Internet address:   http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6567  USDL 00-01

                                        For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902  Wednesday, January 5, 2000


        EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY FOR LARGE COUNTIES, 1998


   Of the 301 largest counties in the United States, 115 had rates of
employment growth above the national average of 2.6 percent in 1998, and 17
experienced declines in employment, according to preliminary data released
today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Average annual pay in 1998 was higher than the national average of $31,908
in 101 of the largest 301 U.S. counties.  (New Jersey data were not
available for the third and fourth quarters of 1998 and therefore are not
shown in this release.  Totals for the United States were calculated using
estimated data for New Jersey.)
   
   Employment and annual pay data by county are compiled from reports
submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance
(UI) laws, covering 124.2 million full- and part-time workers.  Average
annual pay is computed by dividing total annual payrolls of employees
covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees.
The attached tables and charts contain data for the nation and for the 301
counties with employment of 75,000 or more.  (Some areas defined as
counties in this release are not officially designated as counties.  In
addition, data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, are provided.  See Technical
Note.)
   
Employment
   
   The 301 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.0
percent of total U.S. covered employment, 75.8 percent of total wages, and
9.6 percent of the 3,140 U.S. counties.  (San Juan, P.R., is not included
in this grouping of U.S. counties.)  The largest absolute gains in
employment were recorded in the counties of Los Angeles, Calif. (93,336),
Harris, Tex. (86,524), Maricopa, Ariz. (79,481), Dallas, Tex. (71,103), and
Orange, Calif. (61,822).  These five counties accounted for 12.6 percent of
total U.S. covered employment growth.  (See table A.)
   
   Nine of the ten fastest-growing counties were found in the southern and
western states.  Johnson County, Kan., in the Midwest, had the largest over-
the-year percentage increase in employment (6.7 percent), followed by the
counties of Clayton, Ga. (6.3 percent), Fort Bend, Tex., and, Travis, Tex.
(both 6.2 percent), and Orange, Fla., Gwinnett, Ga., Ada, Idaho, and
Lafayette, La. (all 6.1 percent).  (See table 1 and chart 1.)

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Top 10 counties ranked by 1998 employment level, 1997-98
employment growth, and 1997-98 percentage growth in employment
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Employment
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             1998            |     1997-98 Employment    | 1997-98 Percentage
          Employment         |           growth          |     growth in 
             level           |                           |     employment
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                          
Los Angeles, Calif. 3,968,899| Los Angeles, Calif. 93,336|Johnson, Kan.   6.7
Cook, Ill.          2,673,161| Harris, Tex.        86,524|Clayton, Ga.    6.3  
New York, N.Y.      2,263,321| Maricopa, Ariz.     79,481|Fort Bend, Tex. 6.2  
Harris, Tex.        1,772,038| Dallas, Tex.        71,103|Travis, Tex.    6.2  
Dallas, Tex.        1,473,083| Orange, Calif.      61,822|Orange, Fla.    6.1    
Maricopa, Ariz.     1,431,227| New York, N.Y.      58,041|Gwinnett, Ga.   6.1  
Orange, Calif.      1,296,883| Cook, Ill.          52,260|Ada, Idaho      6.1  
San Diego, Calif.   1,112,513| King, Wash.         50,063|Lafayette, La.  6.1  
King, Wash.         1,094,519| San Diego, Calif.   49,921|Horry, S.C.     6.0  
Santa Clara, Calif.   962,060| Orange, Fla.        32,733|Denton, Tex.    6.0  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                          
U.S.              124,150,724| U.S.             3,106,324|U.S.            2.6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                          
     
   Employment declined in 17 counties from 1997 to 1998.  The largest
percentage declines in employment were in Genesee, Mich. (-4.0 percent),
followed by Trumbull, Ohio (-3.0 percent),  Kalamazoo, Mich. (-1.4
percent), Lorain, Ohio (-1.1 percent), and Saginaw, Mich. (-1.0 percent).
The largest absolute declines in employment occurred in Wayne County, Mich.
(-7,150), Genesee County, Mich. (-7,092), Trumbull County, Ohio (-2,896),
Honolulu County, Hawaii (-1,958), and St. Louis City, Mo. (-1,791).

Average Annual Pay

   Average annual pay in 1998 was higher than the national average of
$31,908 in 101 of the largest 301 U.S. counties.  New York County, N.Y.,
comprised entirely of the borough of Manhattan, continued to have the
highest level of average annual pay at $62,838, followed by Fairfield,
Conn. ($53,169), Santa Clara, Calif. ($51,409), the District of Columbia
($48,727), and Arlington, Va. ($48,358).  (See table B.)
   
   There were 185 counties with average annual pay below the national
average.  The lowest level of average annual pay (excluding San Juan,
Puerto Rico), was reported in Hidalgo County, Tex. ($20,717), followed by
the counties of Horry, S.C. ($20,762), Cameron, Tex. ($20,962), Yakima,
Wash. ($21,483), and Tulare, Calif. ($21,812).  (See table 2 and chart 2.)
   
