 
    311 Food manufacturing................................     12,607,228       123,800     1.0       620       16    2.7 
    312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing........      2,362,304        15,867     0.7       863       16    1.9 
    313 Textile mills.....................................      2,215,355       -79,336    -3.5       585       36    6.6 
    314 Textile product mills.............................      1,280,520       -15,077    -1.2       504       10    2.0 
    315 Apparel manufacturing.............................      2,152,558      -131,221    -5.7       467       46   11.1 
    316 Leather and allied product manufacturing..........        340,368       -50,242   -12.9       536       17    3.3 
    321 Wood product manufacturing........................      4,240,631        42,238     1.0       578       17    3.0 
    322 Paper manufacturing...............................      6,235,765      -154,966    -2.4       885       28    3.3 
    323 Printing and related support activities...........      6,447,524      -316,517    -4.7       705       19    2.8 
    324 Petroleum and coal products manufacturing.........      1,882,196         4,108     0.2     1,189       20    1.7 
    325 Chemical manufacturing............................     13,676,619       -12,355    -0.1     1,138       30    2.7 
    326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing........      7,656,355       -32,533    -0.4       695       27    4.1 
    327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing.........      5,082,118       -79,582    -1.5       744       21    2.9 
    331 Primary metal manufacturing.......................     $5,660,746    - $456,317    -7.5      $864      $24    2.8 
    332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing............     14,432,493      -553,511    -3.7       722       21    3.0 
    333 Machinery manufacturing...........................     13,645,374      -985,504    -6.7       865       24    2.8 
    334 Computer and electronic product manufacturing.....     23,569,129    -2,471,135    -9.5     1,225       56    4.8 
    335 Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing..      4,948,049      -284,754    -5.4       779       35    4.7 
    336 Transportation equipment manufacturing............     23,203,343       173,019     0.8       984       53    5.7 
    337 Furniture and related product manufacturing.......      4,373,931      -119,665    -2.7       559       15    2.7 
    339 Miscellaneous manufacturing.......................      6,483,234      -147,892    -2.2       730       11    1.5 
                                                                                                                          
Trade, transportation, and utilities......................    199,269,938     1,408,710     0.7       608       12    2.0 
                                                                                                                          
  22 Utilities............................................      9,193,373       209,667     2.3     1,190       39    3.4 
    221 Utilities.........................................      9,193,373       209,667     2.3     1,190       39    3.4 
                                                                                                                          
  42 Wholesale trade......................................     66,860,116      -214,663    -0.3       913       13    1.5 
    423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods...............     36,075,789    -1,099,255    -3.0       930        8    0.9 
    424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods............     21,951,998       469,665     2.2       837       20    2.5 
    425 Electronic markets and agents and brokers.........      8,832,329       414,927     4.9     1,071       10    0.9 
                                                                                                                          
  44-45 Retail trade......................................     86,677,570     1,550,768     1.8       445       11    2.4 
    441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers...................     17,691,314       647,932     3.8       717       18    2.6 
    442 Furniture and home furnishings stores.............      3,689,467       115,169     3.2       528        9    1.7 
    443 Electronics and appliance stores..................      4,601,005      -377,787    -7.6       686      -23   -3.3 
    444 Building material and garden supply stores........      7,756,012       165,349     2.2       494      -12   -2.3 
    445 Food and beverage stores..........................     13,905,074       140,408     1.0       372       12    3.3 
    446 Health and personal care stores...................      6,141,404       260,648     4.4       512       24    5.0 
    447 Gasoline stations.................................      3,615,562       -23,993    -0.7       306        5    1.8 
    448 Clothing and clothing accessories stores..........      5,921,969       249,148     4.4       348       12    3.4 
    451 Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores......      2,797,770        45,950     1.7       330       13    4.0 
    452 General merchandise stores........................     12,410,942       537,069     4.5       345       15    4.5 
    453 Miscellaneous store retailers.....................      4,764,052       -28,888    -0.6       381        5    1.5 
    454 Nonstore retailers................................      3,382,999      -180,238    -5.1       611       15    2.5 
                                                                                                                          
