Technical information:  (202) 691-6567     USDL 06-40
               http://www.bls.gov/cew/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902     Wednesday, January 11, 2006


             COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES:  SECOND QUARTER 2005

   In June 2005, Pasco County, Fla., 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.  Pasco County (north of Tampa)
experienced an over-the-year employment gain of 9.5 percent, compared with
national job growth of 1.7 percent.  Webb County, Texas (which includes
Laredo) had the largest over-the-year gain in average weekly wages in the
second quarter of 2005, with an increase of 11.3 percent.  The U.S. average
weekly wage increased by 3.9 percent over the same time span.
   
   Of the 322 largest counties in the United States, as measured by 2004
annual average employment, 131 had over-the-year percentage growth in
employment above the national average in June 2005, and 176 experienced
changes below the national average.  Average weekly wages grew faster than
the national average in 128 of the largest U.S. counties, while the percent
change in average weekly wages was below the national average in 174 counties.

   
   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 8.6 million
employer reports cover 132.8 million full- and part-time workers.  The
attached tables and charts contain data for the nation and for the 322 U.S.
counties with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2004.
June 2005 employment and 2005 second-quarter average weekly wages for all
states are provided in table 4 of this release.  Final data for all states,
metropolitan statistical areas, counties, and the nation through the fourth
quarter of 2004 are available on the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/cew/.
Preliminary data for the first and second quarters of 2005 will be available
later in January on the BLS Web site.
   

     ------------------------------------------------------------------
    |  Regional Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages News Releases |
    |                                                                  |
    |    Several BLS regional offices are issuing QCEW news releases   |
    | targeted to local data users.  For links to these releases, see  |
    | http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm.                          |
     ------------------------------------------------------------------

                                  - 2 -
 
Table A.  Top 10 counties ranked by June 2005 employment, June 2004-05
employment change, and June 2004-05 percent change in employment

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Employment in large counties
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           |                            |
     June 2005 employment  |  Net change in employment, |     Percent change  
        (thousands)        |        June 2004-05        |     in employment, 
                           |         (thousands)        |      June 2004-05
---------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------
U.S.              132,808.3|U.S.                 2,210.2|U.S.                 1.7       
---------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------
Los Angeles, Calif.   4,089|Maricopa, Ariz.         88.0|Pasco, Fla.          9.5 
Cook, Ill.            2,528|Clark, Nev.             60.2|Lee, Fla.            9.3    
New York, N.Y.        2,257|Harris, Texas           47.0|Clark, Nev.          7.5 
Harris, Texas         1,867|Orange, Fla.            32.9|Seminole, Fla.       7.4 
Maricopa, Ariz.       1,677|Orange, Calif.          32.5|Kern, Calif.         6.6 
Orange, Calif.        1,503|Los Angeles, Calif.     28.3|Collier, Fla.        6.6 
Dallas, Texas         1,417|Palm Beach, Fla.        28.3|Montgomery, Texas    6.1 
San Diego, Calif.     1,301|Riverside, Calif.       28.2|Okaloosa, Fla.       6.0 
King, Wash.           1,120|San Bernardino, Calif.  27.7|Williamson, Texas    5.9 
Miami-Dade, Fla.        999|New York, N.Y.          25.7|Lake, Fla.           5.8                                                                                        
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------   


Large County Employment
   
   In June 2005, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program, was
132.8 million, up by 1.7 percent from June 2004.  The 322 U.S. counties with
75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.6 percent of total U.S. covered
employment and 76.3 percent of total covered wages.  These 322 counties had
a net job gain of 1,494,600 over the year, accounting for 67.6 percent of the
U.S. employment increase.  Employment increased in 272 of the large counties
from June 2004 to June 2005.  Pasco County, Fla., had the largest over-the-
year percentage increase in employment (9.5 percent). Lee, Fla., had the next
largest increase, 9.3 percent, followed by the counties of Clark, Nev.
(7.5 percent), Seminole, Fla. (7.4 percent), and Kern, Calif., and Collier,
Fla. (6.6 percent each).  (See table 1.)
   
   Employment declined in 39 large counties from June 2004 to June 2005.
The largest percentage decline in employment was in Hinds County, Miss.
(-2.2 percent), followed by the counties of Shawnee, Kan. (-1.8 percent),
Lorain, Ohio (-1.5 percent), Orleans, La. (-1.2 percent), and Lucas, Ohio
(-1.1 percent).

   The largest gains in employment from June 2004 to June 2005 were recorded
in the counties of Maricopa, Ariz. (88,000), Clark, Nev. (60,200), Harris,
Texas (47,000), Orange, Fla. (32,900), and Orange, Calif. (32,500).  (See
table A.)
   
   The largest decline in employment occurred in Allegheny County, Pa. (-6,500),
followed by the counties of Erie, N.Y. (-3,400), Orleans, La. (-3,100), Hinds,
Miss. (-2,800), and Hennepin, Minn. (-2,700).
   
Large County Average Weekly Wages

   The national average weekly wage in the second quarter of 2005 was $751.
Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 116 of the
largest 322 U.S. counties.  New York County, N.Y., held the top position
among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of
$1,350.  Santa Clara, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of
$1,316, followed by San Mateo, Calif. ($1,267), Arlington, Va. ($1,257),
and Washington, D.C. ($1,236).  (See table B.)
   
                                  - 3 -
   
Table B.  Top 10 counties ranked by second quarter 2005 average weekly
wages, second quarter 2004-05 change in average weekly wages, and second
quarter 2004-05 percent change in average weekly wages
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Average weekly wage in large counties     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           |                         |    
   Average weekly wage,    | Change in average weekly|   Percent change in
   second quarter 2005     |   wage, second quarter  |  average weekly wage,     
                           |          2004-05        | second quarter 2004-05 
---------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------            
U.S.                   $751|U.S.                  $28|U.S.                 3.9  
---------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------
New York, N.Y.       $1,350|San Mateo, Calif.    $121|Webb, Texas         11.3  
Santa Clara, Calif.   1,316|Fairfax, Va.           88|San Mateo, Calif.   10.6  
San Mateo, Calif.     1,267|Arlington, Va.         86|Clark, Nev.          9.4
Arlington, Va.    .   1,257|Marin, Calif.          68|Collier, Fla.        8.4
Washington, D.C.      1,236|Clark, Nev.            64|Fairfax, Va.         8.1  
Fairfax, Va.          1,177|Durham, N.C.           63|Rockingham, N.H.     7.6
Suffolk, Mass.        1,170|San Francisco, Calif.  56|Henrico, Va.         7.5 
Fairfield Conn.       1,169|Henrico, Va.           56|Marin, Calif.        7.4  
San Francisco, Calif. 1,162|Fairfield, Conn.       55|Lake, Fla.           7.3  
Somerset, N.J.        1,127|Collier, Fla.          55|Arlington, Va.       7.3                             |                         |                                          
                           |Rockingham, N.H.       55|
                           |Webb, Texas            55|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   
   There were 206 counties with an average weekly wage below the national
average in the second quarter of 2005.  The lowest average weekly wages
were reported in Cameron County, Texas ($463), followed by the counties
of Hidalgo, Texas ($473), Horry, S.C. ($499), Yakima, Wash. ($509), and
Tulare, Calif. ($532).  (See table 1.)
   
   Over the year, the national average weekly wage rose by 3.9 percent.
Among the largest counties, Webb, Texas, led the nation in growth in
average weekly wages, with an increase of 11.3 percent from the second
quarter of 2004.  San Mateo, Calif., was second with 10.6 percent growth,
followed by the counties of Clark, Nev. (9.4 percent), Collier, Fla. (8.4
percent), and Fairfax, Va. (8.1 percent).
   
   Six counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages.
Pierce County, Wash., had the largest decrease, -7.9 percent, followed by
the counties of Clayton, Ga. (-6.3 percent), Rock Island, Ill. (-2.9 per-
cent), Spartanburg, S.C. (-2.3 percent), and Trumbull, Ohio (-1.3 percent).
   