   (Fifteen New Jersey counties were not included in the rankings.)

   Travis County, Tex., led the nation in growth in average annual pay
with an increase of 15.5 percent from 1997 to 1998.  Boulder County, Colo.,
was second at 13.9 percent, followed by the counties of Fairfax, Va. (11.4
percent), King, Wash. (10.7 percent), and Denton, Tex. (9.8 percent).

                                  - 3 -

Table B.  Top 10 counties ranked by 1998 pay level, 1997-98 growth in pay,
and 1997-98 percentage growth in pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Average annual pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           1998 Pay         |     1997-98 Growth in      | 1997-98 Percentage
            level           |            pay             |    growth in pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York, N.Y.       $62,838| Travis, Tex.         $5,094| Travis, Tex.   15.5
Fairfield, Conn.      53,169| Boulder, Colo.        4,622| Boulder, Colo. 13.9  
Santa Clara, Calif.   51,409| Fairfax, Va.          4,617| Fairfax, Va.   11.4  
Washington, D.C.      48,727| New York, N.Y.        4,172| King, Wash.    10.7  
Arlington, Va.        48,358| King, Wash.           3,990| Denton, Tex.    9.8  
San Francisco, Calif. 47,321| Arapahoe, Colo.       3,199| Manatee,  Fla.  9.6  
Suffolk, Mass.        47,114| Fairfield, Conn.      3,163| Cobb, Ga.       9.6  
San Mateo, Calif.     45,402| Cobb, Ga.             3,111| Arapahoe, Colo. 9.1  
Fairfax, Va.          45,150| San Francisco, Calif. 3,014| Collin, Tex.    8.4  
Middlesex, Mass.      42,919| Middlesex, Mass.      2,960| Linn, Iowa      8.2  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S.                  31,908| U.S.                  1,555| U.S.            5.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
   Hamilton County, Tenn., had the slowest rate of positive growth (1.4
percent), followed by the counties of Anchorage, Alaska (1.9 percent),
Mahoning, Ohio, and Lucas, Ohio (both 2.1 percent), and Niagara, N.Y. (2.2
percent).   Two counties experienced declines in average annual pay in
1998, Ingham, Mich. (-0.4 percent), and Trumbull, Ohio (-0.1 percent).
Technical Note


     These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program
known as Covered Employment and Wages, or the ES-202 program.  The data are
derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by
unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Employment
Security Agencies (SESAs).  The summaries are a by-product 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 1998 are preliminary and subject to
revision.  Effective with third-quarter 1997 processing, employment and
wages totals were generated using new systems in each of the states and at
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In some cases, this transition to new
systems resulted in larger differences between preliminary and final 1997
levels.

Coverage

   Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws and for
federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for
Federal Employees (UCFE) program are compiled from quarterly contribution
reports submitted to the SESAs by employers.  In addition to the quarterly
contribution report, employers who operate multiple establishments within a
state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report,"
which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of
their establishments.  Average annual employment and pay data included in
this release are derived from establishment level summaries of nearly 7.7
million employer reports of employment and wages submitted by states to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  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 1998, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 124.2 million
jobs.  The estimated 119 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders) represented 98.4 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment.  Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS).  Covered workers received $3.961 trillion
in pay, representing 95.5 percent of the wage and salary component
of personal income and 46.5 percent of the gross domestic product.
   
   Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1998 included most
agricultural workers on small farms, all members of the Armed Forces,
elected officials in most states, most employees of railroads, some
domestic workers, most student workers at schools, and employees of certain
small nonprofit organizations.

Concepts and methodology

   Average annual pay was computed by dividing total annual pay of
employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these
employees.  Included in the annual payroll data are 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.  Monthly employment is based on the
number of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period
including the 12th day of the month.  With few exceptions, all employees of
covered firms are reported, including production and sales workers,
corporation officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical
workers.  Workers on paid vacation and part-time workers also are included.
Percent changes in average annual pay were computed using final 1997 data
as the base.  These final 1997 data may differ from the preliminary 1997
data previously published.
   
   Average annual pay is affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time
workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying
occupations.  When comparing average annual pay levels between counties,
these factors should be taken into consideration.  Annual pay data only
approximate annual earnings because an individual may not be employed by
the same employer all year or may work for more than one employer.  Also,
year-to-year changes in average annual pay can result from a change in the
proportion of employment in high- and low-wage jobs, as well as from
changes in the level of average annual pay.
   
   In order to insure the highest possible quality of data, SESAs verify
with employers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and
ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes
in establishment classification codes resulting from the verification
process are introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the
year.  Changes resulting from improved employer reporting also are
introduced in the first quarter.  For these reasons, some data, especially
at more detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with
earlier years.  In 1997, effective with first-quarter data, improved
Department of Defense civilian employment and wages were centrally
collected from a new data source.
   