  48-49 Transportation and warehousing....................     36,538,879      -137,061    -0.4       705       21    3.1 
    481 Air transportation................................      7,596,810      -379,659    -4.8     1,026       51    5.3 
    482 Rail transportation...............................          2,783          -307    -9.9       599     -107  -15.1 
    483 Water transportation..............................        684,944        12,244     1.8       961       14    1.5 
    484 Truck transportation..............................     11,956,977       -20,133    -0.2       676       17    2.6 
    485 Transit and ground passenger transportation.......      1,717,904        11,593     0.7       394        5    1.3 
    486 Pipeline transportation...........................        745,231       -51,172    -6.4     1,353      -18   -1.3 
    487 Scenic and sightseeing transportation.............        183,870       -20,168    -9.9       417       -8   -1.8 
    488 Support activities for transportation.............     $4,773,209       $54,761     1.2      $710      $24    3.6 
    491 Postal service....................................         19,564         5,252    36.7       535        4    0.8 
    492 Couriers and messengers...........................      4,664,505        94,486     2.1       641       41    6.9 
    493 Warehousing and storage...........................      4,193,083       156,041     3.9       629       18    2.9 
                                                                                                                          
Information...............................................     44,992,772    -3,313,945    -6.9     1,040       -5   -0.5 
                                                                                                                          
  51 Information..........................................     44,992,772    -3,313,945    -6.9     1,040       -5   -0.5 
    511 Publishing industries, except Internet............     13,686,326      -877,129    -6.0     1,103       -8   -0.7 
    512 Motion picture and sound recording industries.....      4,074,873       311,081     8.3       818       21    2.6 
    515 Broadcasting, except Internet.....................      4,247,287       -36,959    -0.9       979       11    1.1 
    516 Internet publishing and broadcasting..............        555,322      -161,263   -22.5     1,278      -65   -4.8 
    517 Telecommunications................................     15,830,253    -1,613,041    -9.2     1,062       16    1.5 
    518 ISPs, search portals, and data processing.........      6,184,485      -947,538   -13.3     1,102      -50   -4.4 
    519 Other information services........................        414,226        10,905     2.7       688       16    2.3 
                                                                                                                          
Financial activities......................................     94,316,902     1,117,452     1.2       937       11    1.2 
                                                                                                                          
  52 Finance and insurance................................     77,703,971       773,283     1.0     1,052        8    0.7 
    521 Monetary authorities - central bank...............        304,923         8,967     3.0     1,002       16    1.7 
    522 Credit intermediation and related activities......     30,073,479     1,544,100     5.4       866       24    2.9 
    523 Securities, commodity contracts, investments......     20,332,812    -1,544,212    -7.1     1,987      -31   -1.5 
    524 Insurance carriers and related activities.........     25,716,512       727,451     2.9       936       28    3.0 
    525 Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles.......      1,276,246        36,977     3.0     1,140       44    4.0 
                                                                                                                          
  53 Real estate and rental and leasing...................     16,612,930       344,170     2.1       620       16    2.7 
    531 Real estate.......................................     11,538,100       565,289     5.2       643       23    3.7 
    532 Rental and leasing services.......................      4,668,145       -47,542    -1.0       548       18    3.3 
    533 Lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets.........        406,685      -173,578   -29.9     1,152     -339  -22.7 
                                                                                                                          
Professional and business services........................    166,977,835    -1,111,679    -0.7       798        8    1.0 
                                                                                                                          
  54 Professional and technical services..................     92,270,948    -2,410,908    -2.5     1,074        4    0.4 
    541 Professional and technical services...............     92,270,948    -2,410,908    -2.5     1,074        4    0.4 
                                                                                                                          