Ten Largest U.S. Counties
   
   Of the 10 largest U.S. counties (based on 2004 annual average employment
levels), all reported increases in employment from June 2004 to June 2005.
Maricopa County, Ariz., experienced the fastest growth in employment among
the largest counties, with a 5.5 percent increase.  Within Maricopa County,
employment rose in every industry group except two--natural resources and
mining and information.  The largest gains were in construction (15.5 per-
cent) and professional and business services (7.2 percent).  (See table
2.)  Harris, Texas, had the next largest increase in employment, 2.6 per-
cent, followed by Miami-Dade, Fla. (2.4 percent).  The smallest employment
gain occurred in Cook County, Ill. (0.2 percent).

                                  - 4 -

   All of the 10 largest U.S. counties also saw over-the-year increases in
average weekly wages.  Miami-Dade, Fla., had the fastest growth in wages
among the 10 largest counties, with an increase of 6.1 percent.  Within
Miami-Dade County, wages increased the most in natural resources and mining
(15.8 percent) and professional and business services (10.6 percent).  Harris,
Texas, was second in wage growth, with an increase of 5.1 percent.  The
smallest wage gains among the 10 largest counties occurred in San Diego
County, Calif., and Dallas, Texas (3.2 percent each).
   
Largest County by State
   
   Table 3 shows June 2005 employment and the 2005 second 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 June 2005 ranged
from approximately 4.1 million in Los Angeles County, Calif., to 41,300 in
Laramie County, Wyo.  The highest average weekly wage of these counties was
in New York, N.Y. ($1,350), while the lowest average weekly wage was in
Laramie County, Wyo. ($594).

For More Information

   For additional information about the quarterly employment and wages
data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at
http://www.bls.gov/cew/.  Additional information about the QCEW data also
may be obtained by e-mailing QCEWinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-6567.
   
   
   

                                  - 5 -

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 to-
tal 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 2005 are preliminary and sub-
ject to revision.

   For purposes of this release, large counties are defined as having em-
ployment levels of 75,000 or greater.  In addition, data for San Juan,
Puerto Rico, are provided, but not used in calculating U.S. averages,
rankings, or in the analysis in the text.  Each year, these large counties
are selected on the basis of the preliminary annual average of employment
for the previous year.  The 323 counties presented in this release were
derived using 2004 preliminary annual averages of employment.  All of the
318 counties that were published in the 2004 releases are included in the
2005 releases.  The following counties grew enough in 2004 to be included
in the 2005 releases: Lake, Fla., Wyandotte, Kan., Harford, Md., Washington,
Pa., and Whatcom, Wash.  These counties will be included in all 2005 quar-
terly 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 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 pro-
cedure, and publication product.

   Differences in coverage and estimation methods can result in somewhat
different measures of employment change over time. It is important to
understand program differences and the intended uses of the program pro-
ducts.  (See table below.)  Additional information on each program can
be obtained from the program Web sites shown in the table below.

                                  - 6 -

Summary of Major Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES Employment Measures
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                     
           |         QCEW        |         BED          |         CES
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|-----------------------
Source     |--Count of UI admini-|--Count of longitudi- |--Sample survey: 
           |  strative records   |  nally-linked UI ad- |  400,000 establish-
           |  submitted by 8.6   |  ministrative records|  ments
           |  million establish- |  submitted by 6.6    |
           |  ments              |  million private-sec-|
           |                     |  tor employers       |
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|-----------------------
Coverage   |--UI and UCFE cover- |--UI coverage, exclud-|Nonfarm wage and sal-
           |  age, including all |  ing government, pri-|  ary jobs:
           |  employers subject  |  vate households, and|--UI coverage, exclud-
           |  to state and feder-|  establishments with |  ing agriculture, pri-
           |  al UI laws         |  zero employment     |  vate households, and
           |                     |                      |  self-employed workers
           |                     |                      |--Other employment, in-
           |                     |                      |  cluding railroads, 
           |                     |                      |  religious organiza-
           |                     |                      |  tions, and other non-
           |                     |                      |  UI-covered jobs
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|-----------------------
Publication|--Quarterly          |--Quarterly           |--Monthly 
frequency  |  -7 months after the|  -8 months after the |  -Usually first Friday
           |   end of each quar- |   end of each quarter|   of following month
           |   ter               |                      |
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|-----------------------
Use of UI  |--Directly summarizes|--Links each new UI   |--Uses UI file as a sam-
file       |  and publishes each |  quarter to longitu- |  pling frame and annu-
           |  new quarter of UI  |  dinal database and  |  ally realigns (bench-
           |  data               |  directly summarizes |  marks) sample esti-    
           |                     |  gross job gains and |  mates to first quar-  
           |                     |  losses              |  ter UI levels
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
Principal  |--Provides a quarter-|--Provides quarterly  |--Provides current month-
products   |  ly and annual uni- |  employer dynamics   |  ly estimates of employ-
           |  verse count of es- |  data on establish-  |  ment, hours, and earn-
           |  tablishments, em-  |  ment openings, clos-|  ings at the MSA, state,
           |  ployment, and wages|  ings, expansions,   |  and national level by
           |  at the county, MSA,|  and contractions at |  industry
           |  state, and national|  the national level  |
           |  levels by detailed |--Future expansions   |
           |  industry           |  will include data at|
           |                     |  the county, MSA, and|
           |                     |  state level and by  |
           |                     |  size of establish-  |
           |                     |  ment                |
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|--------------------------
Principal  |--Major uses include:|--Major uses include: |--Major uses include:
uses       |  -Detailed locality |  -Business cycle     |  -Principal national
           |   data              |   analysis           |   economic indicator
           |  -Periodic universe |  -Analysis of employ-|  -Official time series 
           |   counts for bench- |   er dynamics under- |   for employment change
           |   marking sample    |   lying economic ex- |   measures
           |   survey estimates  |   pansions and con-  |  -Input into other ma-
           |  -Sample frame for  |   tractions          |   jor economic indi-
           |   BLS establishment |  -Future:  Employment|   cators
           |   surveys           |   expansion and con- |
           |                     |   traction by size of|
           |                     |   establishment      |
-----------|---------------------|----------------------|--------------------------
Program    |--www.bls.gov/cew/   |--www.bls.gov/bdm/    |--www.bls.gov/ces/
Web sites  |                     |                      |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  
                                  - 7 -
   
Coverage
   
   Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws are
compiled from quarterly contribution reports submitted to the SWAs by
employers.  For federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program, employment and wage data
are compiled from quarterly reports that are sent to the appropriate SWA by
the specific federal agency.  In addition to the quarterly contribution
reports, employers who operate multiple establishments within a state com-
plete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report," which provides
detailed information on the location and industry of each of their establish-
ments.  The employment and wage data included in this release are derived
from microdata summaries of more than 8 million employer reports of employ-
ment 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 2004, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 129.3 million
jobs.  The estimated 124.4 million workers in these jobs (after adjust-
ment for multiple jobholders) represented 96.6 percent of civilian wage 
and salary employment.  Covered workers received $5.088 trillion in pay,
representing 94.4 percent of the wage and salary component of personal
income and 43.4 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 domes-
tic 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.  Beginning with the first quarter of 2005,
Oregon implemented a change in their state UI laws.  This change extended
UI coverage to providers of home care for the elderly.  These providers are
now considered state workers for purposes of UI benefits.  

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 pro-
duction 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 high-paying and low-paying
occupations and the incidence of pay periods within a quarter.  When compar-
ing average weekly wage levels between industries and/or states, these fac-
tors should be taken into consideration.  Wages may include payments to
workers not present in the employment counts because they did not work dur-
ing the pay period including the 12th of the month.

                                  - 8 -

   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 bi-
weekly 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 concentra-
tions 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 own-
ership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes
in establishment classification codes resulting from this process are in-
troduced 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 calcuated using an adjusted version of the final 2004
quarterly data as the base data.  The adjusted prior-year levels used to
calculate the over-the-year percent change in employment and wages are not
published.  These adjusted prior-year levels do not match the unadjusted
data maintained on the BLS Web site.  Over-the-year change calculations
based on data from the Web site, or from data published in prior BLS news
releases, may differ substantially from the over-the-year changes presented
in this news release.
   