   The 1997 data have been adjusted for code changes in order to be
comparable with 1998 data.  Some code changes were too extensive to allow
comparisons for ranking.  These counties are presented in the table with
totals in employment and average annual pay but are not assigned rankings
by 1997-98 percent change.
   
   County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information
Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, after approval by the Secretary of
Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management
Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-
106.  Areas shown as counties include those designated as independent
cities in some jurisdictions, and, in Alaska, those designated as census
areas where counties have not been created.  County data also are presented
for the New England states for comparative purposes even though townships
are the more common designation used in New England (and New Jersey).  The
regions referred to in this release are defined as census regions.

   This is the second year that BLS has published data for San Juan,
Puerto Rico, in the tables.  Data for Puerto Rico are not included in the
U.S. totals.

Additional statistics and other information

   Average annual industry employment and pay data at the national, state,
consolidated metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan statistical area,
and county levels are available upon request from the Division of
Occupational and Administrative Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212, telephone 202-691-6567 
(e-mail: 202_info@bls.gov).  The comprehensive bulletin, Employment and Wages,
features information by detailed industry on establishments, employment,
and wages for the nation and all states.  Employment and Wages Annual
Averages, 1998 is available for sale from the BLS Publication Sales Center,
P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690.  News releases providing 1998
average annual pay data by state and industry and by metropolitan areas
also are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-5886; TDD message referral
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.

                Table 1.  Employment and average annual pay for 1998 and 1997-98 percent changes for all covered
                workers(1) in the 302 largest counties
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                                          Employment                        Average annual pay     
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                       County(2)                            Percent      Ranked by                       Percent   
                                             1998(3)        change,        percent        1998(3)        change,   
                                                         1997-1998(4)      change,                    1997-1998(4) 
                                                                        1997-1998(5)                               
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                United States(6)........  124,150,724         2.6             -           $31,908          5.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Jefferson, AL...........      380,596         2.2            150           31,309          3.2     
                Madison, AL.............      149,383         2.8             96           33,732          4.4     
                Mobile, AL..............      170,831         1.3            220           27,207          2.8     
                Montgomery, AL..........      130,743         2.1            157           26,782          3.4     
                Anchorage, AK...........      125,585         3.0             81           35,441          1.9     
                Maricopa, AZ............    1,431,227         5.9             11           31,323          6.5     
                Pima, AZ................      308,270         2.5            121           26,773          5.0     
                Pulaski, AR.............      240,306         1.4            211           28,805          4.8     
                Washington, AR..........       75,520         2.0            167           24,472          4.9     
                Alameda, CA.............      651,554         2.3            140           38,825          6.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Contra Costa, CA........      318,410         3.6             60           37,941          5.5     
                Fresno, CA..............      310,987         0.9            240           24,020          5.0     
                Kern, CA................      232,372         2.0            168           26,281          3.7     
                Los Angeles, CA.........    3,968,899         2.4            133           36,608          4.7     
                Marin, CA...............      106,618         2.7            104           37,613          7.9     
                Monterey, CA............      154,097         1.9            179           27,294          4.6     
                Orange, CA..............    1,296,883         5.0             24           35,714          5.8     
                Placer, CA..............       91,443         4.5             33           29,375          7.8     
                Riverside, CA...........      415,178         5.2             17           26,855          6.0     
                Sacramento, CA..........      532,076         2.9             87           34,109          6.1     
                                                                                                                   
                San Bernardino, CA......      475,124         2.5            122           28,073          4.5     
                San Diego, CA...........    1,112,513         4.7             31           32,221          6.1     
                San Francisco, CA.......      576,006         3.5             62           47,321          6.8     
                San Joaquin, CA.........      186,654         1.3            221           26,972          3.2     
                San Luis Obispo, CA.....       89,247         2.7            105           25,733          4.2     
                San Mateo, CA...........      345,934         4.6             32           45,402          6.9     
                Santa Barbara, CA.......      166,131         0.1            265           29,277          5.5     
                Santa Clara, CA.........      962,060         3.0             82           51,409          5.7     
                Santa Cruz, CA..........      100,226         2.0            169           28,862          6.3     
                Solano, CA..............      107,224         2.4            134           28,090          4.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Sonoma, CA..............      178,816         4.2             41           30,653          6.5     
                Stanislaus, CA..........      152,595         3.8             51           26,036          4.3     
                Tulare, CA..............      125,983         2.3            141           21,812          4.9     
                Ventura, CA.............      265,311         3.3             70           31,962          4.8     
                Yolo, CA................       78,860         2.8             97           32,024          3.7     
                Adams, CO...............      130,296         3.7             56           30,228          5.7     
                Arapahoe, CO............      261,008         4.5             34           38,521          9.1     
                Boulder, CO.............      158,811         4.9             27           37,821         13.9     
                Denver, CO..............      446,305         3.6             61           37,489          7.1     
                El Paso, CO.............      220,396         3.7             57           29,407          7.7     
                                                                                                                   