  55 Management of companies and enterprises..............     26,729,912       142,874     0.5     1,212       18    1.5 
    551 Management of companies and enterprises...........     26,729,912       142,874     0.5     1,212       18    1.5 
                                                                                                                          
  56 Administrative and waste services....................     47,976,975     1,156,356     2.5       473       15    3.2 
    561 Administrative and support services...............     44,653,415     1,019,542     2.3       460       14    3.1 
    562 Waste management and remediation services.........      3,323,560       136,813     4.3       790       28    3.7 
                                                                                                                          
Education and health services.............................   $129,935,102    $8,782,400     7.2      $653      $25    4.0 
                                                                                                                          
  61 Educational services.................................     16,006,277     1,052,054     7.0       661       24    3.7 
    611 Educational services..............................     16,006,277     1,052,054     7.0       661       24    3.7 
                                                                                                                          
  62 Health care and social assistance....................    113,928,825     7,730,346     7.3       652       25    4.0 
    621 Ambulatory health care services...................     50,261,904     3,365,452     7.2       828       24    3.0 
    622 Hospitals.........................................     39,468,917     2,846,532     7.8       736       38    5.4 
    623 Nursing and residential care facilities...........     15,170,680       939,881     6.6       424       15    3.8 
    624 Social assistance.................................      9,027,324       578,481     6.8       365       12    3.5 
                                                                                                                          
Leisure and hospitality...................................     48,412,078     1,734,926     3.7       298        8    2.6 
                                                                                                                          
  71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................     11,803,845       503,311     4.5       454       15    3.4 
    711 Performing arts and spectator sports..............      4,976,721       288,462     6.2       942       46    5.2 
    712 Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks........        733,003        16,591     2.3       460       12    2.7 
    713 Amusements, gambling, and recreation..............      6,094,121       198,258     3.4       319        7    2.2 
                                                                                                                          
  72 Accommodation and food services......................     36,608,233     1,231,615     3.5       269        6    2.4 
    721 Accommodation.....................................      9,513,767        -2,070     0.0       391       12    3.1 
    722 Food services and drinking places.................     27,094,466     1,233,685     4.8       242        6    2.7 
                                                                                                                          
Other services............................................     25,163,147       791,098     3.2       452       10    2.3 
                                                                                                                          
  81 Other services, except public administration.........     25,163,147       791,098     3.2       452       10    2.3 
    811 Repair and maintenance............................      8,998,652        88,197     1.0       558       12    2.1 
    812 Personal and laundry services.....................      6,092,176       115,108     1.9       371        6    1.5 
    813 Membership associations and organizations.........      8,467,611       459,018     5.7       494       18    3.7 
    814 Private households................................      1,604,709       128,774     8.7       269        9    3.6 
                                                                                                                          
Federal government........................................     35,994,409       (1)        (1)      1,001    (1)     (1)  
                                                                                                                          
State government..........................................     43,791,253    $2,364,157     5.7       760      $38    5.3 
                                                                                                                          
Local government..........................................    104,534,955     5,761,223     5.8       650       22    3.6 

  1 Data for the federal government are not shown because data for the third quarter of 2002 are not directly comparable
with data for the third quarter of 2001.
 
 
 
 
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, 
preliminary data, third quarter 2002
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                 
                                                     Average monthly            Total quarterly wages                            
                           Establishments              employment                  (in thousands)            Average weekly wages
                                                     (in thousands)                                                              
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                 
       State                     Change from               Change from                   Change from third           Change from 
                                third quarter             third quarter                     quarter 2001            third quarter
                       Third         2001        Third         2001           Third                          Third       2001    
                      quarter                   quarter                      quarter                        quarter              
                       2002                      2002                         2002                           2002                
                                Number Percent            Number Percent                   Number   Percent           Num- Percent
                                                                                                                      ber         
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                 
      Total U.S..... 8,166,111 158,105    2.0  128,194.9 -1141.2   -0.9  $1,137,829,201 $14,362,843    1.3     $683   $15    2.2 
                                                                                                                                 