   The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change measures
presented in this release 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 estab-
lishment rather than as a single entity and (2) the classification of
establishments previously reported in the unknown county or unknown in-
dustry categories.

                                   - 9 -

   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 re-
ferred to in this release are defined as census regions.

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.  The 2004 edition of this bulletin contains
selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains
and losses, as well as selected data from the fourth quarter 2004 version
of this news release.  Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2004 will be
available for sale in January 2006 from the United States Government Print-
ing Office, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA
15250, telephone 866-512-1800, outside of Washington, D.C.  Within Washington,
D.C., the telephone number is 202-512-1800.  The fax number is 202-512-2104.
Also, the 2004 bulletin is available in a portable document format (PDF) on
the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn04.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. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the 323 largest counties,
second quarter 2005(2)
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
                                                         Employment              Average weekly wage(5)   
                                                                                                       
                             Establishments,                                                              
        County(3)            second quarter               Percent   Ranking           Percent    Ranking 
                                  2005         June       change,     by     Average  change,      by   
                              (thousands)      2005        June     percent  weekly   second     percent 
                                           (thousands)  2004-05(4)   change   wage    quarter    change 
                                                                                     2004-05(4)          
                                                                                                                                                                                                              
United States(6).........       8,562.0     132,808.3       1.7         -     $751       3.9         - 
                                                                                                       
Jefferson, AL............          18.8         371.4       0.2       257      763       6.0        25 
Madison, AL..............           8.1         168.5       2.1       109      795       0.9       300 
Mobile, AL...............           9.8         167.2       3.2        56      620       4.7        76 
Montgomery, AL...........           6.7         135.8       2.7        74      643       2.1       255 
Tuscaloosa, AL...........           4.2          81.3       5.0        21      648       6.4        16 
Anchorage Borough, AK....           7.9         144.2       2.2       100      813       3.0       207 
Maricopa, AZ.............          82.9       1,677.4       5.5        12      761       4.1       112 
Pima, AZ.................          18.1         344.4       2.8        71      684       5.1        47 
Benton, AR...............           4.8          90.2       5.7        11      697       5.1        47 
Pulaski, AR..............          13.4         245.5       1.1       184      689       3.9       129 
                                                                                                       
Washington, AR...........           5.3          90.4       4.4        30      619       5.5        34 
Alameda, CA..............          47.0         679.2      -0.4       289      988       2.9       215 
Contra Costa, CA.........          26.8         343.9       0.1       267      957       5.0        55 
Fresno, CA...............          28.1         348.2       2.2       100      601       3.6       161 
Kern, CA.................          16.0         270.1       6.6         5      636       (7)         - 
Los Angeles, CA..........         363.1       4,089.4       0.7       217      852       4.4        90 
Marin, CA................          11.5         110.1       0.3       249      985       7.4         8 
Monterey, CA.............          11.7         183.3       2.0       116      673       3.9       129 
Orange, CA...............          89.7       1,503.3       2.2       100      861       3.6       161 
Placer, CA...............           9.5         135.5       3.1        61      758       3.7       153 
                                                                                                       
Riverside, CA............          39.0         612.3       4.8        24      654       0.9       300 
Sacramento, CA...........          46.6         623.5       1.5       153      816       1.2       294 
San Bernardino, CA.......          42.1         636.5       4.6        27      674       3.9       129 
San Diego, CA............          86.4       1,301.4       1.5       153      812       3.2       191 
San Francisco, CA........          42.3         524.8       1.1       184    1,162       5.1        47 
San Joaquin, CA..........          15.8         223.4       1.6       141      650       3.2       191 
San Luis Obispo, CA......           8.6         103.8       1.4       161      616      -0.2       312 
San Mateo, CA............          22.2         328.0       0.0       273    1,267      10.6         2 
Santa Barbara, CA........          13.0         191.6       3.0        65      721       4.8        68 
Santa Clara, CA..........          52.0         860.3       0.5       236    1,316       1.8       275 
                                                                                                       
Santa Cruz, CA...........           8.3         101.5       0.2       257      709       3.5       168 
Solano, CA...............           9.3         129.7       0.7       217      720       4.0       120 
Sonoma, CA...............          16.9         192.9      -0.2       282      747       3.3       181 
Stanislaus, CA...........          13.1         177.4       2.2       100      643       3.9       129 
Tulare, CA...............           8.3         144.0       3.4        47      532       3.1       199 
Ventura, CA..............          20.5         316.3       1.3       167      818       4.7        76 
Yolo, CA.................           5.1         101.0       2.2       100      715       3.9       129 
Adams, CO................           9.0         149.4       2.5        87      708       1.3       289 
Arapahoe, CO.............          19.3         275.5       1.3       167      891       3.4       178 
Boulder, CO..............          12.2         156.2       2.5        87      898       1.9       268 
                                                                                                       
Denver, CO...............          24.8         425.7       0.9       199      923       4.1       112 
El Paso, CO..............          16.6         242.6       1.6       141      701       2.9       215 
Jefferson, CO............          18.5         209.4       1.4       161      770       4.1       112 
Larimer, CO..............           9.6         128.1       1.5       153      666       2.8       221 
Fairfield, CT............          31.9         420.0       1.1       184    1,169       4.9        62 
Hartford, CT.............          24.5         494.9       1.7       132      945       5.4        35 
New Haven, CT............          22.1         368.0       0.6       224      826       2.7       229 
New London, CT...........           6.7         130.5       0.6       224      804       2.0       264 
New Castle, DE...........          19.7         280.9      -0.7       302      890       3.5       168 
Washington, DC...........          30.5         675.1       1.5       153    1,236       4.1       112 
                                                                                                       
Alachua, FL..............           6.2         120.9       (7)         -      639       (7)         - 
Brevard, FL..............          13.7         203.9       3.4        47      728       2.0       264 
Broward, FL..............          61.1         718.1       2.5        87      743       5.1        47 
Collier, FL..............          11.6         120.6       6.6         5      713       8.4         4 
Duval, FL................          24.4         446.9       3.6        40      735       3.8       144 
Escambia, FL.............           7.6         124.1       1.1       184      610       5.4        35 
Hillsborough, FL.........          33.9         617.3       3.6        40      713       2.9       215 
Lake, FL.................           6.2          77.1       5.8        10      572       7.3         9 
Lee, FL..................          17.2         207.9       9.3         2      675       3.7       153 
Leon, FL.................           7.7         144.4       2.8        71      647       1.3       289 
                                                                                                       
Manatee, FL..............           8.1         120.5       4.5        28      611       4.3        99 
Marion, FL...............           7.3          97.3       (7)         -      573       4.0       120 
Miami-Dade, FL...........          84.9         999.0       2.4        93      760       6.1        21 
Okaloosa, FL.............           6.0          82.2       6.0         8      633       (7)         - 
Orange, FL...............          32.1         655.9       5.3        15      698       4.2       104 
Palm Beach, FL...........          46.7         542.5       5.5        12      745       2.6       237 
Pasco, FL................           8.5          87.3       9.5         1      579       2.7       229 
Pinellas, FL.............          30.3         434.8      -0.2       282      666       4.7        76 
Polk, FL.................          11.5         196.7       5.2        18      607       3.8       144 
Sarasota, FL.............          14.5         154.1       3.1        61      666       5.0        55 
                                                                                                       
Seminole, FL.............          13.3         166.1       7.4         4      696       5.0        55 
Volusia, FL..............          13.2         159.2       4.8        24      573       4.8        68 
Bibb, GA.................           4.7          87.5       0.1       267      635       4.1       112 
Chatham, GA..............           7.2         131.6       3.4        47      634       3.9       129 
Clayton, GA..............           4.4         107.4       1.8       128      754      -6.3       316 
Cobb, GA.................          20.2         306.2       2.9        66      826       2.2       254 
De Kalb, GA..............          17.0         291.0       0.5       236      823       3.1       199 
Fulton, GA...............          37.9         741.3       2.9        66      975       3.6       161 
Gwinnett, GA.............          22.0         314.7       3.1        61      789       3.1       199 
Muscogee, GA.............           4.8          96.8       0.4       245      607       5.0        55 
                                                                                                       