                Jefferson, CO...........      199,697         1.4            212           32,879          3.5     
                Larimer, CO.............      110,450         5.0             25           29,159          6.4     
                Fairfield, CT...........      420,423         2.2            151           53,169          6.3     
                Hartford, CT............      490,912         1.3            222           39,458          5.0     
                New Haven, CT...........      361,565         1.7            189           35,182          3.7     
                New London, CT..........      120,596         0.7            251           34,612          4.7     
                New Castle, DE..........      274,788         3.0             83           37,395          5.5     
                Washington, DC..........      594,313         0.1            266           48,727          4.2     
                Alachua, FL.............      112,611         2.7            106           24,956          5.7     
                Brevard, FL.............      174,116         1.4            213           29,462          3.9                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                Broward, FL.............      617,610         2.3            142           29,939          5.0     
                Collier, FL.............       92,769         (7)            (7)           26,739          (7)     
                Dade, FL................      949,468         1.6            198           30,828          4.9     
                Duval, FL...............      411,785         2.3            143           31,236          7.6     
                Escambia, FL............      121,615         2.0            170           25,432          4.3     
                Hillsborough, FL........      554,845         5.6             12           29,058          5.6     
                Lee, FL.................      153,569         4.5             35           25,267          4.4     
                Leon, FL................      136,152         1.3            223           27,207          6.5     
                Manatee, FL.............      112,233         0.7            252           23,747          9.6     
                Marion, FL..............       79,708         3.8             52           23,570          5.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Orange, FL..............      569,464         6.1              5           28,877          5.8     
                Palm Beach, FL..........      450,045         3.7             58           31,735          6.5     
                Pinellas, FL............      408,454         3.4             65           28,486          4.7     
                Polk, FL................      176,689         3.4             66           26,189          4.6     
                Sarasota, FL............      127,856         2.4            135           26,490          4.7     
                Seminole, FL............      127,533         (7)            (7)           27,594          (7)     
                Volusia, FL.............      137,201         0.9            241           22,793          3.6     
                Bibb, GA................       88,910        -0.3            271           27,527          4.1     
                Chatham, GA.............      118,939         0.8            246           28,164          7.6     
                Clayton, GA.............      114,423         6.3              2           33,010          3.9     
                                                                                                                   
                Cobb, GA................      282,019         5.1             18           35,491          9.6     
                Dekalb, GA..............      313,199         1.4            214           35,216          3.0     
                Fulton, GA..............      716,276         4.3             39           40,740          7.7     
                Gwinnett, GA............      251,481         6.1              6           34,369          6.3     
                Muscogee, GA............       97,609         1.8            183           25,685          3.8     
                Richmond, GA............      105,195         2.0            171           27,008          5.4     
                Honolulu, HI............      398,674        -0.5            274           30,248          2.5     
                Ada, ID.................      160,625         6.1              7           29,185          2.7     
                Champaign, IL...........       83,940         0.9            242           26,941          4.3     
                Cook, IL................    2,673,161         2.0            172           38,471          4.5     
                                                                                                                   
                Du Page, IL.............      556,291         4.2             42           39,129          7.2     
                Kane, IL................      169,729         2.1            158           31,377          5.8     
                Lake, IL................      285,327         2.5            123           38,904          6.7     
                McHenry, IL.............       80,253         2.0            173           29,611          5.1     
                McLean, IL..............       78,169         5.4             14           31,410          2.7     
                Madison, IL.............       92,351         0.6            255           27,269          3.6     
                Peoria, IL..............      103,151         1.3            224           29,272          5.7     
                Rock Island, IL.........       79,017         2.8             98           33,098          2.5     
                St. Clair, IL...........       87,383         0.9            243           26,094          6.9     
                Sangamon, IL............      143,515         4.5             36           32,794          4.6     
                                                                                                                   
                Will, IL................      126,893         3.9             50           30,362          3.9     
                Winnebago, IL...........      142,498         0.5            256           30,360          4.4     
                Allen, IN...............      188,314         2.4            136           30,022          4.0     
                Elkhart, IN.............      116,680         2.9             88           28,724          5.6     
                Lake, IN................      203,256         1.2            227           30,448          5.1     
                Marion, IN..............      584,601         2.3            144           34,221          7.0     
                St. Joseph, IN..........      128,672         1.3            225           27,683          4.2     
                Vanderburgh, IN.........      106,803         1.4            215           28,118          7.1     
                Linn, IA................      115,148         4.4             37           31,394          8.2     
                Polk, IA................      254,664         2.8             99           31,179          4.9     
                                                                                                                