Alabama.............   113,087    -643   -0.6    1,830.3   -21.8   -1.2      14,014,835     337,928    2.5      589    21    3.7 
Alaska..............    19,315    -118   -0.6      304.1     6.7    2.2       2,779,611     102,477    3.8      703    11    1.5 
Arizona.............   121,790   2,268    1.9    2,204.3    -1.6   -0.1      18,262,130     212,679    1.2      637     8    1.3 
Arkansas............    74,225   1,195    1.6    1,109.7    -5.4   -0.5       7,589,599     190,015    2.6      526    16    3.1 
California.......... 1,127,591  52,104    4.8   14,867.3   -96.9   -0.6     148,480,551   1,052,977    0.7      768    10    1.4 
Colorado............   157,577   2,137    1.4    2,170.3   -47.4   -2.1      20,098,115    -235,544   -1.2      712     7    1.0 
Connecticut.........   108,678     179    0.2    1,635.8   -18.7   -1.1      17,903,624      46,095    0.3      842    12    1.4 
Delaware............    25,336      89    0.4      406.8    -3.0   -0.7       3,839,065      60,527    1.6      726    17    2.4 
District of Columbia    28,561     172    0.6      652.7    12.6    2.0       9,028,311     536,674    6.3    1,064    43    4.3 
Florida.............   483,494  27,271    6.0    7,069.4    26.7    0.4      55,497,301   1,732,190    3.2      604    17    2.8 
                                                                                                                                 
Georgia.............   241,214   9,234    4.0    3,835.6   -40.5   -1.0      33,207,621     143,888    0.4      666    10    1.5 
Hawaii..............    36,073     599    1.7      557.3    -0.5   -0.1       4,535,675     208,063    4.8      626    29    4.9 
Idaho...............    46,974     348    0.7      586.9     1.7    0.3       4,089,212      80,432    2.0      536     9    1.7 
Illinois............   322,099   2,437    0.8    5,779.7  -107.0   -1.8      54,971,695     -34,951   -0.1      732    13    1.8 
Indiana.............   151,522    -195   -0.1    2,843.7   -28.1   -1.0      22,705,055     515,723    2.3      614    20    3.3 
Iowa................    88,944     697    0.8    1,414.5   -20.9   -1.5      10,315,627     147,827    1.5      561    16    3.0 
Kansas..............    83,519   3,040    3.8    1,294.6   -15.5   -1.2       9,755,333      50,425    0.5      580    10    1.7 
Kentucky............   108,406    -188   -0.2    1,713.3   -14.8   -0.9      12,819,410     220,897    1.8      576    15    2.6 
Louisiana...........   115,555     876    0.8    1,842.8   -19.8   -1.1      13,488,641     244,932    1.8      563    16    2.9 
Maine...............    47,392     817    1.8      605.5    -0.8   -0.1       4,422,413     157,161    3.7      562    21    3.8 
                                                                                                                                 
Maryland............   147,455   1,431    1.0    2,428.2     9.1    0.4      23,147,913     689,399    3.1      733    19    2.7 
Massachusetts.......   198,776   6,264    3.3    3,186.5   -70.3   -2.2      34,379,868    -446,123   -1.3      830     7    0.9 
Michigan............   257,785  -1,226   -0.5    4,404.0   -59.6   -1.3      40,865,997     685,619    1.7      714    21    3.1 
Minnesota...........   155,842    -439   -0.3    2,587.9   -20.0   -0.8      23,602,153     640,377    2.8      702    24    3.6 
Mississippi.........    64,713   1,801    2.9    1,106.4    -3.6   -0.3       7,222,070     217,044    3.1      502    17    3.4 
Missouri............   166,791   3,474    2.1    2,619.6   -17.5   -0.7      21,104,116     359,712    1.7      620    15    2.4 
Montana.............    43,068   2,199    5.4      391.5     5.0    1.3       2,494,779     123,006    5.2      490    18    3.8 
Nebraska............    54,520   1,480    2.8      878.7   -11.1   -1.2       6,424,449     203,554    3.3      562    25    4.6 
Nevada..............    53,283   3,361    6.7    1,050.3    -1.5   -0.1       8,826,835     179,113    2.1      646    14    2.2 
New Hampshire.......    46,311      94    0.2      604.0    -5.1   -0.8       5,258,609     102,931    2.0      670    19    2.9 
                                                                                                                                 