Richmond, GA.............           4.8         106.0       1.2       175      635       2.1       255 
Honolulu, HI.............          23.6         441.9       3.2        56      700       3.7       153 
Ada, ID..................          13.6         198.4       4.4        30      693       3.6       161 
Champaign, IL............           4.0          91.2       1.1       184      642       4.2       104 
Cook, IL.................         129.8       2,527.8       0.2       257      902       4.9        62 
Du Page, IL..............          33.5         589.1       0.6       224      878       2.5       243 
Kane, IL.................          11.6         208.4       1.2       175      693       4.1       112 
Lake, IL.................          19.5         332.1       0.8       208      896       3.2       191 
McHenry, IL..............           7.8         101.1       2.8        71      670       4.0       120 
McLean, IL...............           3.5          84.5       0.8       208      798       5.7        31 
                                                                                                       
Madison, IL..............           5.7          94.6      -0.5       293      635       2.1       255 
Peoria, IL...............           4.6         100.7       2.0       116      710       3.0       207 
Rock Island, IL..........           3.4          79.7       1.3       167      704      -2.9       315 
St. Clair, IL............           5.2          94.3       1.0       192      610       3.2       191 
Sangamon, IL.............           5.1         132.6      -0.5       293      734       2.1       255 
Will, IL.................          11.4         171.1       2.5        87      704       4.1       112 
Winnebago, IL............           6.7         138.1      -0.6       299      656       4.0       120 
Allen, IN................           8.8         178.2      -0.1       278      667       3.1       199 
Elkhart, IN..............           4.8         126.5      -0.3       285      680       2.7       229 
Hamilton, IN.............           6.6          97.1       5.0        21      739       1.7       282 
                                                                                                       
Lake, IN.................          10.0         193.4       0.7       217      689       5.0        55 
Marion, IN...............          23.5         581.0       0.2       257      783       1.8       275 
St. Joseph, IN...........           6.0         125.9      -0.5       293      654       5.1        47 
Vanderburgh, IN..........           4.8         107.7       0.5       236      633       1.4       286 
Linn, IA.................           6.1         120.0       2.1       109      711       3.5       168 
Polk, IA.................          14.2         267.0       1.3       167      740       4.2       104 
Scott, IA................           5.1          89.5       1.6       141      627       5.4        35 
Johnson, KS..............          19.1         304.3       1.8       128      778       3.6       161 
Sedgwick, KS.............          11.8         244.4       1.7       132      705       5.4        35 
Shawnee, KS..............           4.7          94.5      -1.8       315      663       5.1        47 
                                                                                                       
Wyandotte, KS............           3.2          76.6       0.2       257      747       3.8       144 
Fayette, KY..............           8.7         170.4       2.6        80      690       2.4       247 
Jefferson, KY............          21.2         425.1       1.1       184      748       3.7       153 
Caddo, LA................           7.1         123.5       1.3       167      638       0.8       302 
Calcasieu, LA............           4.7          86.4       5.2        18      607       3.8       144 
East Baton Rouge, LA.....          13.2         251.7       2.0       116      642       4.9        62 
Jefferson, LA............          14.3         217.0       0.7       217      624       3.0       207 
Lafayette, LA............           7.8         121.5       2.6        80      658       4.4        90 
Orleans, LA..............          12.9         245.7      -1.2       313      691       (7)         - 
Cumberland, ME...........          11.6         172.8      -0.6       299      684       3.0       207 
                                                                                                       
Anne Arundel, MD.........          14.1         222.8       1.7       132      788       4.2       104 
Baltimore, MD............          21.2         374.7       1.1       184      769       3.9       129 
Frederick, MD............           5.8          93.0       2.6        80      715       1.4       286 
Harford, MD..............           5.5          81.8       1.7       132      705       0.6       306 
Howard, MD...............           8.2         140.4       2.5        87      872       4.2       104 
Montgomery, MD...........          32.4         464.9       2.1       109      995       4.8        68 
Prince Georges, MD.......          15.6         313.6      -0.1       278      827       3.9       129 
Baltimore City, MD.......          14.1         351.9      -0.6       299      871       3.8       144 
Barnstable, MA...........           9.5         101.2      -0.5       293      654       1.9       268 
Bristol, MA..............          15.8         223.9       0.1       267      686       1.8       275 
                                                                                                       
Essex, MA................          21.3         299.0      -0.7       302      807       3.5       168 
Hampden, MA..............          14.6         202.4       0.1       267      689       2.1       255 
Middlesex, MA............          49.3         798.8       1.0       192    1,062       1.8       275 
Norfolk, MA..............          22.5         322.7       0.2       257      899       1.9       268 
Plymouth, MA.............          14.2         181.3       2.7        74      747       1.9       268 
Suffolk, MA..............          22.8         566.1       0.8       208    1,170       0.7       304 
Worcester, MA............          20.9         322.1      -0.4       289      778       2.1       255 
Genesee, MI..............           8.5         150.4       (7)         -      705       1.4       286 
Ingham, MI...............           7.1         159.9       (7)         -      729       4.1       112 
Kalamazoo, MI............           5.6         117.2       0.5       236      683       0.4       308 
                                                                                                       
Kent, MI.................          14.6         341.0       1.2       175      711       5.3        41 
Macomb, MI...............          18.2         333.6       0.9       199      830       3.1       199 
Oakland, MI..............          41.1         729.9       0.5       236      913       2.6       237 
Ottawa, MI...............           5.8         115.4       2.0       116      671       1.1       297 
Saginaw, MI..............           4.6          90.0      -0.8       307      673       0.7       304 
Washtenaw, MI............           8.3         193.5       0.4       245      856       2.3       252 
Wayne, MI................          34.4         797.2       0.0       273      894       4.4        90 
Anoka, MN................           7.6         114.8       0.0       273      777       6.9        11 
Dakota, MN...............          10.0         172.2      -0.9       309      757       2.9       215 
Hennepin, MN.............          41.1         831.3      -0.3       285      941       2.8       221 
                                                                                                       
Olmsted, MN..............           3.4          90.0       0.4       245      785       2.5       243 
Ramsey, MN...............          15.2         329.5      -0.7       302      849       0.2       310 
St. Louis, MN............           5.8          96.4       0.5       236      613       0.5       307 
Stearns, MN..............           4.3          77.8       0.8       208      602       1.2       294 
Harrison, MS.............           4.6          91.7       1.3       167      558       6.3        17 
Hinds, MS................           6.5         127.6      -2.2       316      656       3.3       181 
Boone, MO................           4.3          80.9       3.5        45      613       4.6        81 
Clay, MO.................           5.0          89.5       1.7       132      694       2.5       243 
Greene, MO...............           8.0         149.8       3.2        56      592       2.6       237 
Jackson, MO..............          18.6         367.4       0.6       224      775       3.9       129 
                                                                                                       
St. Charles, MO..........           7.5         119.0       2.9        66      670       4.4        90 
St. Louis, MO............          33.6         626.0       0.8       208      818       4.9        62 
St. Louis City, MO.......           8.1         224.2       0.6       224      856       6.5        14 
Douglas, NE..............          15.1         312.5       0.3       249      691       3.3       181 
Lancaster, NE............           7.7         155.0       1.3       167      608       1.2       294 
Clark, NV................          41.5         867.2       7.5         3      748       9.4         3 
Washoe, NV...............          13.2         212.2       3.3        53      720       4.8        68 
Hillsborough, NH.........          12.2         197.9       1.2       175      836       5.7        31 
Rockingham, NH...........          10.8         139.5       1.6       141      776       7.6         6 
Atlantic, NJ.............           6.7         153.1       1.7       132      692       3.9       129 
                                                                                                       