                Scott, IA...............       86,878         3.3             71           27,333          3.5     
                Johnson, KS.............      267,602         6.7              1           32,207          5.6     
                Sedgwick, KS............      249,305         3.0             84           31,451          4.4     
                Shawnee, KS.............       97,366         1.6            199           27,479          5.2     
                Wyandotte, KS...........       78,533         0.3            261           32,150          3.6     
                Fayette, KY.............      165,174         2.8            100           28,190          4.0     
                Jefferson, KY...........      426,473         2.1            159           30,506          6.1     
                Caddo, LA...............      118,235         0.8            247           27,085          4.0     
                Calcasieu, LA...........       83,584         1.5            205           27,751          2.5     
                East Baton Rouge, LA....      232,053         4.2             43           28,283          5.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Jefferson, LA...........      213,623         1.7            190           26,683          5.2     
                Lafayette, LA...........      116,334         6.1              8           28,939          2.6     
                Orleans, LA.............      260,071         0.1            267           30,956          5.1     
                Cumberland, ME..........      157,926         2.2            152           28,897          4.9     
                Anne Arundel, MD........      178,218         2.5            124           32,191          5.2     
                Baltimore, MD...........      345,836         1.4            216           31,906          4.9     
                Howard, MD..............      114,170         4.8             28           34,932          5.9     
                Montgomery, MD..........      413,460         3.3             72           39,626          5.2     
                Prince Georges, MD......      293,672         1.8            184           33,887          3.8     
                Baltimore City, MD......      378,823         0.0            268           35,095          3.9     
                                                                                                                   
                Barnstable, MA..........       81,767         2.4            137           26,965          7.3     
                Bristol, MA.............      211,331         1.7            191           28,263          4.4     
                Essex, MA...............      290,314         2.1            160           33,384          3.0     
                Hampden, MA.............      195,354         1.1            233           29,737          3.6     
                Middlesex, MA...........      804,467         2.6            114           42,919          7.4     
                Norfolk, MA.............      309,406         2.3            145           37,328          5.4     
                Plymouth, MA............      161,112         1.9            180           30,985          5.9     
                Suffolk, MA.............      577,151         2.5            125           47,114          6.1     
                Worcester, MA...........      310,778         2.5            126           32,851          4.2     
                Genesee, MI.............      168,319        -4.0            285           34,612          2.8     
                                                                                                                   
                Ingham, MI..............      172,165        -0.8            279           31,747         -0.4     
                Kalamazoo, MI...........      118,045        -1.4            283           31,681          5.5     
                Kent, MI................      330,982         0.5            257           32,115          5.7     
                Macomb, MI..............      329,835        -0.3            272           38,110          3.6     
                Oakland, MI.............      730,112         2.8            101           41,473          7.1     
                Ottawa, MI..............      110,337         1.5            206           30,219          4.4     
                Saginaw, MI.............       94,125        -1.0            281           32,465          3.2     
                Washtenaw, MI...........      186,120         2.0            174           36,547          5.9     
                Wayne, MI...............      840,947        -0.8            280           39,713          6.7     
                Anoka, MN...............      100,651         3.7             59           31,431          5.8     
                                                                                                                   
                Dakota, MN..............      140,502         2.7            107           31,492          6.8     
                Hennepin, MN............      845,029         2.9             89           39,020          6.7     
                Olmsted, MN.............       77,055         5.3             16           33,142          5.0     
                Ramsey, MN..............      321,661         1.7            192           35,168          4.8     
                St. Louis, MN...........       92,815         1.9            181           26,593          4.9     
                Harrison, MS............       84,164         4.2             44           23,412          7.3     
                Hinds, MS...............      143,575         2.9             90           27,962          2.5     
                Clay, MO................       83,661         1.0            237           29,069          4.8     
                Greene, MO..............      135,853         1.8            185           25,370          4.5     
                Jackson, MO.............      388,592         0.9            244           32,496          5.2     
                                                                                                                  