New Jersey..........   256,852   6,627    2.6    3,809.3   -27.2   -0.7      40,784,018     641,651    1.6      824    19    2.3 
New Mexico..........    50,058   1,570    3.2      742.3     7.5    1.0       5,295,454     162,959    3.2      549    11    2.1 
New York............   546,171   4,079    0.8    8,193.4  -130.5   -1.6      87,301,105    -586,164   -0.7      820     7    0.9 
North Carolina......   236,169  11,377    5.1    3,749.8   -36.9   -1.0     $29,848,889    $505,232    1.7     $612   $16    2.7 
North Dakota........    23,459      88    0.4      312.6     0.9    0.3       2,044,133      60,533    3.1      503    14    2.8 
Ohio................   287,638   1,424    0.5    5,371.1   -76.4   -1.4      45,075,379     816,515    1.8      646    21    3.3 
Oklahoma............    90,502    -567   -0.6    1,423.3   -28.3   -1.9       9,994,440     135,024    1.4      540    18    3.4 
Oregon..............   115,372   3,697    3.3    1,587.2   -17.2   -1.1      13,077,239      98,537    0.8      634    12    1.9 
Pennsylvania........   320,310 -12,051   -3.6    5,507.9   -30.2   -0.5      47,948,577     884,690    1.9      670    16    2.4 
Rhode Island........    34,258     555    1.6      467.7     0.2    0.0       3,971,100     171,249    4.5      653    28    4.5 
                                                                                                                                 
South Carolina......   119,975   3,652    3.1    1,766.1   -17.8   -1.0      12,993,879     224,336    1.8      566    15    2.8 
South Dakota........    27,680     266    1.0      368.3    -1.3   -0.3       2,404,226      79,488    3.4      502    18    3.8 
Tennessee...........   126,332   1,043    0.8    2,602.9    -5.9   -0.2      20,563,935     502,116    2.5      608    16    2.7 
Texas...............   496,728   1,387    0.3    9,246.5   -96.1   -1.0      81,366,890     242,996    0.3      677     9    1.3 
Utah................    70,845   1,575    2.3    1,041.8   -11.4   -1.1       7,783,592      51,240    0.7      575    10    1.8 
Vermont.............    23,818    -490   -2.0      292.9    -2.9   -1.0       2,213,680      39,271    1.8      581    16    2.8 
Virginia............   200,323   3,935    2.0    3,409.6   -29.2   -0.8      30,969,382     713,622    2.4      699    22    3.2 
Washington..........   227,980   4,314    1.9    2,692.4   -39.0   -1.4      25,432,214     448,218    1.8      727    23    3.3 
West Virginia.......    47,251     593    1.3      687.9    -2.9   -0.4       4,662,993      80,461    1.8      521    11    2.2 
Wisconsin...........   152,800   4,062    2.7    2,693.5   -28.7   -1.1      21,229,368     509,314    2.5      606    21    3.5 
Wyoming.............    21,694     211    1.0      246.7     1.6    0.6       1,738,096      56,505    3.4      542    14    2.7 
                                                                                                                                 
Puerto Rico.........    48,140  -3,433   -6.7      976.4   -15.6   -1.6       4,954,569     208,467    4.4      390    22    6.1 
Virgin Islands......     3,199     -44   -1.4       42.5    -1.5   -3.4         312,368         131    0.0      566    20    3.6