Bergen, NJ...............          34.2         453.5       0.3       249      950       4.3        99 
Burlington, NJ...........          11.3         205.0       1.5       153      809       3.3       181 
Camden, NJ...............          13.5         212.7       0.1       267      779       3.7       153 
Essex, NJ................          21.2         361.5       0.3       249      965       3.9       129 
Gloucester, NJ...........           6.2         105.4       3.2        56      697       3.6       161 
Hudson, NJ...............          14.0         237.8       1.6       141      982       2.8       221 
Mercer, NJ...............          10.8         224.4       2.7        74      939       4.7        76 
Middlesex, NJ............          20.8         396.9       0.5       236      921       0.8       302 
Monmouth, NJ.............          20.1         264.1       1.5       153      809       1.3       289 
Morris, NJ...............          17.8         290.5       0.6       224    1,094       5.2        44 
                                                                                                       
Ocean, NJ................          11.6         154.5       1.6       141      659       3.8       144 
Passaic, NJ..............          12.5         180.5       1.4       161      839       5.4        35 
Somerset, NJ.............          10.1         174.1       3.6        40    1,127       2.7       229 
Union, NJ................          14.9         231.3       (7)         -      945       (7)         - 
Bernalillo, NM...........          16.5         320.9       1.4       161      685       5.4        35 
Albany, NY...............           9.7         230.7       0.2       257      779       2.4       247 
Bronx, NY................          15.7         222.9       2.4        93      733       1.8       275 
Broome, NY...............           4.5          95.5      -1.0       311      625       6.3        17 
Dutchess, NY.............           8.0         119.5       1.4       161      785       6.2        19 
Erie, NY.................          23.4         457.2      -0.7       302      671       2.8       221 
                                                                                                       
Kings, NY................          42.6         456.3       1.7       132      671       3.2       191 
Monroe, NY...............          17.7         388.7       0.8       208      783       6.5        14 
Nassau, NY...............          51.3         606.9       0.2       257      863       4.6        81 
New York, NY.............         113.9       2,256.6       1.2       175    1,350       4.2       104 
Oneida, NY...............           5.3         110.8       0.0       273      596       3.5       168 
Onondaga, NY.............          12.8         252.9       1.0       192      700       1.6       285 
Orange, NY...............           9.5         130.9       1.2       175      680       4.5        85 
Queens, NY...............          40.7         481.7       1.6       141      755       3.0       207 
Richmond, NY.............           8.2          91.0       1.1       184      694       3.6       161 
Rockland, NY.............           9.5         114.9       1.3       167      826       3.9       129 
                                                                                                       
Suffolk, NY..............          48.6         621.9       0.3       249      814       3.8       144 
Westchester, NY..........          35.8         419.5       0.7       217    1,001       2.4       247 
Buncombe, NC.............           7.0         108.8       1.9       124      599       5.3        41 
Catawba, NC..............           4.3          86.1      -0.8       307      593       3.3       181 
Cumberland, NC...........           5.7         115.8       3.4        47      574       1.8       275 
Durham, NC...............           6.2         168.6       1.2       175      982       6.9        11 
Forsyth, NC..............           8.5         178.7       2.2       100      702       3.4       178 
Guilford, NC.............          13.6         272.8       0.8       208      683       3.2       191 
Mecklenburg, NC..........          27.6         520.7       3.1        61      879       4.9        62 
New Hanover, NC..........           6.6          94.9       5.2        18      613       4.4        90 
                                                                                                       
Wake, NC.................          23.9         406.4       4.3        32      753       2.7       229 
Cass, ND.................           5.7          92.3       3.2        56      613       3.9       129 
Butler, OH...............           7.0         136.4       1.0       192      680       0.4       308 
Cuyahoga, OH.............          38.1         758.5      -0.1       278      778       2.8       221 
Franklin, OH.............          29.2         684.8       0.9       199      759       3.7       153 
Hamilton, OH.............          24.6         545.8      -0.1       278      804       2.9       215 
Lake, OH.................           6.9         102.2       0.3       249      628       3.5       168 
Lorain, OH...............           6.3         102.8      -1.5       314      650       2.0       264 
Lucas, OH................          10.9         227.1      -1.1       312      689       3.1       199 
Mahoning, OH.............           6.5         108.1       0.9       199      563       3.5       168 
                                                                                                       
Montgomery, OH...........          13.2         283.6      -0.4       289      717       2.7       229 
Stark, OH................           9.3         168.1       0.2       257      602       3.1       199 
Summit, OH...............          15.0         271.1       0.6       224      726       5.8        28 
Trumbull, OH.............           4.8          85.2      -0.3       285      663      -1.3       313 
Oklahoma, OK.............          22.4         411.5       1.6       141      644       1.1       297 
Tulsa, OK................          18.5         330.9       3.6        40      673       3.7       153 
Clackamas, OR............          11.8         145.7       2.7        74      710       3.5       168 
Jackson, OR..............           6.5          83.1       3.4        47      581       2.1       255 
Lane, OR.................          10.5         147.1       4.1        34      608       2.0       264 
Marion, OR...............           8.8         140.3       2.6        80      602       2.6       237 
                                                                                                       
Multnomah, OR............          25.8         429.5       1.7       132      772       2.9       215 
Washington, OR...........          15.0         237.5       3.8        39      857       1.3       289 
Allegheny, PA............          35.2         689.1      -0.9       309      793       4.2       104 
Berks, PA................           9.0         165.5       1.6       141      685       2.1       255 
Bucks, PA................          20.3         266.5       1.4       161      743       2.6       237 
Chester, PA..............          15.1         233.6       2.6        80      982       4.0       120 
Cumberland, PA...........           5.8         126.0      -0.5       293      709       0.0       311 
Dauphin, PA..............           7.1         179.8       1.6       141      740       1.9       268 
Delaware, PA.............          13.7         210.9       0.8       208      793       4.5        85 
Erie, PA.................           7.2         131.1       2.4        93      603       3.4       178 
                                                                                                       
Lackawanna, PA...........           5.8         100.6       1.9       124      595       5.1        47 
Lancaster, PA............          11.9         230.7       0.9       199      662       4.3        99 
Lehigh, PA...............           8.4         176.7       0.6       224      753       4.0       120 
Luzerne, PA..............           8.1         144.3       0.5       236      605       2.7       229 
Montgomery, PA...........          27.9         485.9       0.7       217      929       5.2        44 
Northampton, PA..........           6.3          95.6       2.4        93      673       3.2       191 
Philadelphia, PA.........          29.1         630.4       0.6       224      865       3.3       181 
Washington, PA...........           5.3          77.2       0.1       267      649       1.7       282 
Westmoreland, PA.........           9.6         140.7       0.9       199      603       2.7       229 
York, PA.................           8.8         172.7       2.6        80      672       4.0       120 
                                                                                                       
Kent, RI.................           5.6          83.5       1.2       175      683       1.3       289 
Providence, RI...........          18.0         286.9      -0.7       302      736       3.1       199 
Charleston, SC...........          12.3         200.1       2.7        74      634       6.0        25 
Greenville, SC...........          12.6         225.1       0.6       224      679       5.8        28 
Horry, SC................           8.3         115.1       3.4        47      499       5.7        31 
Lexington, SC............           5.8          88.5       3.9        37      598       6.2        19 
Richland, SC.............           9.7         203.2       0.6       224      650       3.7       153 
Spartanburg, SC..........           6.4         115.3      -0.2       282      670      -2.3       314 
Minnehaha, SD............           6.0         112.4       2.0       116      624       3.0       207 
Davidson, TN.............          17.9         433.4       2.0       116      749       3.5       168 
                                                                                                       
Hamilton, TN.............           8.4         189.0       1.0       192      657       2.8       221 
Knox, TN.................          10.4         218.7       1.6       141      659       5.3        41 
Rutherford, TN...........           3.8          94.7       5.3        15      692       1.9       268 
Shelby, TN...............          19.8         500.8       0.9       199      752       1.8       275 
Bell, TX.................           4.2          94.3       (7)         -      578       4.7        76 
Bexar, TX................          30.1         677.1       2.9        66      655       3.0       207 
Brazoria, TX.............           4.3          78.2       1.2       175      709       4.4        90 
Brazos, TX...............           3.6          79.2       3.3        53      562       6.6        13 
Cameron, TX..............           6.2         116.1       0.3       249      463       2.4       247 
Collin, TX...............          14.1         243.1       5.0        21      909       6.1        21 
                                                                                                       