                St. Charles, MO.........       89,330         2.2            153           27,458          5.8     
                St. Louis, MO...........      632,614         2.0            175           34,650          3.8     
                St. Louis City, MO......      253,012        -0.7            278           36,163          4.1     
                Douglas, NE.............      316,991         3.5             63           29,397          3.0     
                Lancaster, NE...........      139,875         3.2             75           26,608          5.7     
                Clark, NV...............      615,200         5.1             19           30,217          5.7     
                Washoe, NV..............      179,750         2.7            108           29,827          4.9     
                Hillsborough, NH........      183,983         2.9             91           34,236          5.6     
                Rockingham, NH..........      118,890         3.2             76           31,915          7.5     
                Atlantic, NJ............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                                                                                                                   
                Bergen, NJ..............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Burlington, NJ..........       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Camden, NJ..............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Essex, NJ...............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Gloucester, NJ..........       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Hudson, NJ..............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Mercer, NJ..............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Middlesex, NJ...........       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Monmouth, NJ............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Morris, NJ..............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                                                                                                                   
                Ocean, NJ...............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Passaic, NJ.............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Somerset, NJ............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Union, NJ...............       (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)            (8)     
                Bernalillo, NM..........      297,378         0.8            248           28,272          4.8     
                Albany, NY..............      223,506         1.1            234           32,857          4.9     
                Bronx, NY...............      205,181         0.2            262           31,201          3.5     
                Broome, NY..............       97,213         1.1            235           28,018          2.8     
                Dutchess, NY............      104,263         1.2            228           33,581          7.9     
                Erie, NY................      449,905         0.4            260           29,753          5.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Kings, NY...............      418,235         1.7            193           28,929          3.9     
                Monroe, NY..............      394,257         0.9            245           34,360          2.5     
                Nassau, NY..............      577,691         1.6            200           36,648          4.2     
                New York, NY............    2,263,321         2.6            115           62,838          7.1     
                Niagara, NY.............       78,451        -0.3            273           29,122          2.2     
                Oneida, NY..............      106,490         1.7            194           25,742          2.3     
                Onondaga, NY............      248,093         1.2            229           30,475          3.3     
                Orange, NY..............      113,672         2.5            127           27,299          3.9     
                Queens, NY..............      466,756         2.8            102           32,625          3.9     
                Richmond, NY............       83,333         2.9             92           30,187          7.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Rockland, NY............      101,532         4.0             46           35,316          4.9     
                Suffolk, NY.............      538,858         2.9             93           34,792          4.1     
                Westchester, NY.........      388,195         2.2            154           41,702          4.7     
                Buncombe, NC............      104,291         1.6            201           25,913          4.6     
                Catawba, NC.............       96,004         3.0             85           26,186          5.3     
                Cumberland, NC..........      104,872         3.0             86           24,500          4.1     
                Durham, NC..............      157,793         2.9             94           39,330          2.7     
                Forsyth, NC.............      175,802         2.3            146           31,253          4.4     
                Gaston, NC..............       81,215        -0.5            275           25,872          4.3     
                Guilford, NC............      272,718         2.1            161           30,088          5.8     
                                                                                                                  
                Mecklenburg, NC.........      471,101         4.0             47           36,887          7.4     
                New Hanover, NC.........       83,414         4.1             45           25,864          3.5     
                Wake, NC................      358,873         5.5             13           30,970          5.5     
                Cass, ND................       78,112         3.1             78           25,767          5.7     
                Butler, OH..............      116,636         2.5            128           29,896          3.8     
                Cuyahoga, OH............      808,148         1.5            207           33,828          3.9     
                Franklin, OH............      667,000         2.7            109           32,135          6.0     
                Hamilton, OH............      567,167         1.4            217           34,675          6.4     
                Lake, OH................       99,922         2.0            176           29,237          3.3     
                Lorain, OH..............      100,560        -1.1            282           30,820          6.7     
                                                                                                                   
                Lucas, OH...............      236,111         1.2            230           30,487          2.1     
                Mahoning, OH............      113,265         2.6            116           24,606          2.1     
                Montgomery, OH..........      302,661         0.2            263           32,288          2.8     
                Stark, OH...............      172,331         2.0            177           27,562          5.0     
                Summit, OH..............      259,952         0.8            249           31,249          5.2     
                Trumbull, OH............       94,988        -3.0            284           31,326         -0.1     
                Oklahoma, OK............      393,521         2.8            103           27,105          3.6     
                Tulsa, OK...............      331,528         4.8             29           29,402          4.5     
                Clackamas, OR...........      126,150         2.1            162           29,934          4.3     
                Lane, OR................      136,028         3.4             67           26,132          4.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Marion, OR..............      123,578         1.0            238           26,059          4.1     
                Multnomah, OR...........      443,202         1.4            218           33,346          3.3     
                Washington, OR..........      209,557         3.5             64           36,668          5.0     
                Allegheny, PA...........      692,422         1.6            202           33,693          3.3     
                Berks, PA...............      162,663         0.5            258           30,547          3.8     
                Bucks, PA...............      232,776         2.4            138           31,506          4.2     
                Chester, PA.............      201,970         3.8             53           39,414          6.4     
                Cumberland, PA..........      126,274         2.1            163           30,730          6.3     
                Dauphin, PA.............      168,422         1.3            226           31,783          4.9     
                Delaware, PA............      215,782         1.6            203           34,152          6.9     
                                                                                                                   