Dallas, TX...............          65.8       1,416.8       1.5       153      909       3.2       191 
Denton, TX...............           9.2         146.6       4.2        33      657       5.0        55 
El Paso, TX..............          12.6         256.1       2.2       100      540       3.3       181 
Fort Bend, TX............           7.1         110.5       2.4        93      767       5.8        28 
Galveston, TX............           4.9          88.2       2.2       100      657       3.8       144 
Harris, TX...............          90.0       1,866.9       2.6        80      892       5.1        47 
Hidalgo, TX..............           9.7         197.9       4.8        24      473       3.3       181 
Jefferson, TX............           5.8         118.3       2.7        74      683       4.4        90 
Lubbock, TX..............           6.5         118.7       0.9       199      563       5.2        44 
McLennan, TX.............           4.7         101.7       0.6       224      604       4.3        99 
                                                                                                       
Montgomery, TX...........           7.0         103.5       6.1         7      683       4.9        62 
Nueces, TX...............           8.0         147.7       1.9       124      615       4.8        68 
Potter, TX...............           3.7          71.8       0.0       273      595       4.6        81 
Smith, TX................           5.0          89.4       1.7       132      636       2.1       255 
Tarrant, TX..............          34.6         716.3       2.1       109      770       5.0        55 
Travis, TX...............          25.1         531.7       4.0        36      840       4.5        85 
Webb, TX.................           4.4          80.4       2.4        93      543      11.3         1 
Williamson, TX...........           5.9         101.7       5.9         9      763       6.1        21 
Davis, UT................           6.6          97.8       2.1       109      600       1.7       282 
Salt Lake, UT............          36.2         539.7       3.5        45      688       2.5       243 
                                                                                                       
Utah, UT.................          11.7         156.8       3.6        40      570       3.8       144 
Weber, UT................           5.5          89.0       1.8       128      564       2.4       247 
Chittenden, VT...........           5.7          96.3      -0.4       289      740       2.6       237 
Arlington, VA............           7.2         155.1       0.2       257    1,257       7.3         9 
Chesterfield, VA.........           6.8         116.1       2.1       109      683       4.8        68 
Fairfax, VA..............          30.6         571.1       3.9        37    1,177       8.1         5 
Henrico, VA..............           8.5         172.8       1.8       128      802       7.5         7 
Loudoun, VA..............           6.9         121.4       5.3        15      950       2.8       221 
Prince William, VA.......           6.3         102.4       3.3        53      678       4.5        85 
Alexandria City, VA......           5.8          94.4       1.5       153      968       4.4        90 
                                                                                                       
Chesapeake City, VA......           5.0          95.4       1.6       141      602       4.5        85 
Newport News City, VA....           3.8          99.4       1.0       192      694       4.4        90 
Norfolk City, VA.........           5.6         146.5       0.8       208      725       4.0       120 
Richmond City, VA........           7.0         161.1       1.9       124      845       1.9       268 
Virginia Beach City, VA..          10.9         179.1       2.3        99      591       4.8        68 
Clark, WA................          10.4         126.1       4.1        34      690       3.3       181 
King, WA.................          74.0       1,119.5       2.1       109      933       4.8        68 
Kitsap, WA...............           6.1          83.0       2.9        66      681       2.3       252 
Pierce, WA...............          19.2         259.0       2.5        87      676      -7.9       317 
Snohomish, WA............          16.0         224.2       5.4        14      775       6.0        25 
                                                                                                       
Spokane, WA..............          14.2         199.0       2.0       116      617       3.9       129 
Thurston, WA.............           6.2          94.2       2.2       100      689       4.2       104 
Whatcom, WA..............           6.4          80.3       4.5        28      592       3.3       181 
Yakima, WA...............           7.5         107.7       0.5       236      509       3.9       129 
Kanawha, WV..............           6.2         108.8      -0.5       293      674       4.3        99 
Brown, WI................           6.7         148.7       0.3       249      680       3.0       207 
Dane, WI.................          13.9         296.7       2.0       116      729       1.1       297 
Milwaukee, WI............          21.6         494.4      -0.3       285      753       4.0       120 
Outagamie, WI............           4.9         103.5       1.0       192      659       3.5       168 
Racine, WI...............           4.3          77.5       0.9       199      703       4.6        81 
                                                                                                       
Waukesha, WI.............          13.4         233.6       0.4       245      759       2.8       221 
Winnebago, WI............           3.9          88.8       0.7       217      725       6.1        21 
San Juan, PR.............          14.1         315.7      -1.2       (8)      490       4.3       (8) 

  1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees (UCFE) programs. These 322 U.S. counties comprise 70.6 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.
  8 This county was not included in the U.S. rankings.




Table 2. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the ten largest counties,
second quarter 2005(2)
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
                                                                    Employment         Average weekly  
                                                                                           wage(4)     
                                               Establishments,                                          
                                               second quarter                                          
         County by NAICS supersector                2005                     Percent            Percent 
                                                (thousands)       June       change,  Average   change, 
                                                                  2005        June     weekly   second  
                                                              (thousands)   2004-05(3)  wage    quarter 
                                                                                               2004-05(3)
                                                                                                                                                                                                              
United States(5).............................       8,562.0     132,808.3       1.7     $751       3.9 
  Private industry...........................       8,285.5     111,711.2       1.9      740       3.9 
    Natural resources and mining.............         122.7       1,849.4       2.1      697       7.4 
    Construction.............................         843.5       7,445.2       4.7      775       3.6 
    Manufacturing............................         366.5      14,270.1      -0.6      913       3.4 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....       1,869.1      25,635.7       1.3      656       3.6 
    Information..............................         142.0       3,062.2      -1.4    1,137       4.2 
    Financial activities.....................         810.8       8,064.3       1.7    1,083       4.0 
    Professional and business services.......       1,367.5      16,929.2       3.1      905       5.4 
    Education and health services............         764.2      16,430.5       2.4      704       4.1 
    Leisure and hospitality..................         690.0      13,292.2       2.4      315       2.3 
    Other services...........................       1,086.5       4,387.6       0.7      488       3.6 
  Government.................................         276.5      21,097.1       0.8      808       3.3 
                                                                                                       
Los Angeles, CA..............................         363.1       4,089.4       0.7      852       4.4 
  Private industry...........................         359.3       3,500.5       0.8      830       4.0 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5          11.5      -3.5    1,088      25.2 
    Construction.............................          13.1         148.9       6.4      841       5.8 
    Manufacturing............................          16.1         468.8      -3.5      884       6.0 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          52.3         781.7       0.7      718       2.6 
    Information..............................           8.4         196.9      -4.9    1,484       5.5 
    Financial activities.....................          23.0         242.4       1.7    1,302       6.4 
    Professional and business services.......          39.4         576.2       2.5      960       4.8 
    Education and health services............          27.0         453.1       0.0      774       5.4 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          25.3         382.4       2.3      467      -1.7 
    Other services...........................         153.8         237.9       6.4      402       1.5 
  Government.................................           3.8         589.0      -0.1      988       7.0 
                                                                                                       
Cook, IL.....................................         129.8       2,527.8       0.2      902       4.9 
  Private industry...........................         128.5       2,208.2       0.4      892       5.1 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.1           1.5       7.5      950       5.7 
    Construction.............................          11.0          95.6      -1.5    1,081       3.4 
    Manufacturing............................           7.5         253.8      -1.7      912       2.8 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          27.0         476.0      -0.5      737       3.8 
    Information..............................           2.5          61.1      -2.2    1,224       3.4 
    Financial activities.....................          14.5         217.4      -0.2    1,378       2.8 
    Professional and business services.......          26.7         417.7       2.1    1,165      11.6 
    Education and health services............          12.8         355.7       2.3      761       3.4 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          10.9         229.6       0.6      384       4.6 
    Other services...........................          13.0          96.0      -1.2      637       1.8 
  Government.................................           1.2         319.6      -1.0      972       4.0 
                                                                                                       