                Erie, PA................      126,413         1.2            231           27,488          2.6     
                Lackawanna, PA..........       95,608        -0.1            269           25,556          4.7     
                Lancaster, PA...........      210,652         1.7            195           28,515          4.6     
                Lehigh, PA..............      162,361         2.1            164           32,712          3.7     
                Luzerne, PA.............      137,327         0.7            253           26,500          3.6     
                Montgomery, PA..........      461,040         2.7            110           39,427          6.4     
                Northampton, PA.........       84,338         2.3            147           28,693          2.3     
                Philadelphia, PA........      649,416         1.4            219           37,529          5.3     
                Westmoreland, PA........      131,668         0.7            254           26,719          3.4     
                York, PA................      160,192         0.8            250           29,280          4.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Providence, RI..........      282,341         1.9            182           31,134          5.0     
                Charleston, SC..........      174,215         3.4             68           25,166          4.7     
                Greenville, SC..........      219,017         2.0            178           29,093          4.8     
                Horry, SC...............       92,827         6.0              9           20,762          6.4     
                Lexington, SC...........       78,517         4.3             40           24,980          4.2     
                Richland, SC............      200,874         3.2             77           27,508          5.6     
                Spartanburg, SC.........      119,468         1.0            239           28,423          5.2     
                Minnehaha, SD...........       97,524         4.4             38           26,249          5.9     
                Davidson, TN............      424,989         3.8             54           31,952          3.4     
                Hamilton, TN............      178,577         2.6            117           28,458          1.4     
                                                                                                                
                Knox, TN................      194,462         2.3            148           28,330          5.7     
                Shelby, TN..............      485,512         2.2            155           32,327          7.1     
                Bell, TX................       84,157         2.4            139           23,474          3.0     
                Bexar, TX...............      619,235         3.1             79           27,341          5.8     
                Cameron, TX.............       99,328         2.5            129           20,962          4.8     
                Collin, TX..............      140,797         5.4             15           37,947          8.4     
                Dallas, TX..............    1,473,083         5.1             20           38,845          6.4     
                Denton, TX..............      106,177         6.0             10           27,742          9.8     
                El Paso, TX.............      244,352         1.8            186           23,697          4.2     
                Fort Bend, TX...........       81,711         6.2              3           33,605          5.2     
                                                                                                                   
                Galveston, TX...........       89,015         2.9             95           28,238          4.9     
                Harris, TX..............    1,772,038         5.1             21           37,420          5.2     
                Hidalgo, TX.............      145,594         4.0             48           20,717          4.7     
                Jefferson, TX...........      121,238         2.2            156           30,957          6.0     
                Lubbock, TX.............      111,730         1.6            204           24,597          4.9     
                Mc Lennan, TX...........       95,268         1.5            208           25,470          4.5     
                Nueces, TX..............      140,972         1.8            187           26,619          3.6     
                Smith, TX...............       79,778         2.7            111           27,572          5.6     
                Tarrant, TX.............      656,995         3.8             55           32,416          5.5     
                Travis, TX..............      492,931         6.2              4           37,997         15.5     
                                                                                                                   
                Davis, UT...............       79,927         2.7            112           24,969          4.1     
                Salt Lake, UT...........      505,786         3.1             80           29,450          4.4     
                Utah, UT................      131,378         5.1             22           25,301          4.7     
                Weber, UT...............       84,280         0.2            264           25,073          5.3     
                Chittenden, VT..........       88,131         2.1            165           31,521          5.6     
                Arlington, VA...........      155,859        -0.5            276           48,358          4.8     
                Chesterfield, VA........      101,034         4.0             49           29,357          5.6     
                Fairfax, VA.............      479,883         5.0             26           45,150         11.4     
                Henrico, VA.............      153,347         2.1            166           31,851          5.4     
                Alexandria, VA..........       86,201         2.5            130           39,015          4.8     
                                                                                                                   
                Chesapeake, VA..........       76,482         2.3            149           23,902          5.6     
                Newport News, VA........       93,904         1.5            209           27,562          3.9     
                Norfolk, VA.............      147,345        -0.1            270           29,262          4.5     
                Richmond, VA............      170,925        -0.6            277           35,347          4.5     
                Roanoke City, VA........       75,503         1.7            196           26,701          5.5     
                Virginia Beach, VA......      154,455         3.3             73           23,641          3.2     
                Clark, WA...............      109,482         3.4             69           29,331          4.4     
                King, WA................    1,094,519         4.8             30           41,291         10.7     
                Pierce, WA..............      228,334         2.6            118           27,507          3.9     
                Snohomish, WA...........      213,306         5.1             23           33,595          4.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Spokane, WA.............      180,668         1.8            188           26,568          4.1     
                Thurston, WA............       81,023         2.7            113           28,460          4.0     
                Yakima, WA..............       94,174         1.7            197           21,483          3.7     
                Kanawha, WV.............      110,451         1.1            236           28,634          3.4     
                Brown, WI...............      133,995         2.6            119           29,799          3.0     
                Dane, WI................      262,006         2.5            131           29,872          4.9     
                Milwaukee, WI...........      526,948         1.2            232           32,327          4.5     
                Outagamie, WI...........       90,102         2.6            120           28,211          2.9     
                Racine, WI..............       79,343         0.5            259           31,371          3.4     
                Waukesha, WI............      212,224         3.3             74           33,132          5.3     
                                                                                                              
                Winnebago, WI...........       87,028         2.5            132           31,258          4.1     
                San Juan, PR............      320,345         1.5            210           19,575          4.9     


                  1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for
                Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.  The 301 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties, comprise
                70.0% of the total covered workers in the U.S.
                