New York, NY.................................         113.9       2,256.6       1.2    1,350       4.2 
  Private industry...........................         113.6       1,803.3       1.3    1,452       4.7 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.0           0.1      -2.2    1,177      -1.2 
    Construction.............................           2.1          28.9      -0.2    1,288      -0.7 
    Manufacturing............................           3.2          42.8      -7.0    1,092       8.7 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          21.5         236.9       0.8    1,035       3.6 
    Information..............................           4.1         129.2       0.7    1,714       2.9 
    Financial activities.....................          17.2         356.8       1.2    2,538       5.9 
    Professional and business services.......          22.5         447.6       1.8    1,593       5.3 
    Education and health services............           8.0         272.0       0.6      904       4.0 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          10.4         193.8       0.7      670       2.8 
    Other services...........................          16.4          84.0       1.2      820       4.9 
  Government.................................           0.2         453.3       0.4      944       0.6 
                                                                                                       
Harris, TX...................................          90.0       1,866.9       2.6      892       5.1 
  Private industry...........................          89.5       1,622.7       2.8      907       5.3 
    Natural resources and mining.............           1.3          65.9       5.7    2,284       8.7 
    Construction.............................           6.2         130.6       0.8      848       3.5 
    Manufacturing............................           4.5         167.1       2.3    1,134       5.3 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          21.0         393.0       2.1      817       4.1 
    Information..............................           1.3          32.4      -2.9    1,100       4.3 
    Financial activities.....................           9.8         115.4       0.6    1,100       5.4 
    Professional and business services.......          17.4         297.0       4.5    1,008       6.8 
    Education and health services............           9.2         194.6       4.1      769       3.2 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.8         166.8       2.8      336       4.7 
    Other services...........................          10.5          56.1       0.4      530       4.7 
  Government.................................           0.4         244.2       1.3      792       3.3 
                                                                                                       
Maricopa, AZ.................................          82.9       1,677.4       5.5      761       4.1 
  Private industry...........................          82.3       1,498.7       5.9      744       4.2 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5          10.2      -8.3      544      14.5 
    Construction.............................           8.5         160.5      15.5      761       5.0 
    Manufacturing............................           3.3         132.7       2.8    1,017       3.1 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          18.5         345.7       5.2      736       4.0 
    Information..............................           1.4          32.6      -5.8      912       5.1 
    Financial activities.....................          10.1         143.0       5.1      987       9.5 
    Professional and business services.......          18.1         287.6       7.2      734       2.5 
    Education and health services............           8.1         171.5       3.8      776       4.2 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           5.9         165.1       5.0      350       1.4 
    Other services...........................           5.7          45.8       0.1      520       5.5 
  Government.................................           0.6         178.7       2.7      889       3.7 
                                                                                                       
Orange, CA...................................          89.7       1,503.3       2.2      861       3.6 
  Private industry...........................          88.3       1,352.6       2.5      854       3.9 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.2           6.4     -16.4      576       9.7 
    Construction.............................           6.6         102.9       7.1      900       4.3 
    Manufacturing............................           5.7         183.5       0.3    1,017       3.7 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          17.0         269.2       0.6      818       4.3 
    Information..............................           1.4          32.4      -1.9    1,181       7.1 
    Financial activities.....................          10.2         140.1       3.8    1,327       2.4 
    Professional and business services.......          17.6         268.8       5.9      881       2.9 
    Education and health services............           9.3         131.8       1.8      774       4.3 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.7         168.6       1.5      372       3.3 
    Other services...........................          13.5          48.7       1.4      522       5.0 
  Government.................................           1.4         150.7      -0.2      919       1.4 
                                                                                                       
Dallas, TX...................................          65.8       1,416.8       1.5      909       3.2 
  Private industry...........................          65.3       1,259.1       1.4      918       3.0 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5           7.3       6.3    2,065      -9.5 
    Construction.............................           4.3          78.0       6.7      849       4.4 
    Manufacturing............................           3.2         145.8       0.9    1,042       3.7 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.8         297.4       0.4      885       5.9 
    Information..............................           1.7          53.9      -2.5    1,211      -1.9 
    Financial activities.....................           8.4         135.1       1.6    1,186       3.9 
    Professional and business services.......          13.6         242.9       2.3    1,018       0.5 
    Education and health services............           6.2         130.4       0.2      849       5.6 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           5.0         125.2       1.2      411       0.7 
    Other services...........................           6.5          40.0      -0.6      571       4.0 
  Government.................................           0.5         157.6       1.8      839       4.6 
                                                                                                       
San Diego, CA................................          86.4       1,301.4       1.5      812       3.2 
  Private industry...........................          85.0       1,080.7       1.5      796       3.8 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.8          11.7      -1.3      528       4.3 
    Construction.............................           6.8          92.7       5.0      831       3.6 
    Manufacturing............................           3.4         104.6      -0.1    1,070       3.4 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.0         213.9       0.4      677       3.2 
    Information..............................           1.3          37.5       2.5    1,538       1.1 
    Financial activities.....................           9.3          83.1       1.3    1,044       0.9 
    Professional and business services.......          14.8         211.1       3.2      967       4.3 
    Education and health services............           7.7         120.2      -0.8      750       5.6 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.5         150.8       1.6      365       6.7 
    Other services...........................          20.3          54.8       2.1      457       2.2 
  Government.................................           1.4         220.7       1.2      891       1.4 
                                                                                                       
King, WA.....................................          74.0       1,119.5       2.1      933       4.8 
  Private industry...........................          73.5         966.2       2.6      935       4.9 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.4           3.3       0.4    1,099       8.5 
    Construction.............................           6.3          59.2       6.1      890       1.8 
    Manufacturing............................           2.6         106.2       4.4    1,259      10.5 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.5         216.8       0.7      822       3.4 
    Information..............................           1.6          69.4       1.3    1,674       8.6 
    Financial activities.....................           6.3          74.7      -0.1    1,155       7.5 
    Professional and business services.......          12.0         168.7       6.2    1,065       0.3 
    Education and health services............           6.1         115.2       3.3      750       3.6 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           5.6         107.0       1.8      396      -0.8 
    Other services...........................          18.2          45.5      -3.3      505       8.1 
  Government.................................           0.5         153.3      -0.5      919       4.0 
                                                                                                       
Miami-Dade, FL...............................          84.9         999.0       2.4      760       6.1 
  Private industry...........................          84.7         847.6       3.1      729       6.7 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5           8.8      -2.4      476      15.8 
    Construction.............................           5.5          46.2      14.0      793       7.2 
    Manufacturing............................           2.8          48.9      -3.6      675      -1.5 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          24.1         242.5       2.0      702       7.8 
    Information..............................           1.9          23.7       (6)    1,047       (6) 
    Financial activities.....................           9.3          69.2       5.6    1,051       7.0 
    Professional and business services.......          16.8         143.0       6.6      868      10.6 
    Education and health services............           8.4         127.3       1.6      726       4.0 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           5.8          99.9       3.1      417       4.0 
    Other services...........................           7.8          34.8      -0.1      483      10.3 
  Government.................................           0.3         151.4      -1.4      935       4.9 

  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. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the largest county by
state, second quarter 2005(2)
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                 Employment         Average weekly  
                                                                        wage(5)     
                            Establishments,                                          
                            second quarter                                          
        County(3)                2005                    Percent            Percent 
                             (thousands)       June      change,   Average  change, 
                                               2005       June     weekly   second  
                                           (thousands)  2004-05(4)  wage    quarter 
                                                                           2004-05(4)
                                                                                                                                                                      
United States(6).........       8,562.0     132,808.3       1.7     $751       3.9 
                                                                                   
Jefferson, AL............          18.8         371.4       0.2      763       6.0 
Anchorage Borough, AK....           7.9         144.2       2.2      813       3.0 
Maricopa, AZ.............          82.9       1,677.4       5.5      761       4.1 
Pulaski, AR..............          13.4         245.5       1.1      689       3.9 
Los Angeles, CA..........         363.1       4,089.4       0.7      852       4.4 
Denver, CO...............          24.8         425.7       0.9      923       4.1 
Hartford, CT.............          24.5         494.9       1.7      945       5.4 
New Castle, DE...........          19.7         280.9      -0.7      890       3.5 
Washington, DC...........          30.5         675.1       1.5    1,236       4.1 
Miami-Dade, FL...........          84.9         999.0       2.4      760       6.1 
                                                                                   
Fulton, GA...............          37.9         741.3       2.9      975       3.6 
Honolulu, HI.............          23.6         441.9       3.2      700       3.7 
Ada, ID..................          13.6         198.4       4.4      693       3.6 
Cook, IL.................         129.8       2,527.8       0.2      902       4.9 
Marion, IN...............          23.5         581.0       0.2      783       1.8 
Polk, IA.................          14.2         267.0       1.3      740       4.2 
Johnson, KS..............          19.1         304.3       1.8      778       3.6 
Jefferson, KY............          21.2         425.1       1.1      748       3.7 
Orleans, LA..............          12.9         245.7      -1.2      691       (7) 
Cumberland, ME...........          11.6         172.8      -0.6      684       3.0 
                                                                                   
Montgomery, MD...........          32.4         464.9       2.1      995       4.8 
Middlesex, MA............          49.3         798.8       1.0    1,062       1.8 
Wayne, MI................          34.4         797.2       0.0      894       4.4 
Hennepin, MN.............          41.1         831.3      -0.3      941       2.8 
Hinds, MS................           6.5         127.6      -2.2      656       3.3 
St. Louis, MO............          33.6         626.0       0.8      818       4.9 
Yellowstone, MT..........           5.4          73.0       1.3      606       4.5 
Douglas, NE..............          15.1         312.5       0.3      691       3.3 
Clark, NV................          41.5         867.2       7.5      748       9.4 
Hillsborough, NH.........          12.2         197.9       1.2      836       5.7 
                                                                                   
Bergen, NJ...............          34.2         453.5       0.3      950       4.3 
Bernalillo, NM...........          16.5         320.9       1.4      685       5.4 
New York, NY.............         113.9       2,256.6       1.2    1,350       4.2 
Mecklenburg, NC..........          27.6         520.7       3.1     $879       4.9 
Cass, ND.................           5.7          92.3       3.2      613       3.9 
Cuyahoga, OH.............          38.1         758.5      -0.1      778       2.8 
Oklahoma, OK.............          22.4         411.5       1.6      644       1.1 
Multnomah, OR............          25.8         429.5       1.7      772       2.9 
Allegheny, PA............          35.2         689.1      -0.9      793       4.2 
Providence, RI...........          18.0         286.9      -0.7      736       3.1 
                                                                                   
Greenville, SC...........          12.6         225.1       0.6      679       5.8 
Minnehaha, SD............           6.0         112.4       2.0      624       3.0 
Shelby, TN...............          19.8         500.8       0.9      752       1.8 
Harris, TX...............          90.0       1,866.9       2.6      892       5.1 
Salt Lake, UT............          36.2         539.7       3.5      688       2.5 
Chittenden, VT...........           5.7          96.3      -0.4      740       2.6 
Fairfax, VA..............          30.6         571.1       3.9    1,177       8.1 
King, WA.................          74.0       1,119.5       2.1      933       4.8 
Kanawha, WV..............           6.2         108.8      -0.5      674       4.3 
Milwaukee, WI............          21.6         494.4      -0.3      753       4.0 
                                                                                   
Laramie, WY..............           3.0          41.3       1.6      594       3.7 
                                                                                   
San Juan, PR.............          14.1         315.7      -1.2      490       4.3 
St. Thomas, VI...........           1.8          23.0       0.3      626       6.6 

  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. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages by state, 
second quarter 2005(2)
                                                                                 
                                                                                 
                                                Employment        Average weekly 
                                                                      wage(3)    
                            Establishments,                                        
                            second quarter                                        
          State                  2005                    Percent           Percent
                             (thousands)      June       change,  Average  change,
                                              2005        June     weekly  second 
                                          (thousands)    2004-05    wage   quarter
                                                                           2004-05
                                                                                                                                                                  
United States(4).........       8,562.0     132,808.3       1.7     $751      3.9
                                                                                 
Alabama..................         116.8       1,900.6       2.2      644      3.9
Alaska...................          20.6         315.1       2.7      759      3.3
Arizona..................         133.1       2,429.7       5.3      723      4.3
Arkansas.................          77.4       1,158.2       1.8      592      4.2
California...............       1,213.5      15,387.2       2.0      849      3.5
Colorado.................         169.3       2,215.9       2.0      769      3.4
Connecticut..............         110.2       1,676.5       1.1      946      4.3
Delaware.................          29.9         421.3       0.7      797      3.1
District of Columbia.....          30.5         675.1       1.5    1,236      4.1
Florida..................         558.8       7,656.1       3.4      689      5.2
                                                                                 
Georgia..................         256.6       3,937.6       2.7      722      3.1
Hawaii...................          36.1         605.9       3.4      678      4.0
Idaho....................          51.6         628.5       3.5      574      3.4
Illinois.................         336.6       5,816.8       0.6      803      4.2
Indiana..................         153.4       2,889.9       0.6      664      2.8
Iowa.....................          91.8       1,475.0       1.7      614      3.9
Kansas...................          83.0       1,323.6       0.6      636      4.6
Kentucky.................         105.5       1,772.9       1.8      651      3.8
Louisiana................         119.5       1,909.2       1.5      616      4.1
Maine....................          48.2         610.7      -0.6      609      3.7
                                                                                 
Maryland.................         160.0       2,527.3       1.4      818      4.1
Massachusetts............         217.1       3,219.6       0.6      916      2.1
Michigan.................         257.2       4,366.7       0.1      768      3.4
Minnesota................         161.4       2,664.7       0.0      760      2.3
Mississippi..............          67.5       1,117.3       0.7      556      4.1
Missouri.................         169.6       2,702.2       1.3      678      4.1
Montana..................          40.2         424.9       1.6      553      4.7
Nebraska.................          56.4         905.4       1.0      598      3.3
Nevada...................          66.8       1,220.7       6.4      738      7.7
New Hampshire............          47.4         631.7       1.1      754      5.2
                                                                                 
New Jersey...............         270.8       4,012.7       1.4      901      3.4
New Mexico...............          50.5         784.8       1.9      624      4.5
New York.................         562.1       8,471.1       0.9      913      4.1
North Carolina...........         233.1       3,855.7       1.7      665      4.1
North Dakota.............          24.7         333.2       2.0      561      4.1
Ohio.....................         292.0       5,376.0       0.4      693      3.1
Oklahoma.................          94.6       1,465.3       2.7      594      2.8
Oregon...................         122.8       1,683.2       2.9      687      2.5
Pennsylvania.............         335.4       5,620.2       0.9      737      3.8
Rhode Island.............          35.6         487.7       0.4      720      3.4
                                                                                 
South Carolina...........         118.0       1,823.5       0.7      621      4.4
South Dakota.............          29.0         387.4       1.5      543      3.4
Tennessee................         132.4       2,695.7       1.6      670      3.4
Texas....................         519.1       9,592.4       2.6      738      4.5
Utah.....................          80.5       1,120.9       3.7      622      3.2
Vermont..................          24.5         304.1       0.5      644      1.6
Virginia.................         212.1       3,618.9       2.2      787      5.5
Washington...............         206.9       2,825.2       2.4      761      3.4
West Virginia............          48.0         703.0       1.3      612      3.9
Wisconsin................         160.6       2,794.2       0.9      663      3.1
                                                                                 
Wyoming..................          23.0         267.0       2.9      616      5.1
                                                                                 
Puerto Rico..............          56.3       1,039.3      -0.5      418      2.7
Virgin Islands...........           3.5          44.3       3.8      639      3.7

  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.