                  2 Includes areas not officially designated as counties.  See technical note.
                
                  3 Data are preliminary.
                
                  4 Percent changes were computed from annual employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
                county reclassifications.  See technical note.
                
                  5 Rankings for percent change in employment are based on the 285 counties that are comparable
                over the year.
                
                  6 Totals for the United States were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the third
                and fourth quarters in 1998 and do not include data for Puerto Rico.
                
                  7 Data are not available for release.
                
                  8 New Jersey counties are not available for 1998.  Please see text for more information.
                

                   Table 2.  County rankings of employment and average annual pay for 1998 and 1997-98 percent
                   changes for all covered workers(1) in the 302 largest counties
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                                                   Employment                     Average annual pay           
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                         County(2)                           Net                                    Ranked by  
                                             1998(3)       change,       1998(3)      Ranked by      percent   
                                                         1997-1998(4)                 1998 level     change,   
                                                                                                   1997-1998(5)
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                   Los Angeles, CA.......    3,968,899      93,336       $36,608          43           152     
                   Cook, IL..............    2,673,161      52,260        38,471          28           167     
                   New York, NY..........    2,263,321      58,041        62,838           1            27     
                   Harris, TX............    1,772,038      86,524        37,420          37           113     
                   Dallas, TX............    1,473,083      71,103        38,845          25            49     
                   Maricopa, AZ..........    1,431,227      79,481        31,323         118            40     
                   Orange, CA............    1,296,883      61,822        35,714          46            66     
                   San Diego, CA.........    1,112,513      49,921        32,221          92            55     
                   King, WA..............    1,094,519      50,063        41,291          13             4     
                   Santa Clara, CA.......      962,060      28,000        51,409           3            73     
                                                                                                               
                   Dade, FL..............      949,468      14,528        30,828         131           130     
                   Hennepin, MN..........      845,029      24,188        39,020          22            38     
                   Wayne, MI.............      840,947      -7,150        39,713          15            37     
                   Cuyahoga, OH..........      808,148      12,206        33,828          68           219     
                   Middlesex, MA.........      804,467      20,706        42,919          10            19     
                   Oakland, MI...........      730,112      19,826        41,473          12            26     
                   Fulton, GA............      716,276      29,716        40,740          14            15     
                   Allegheny, PA.........      692,422      10,953        33,693          70           252     
                   Franklin, OH..........      667,000      17,425        32,135          96            60     
                   Tarrant, TX...........      656,995      23,942        32,416          88            96     
                                                                                                               
                   Alameda, CA...........      651,554      14,616        38,825          26            58     
                   Philadelphia, PA......      649,416       8,702        37,529          35           102     
                   St. Louis, MO.........      632,614      12,264        34,650          58           224     
                   Bexar, TX.............      619,235      18,821        27,341         217            72     
                   Broward, FL...........      617,610      13,871        29,939         149           121     
                   Clark, NV.............      615,200      29,928        30,217         145            79     
                   Washington, DC........      594,313         758        48,727           4           189     
                   Marion, IN............      584,601      13,279        34,221          64            29     
                   Nassau, NY............      577,691       9,284        36,648          42           192     
                   Suffolk, MA...........      577,151      14,176        47,114           7            57     
                                                                                                               
                   San Francisco, CA.....      576,006      19,491        47,321           6            34     
                   Orange, FL............      569,464      32,733        28,877         180            67     
                   Hamilton, OH..........      567,167       7,721        34,675          57            45     
                   Du Page, IL...........      556,291      22,223        39,129          21            23     
                   Hillsborough, FL......      554,845      29,590        29,058         176            82     
                   Suffolk, NY...........      538,858      14,972        34,792          56           199     
                   Sacramento, CA........      532,076      15,239        34,109          66            54     
                   Milwaukee, WI.........      526,948       6,364        32,327          90           173     
                   Salt Lake, UT.........      505,786      15,315        29,450         159           181     
                   Travis, TX............      492,931      28,746        37,997          30             1     
                                                                                                               
                   Hartford, CT..........      490,912       6,403        39,458          17           120     
                   Shelby, TN............      485,512      10,532        32,327          89            28     
                   Fairfax, VA...........      479,883      22,735        45,150           9             3     
                   San Bernardino, CA....      475,124      11,532        28,073         201           166     
                   Mecklenburg, NC.......      471,101      18,046        36,887          40            20     
                   Queens, NY............      466,756      12,756        32,625          85           218     
                   Montgomery, PA........      461,040      12,294        39,427          18            47     
                   Palm Beach, FL........      450,045      15,883        31,735         106            43     
                   Erie, NY..............      449,905       1,611        29,753         155           124     
                   Denver, CO............      446,305      15,503        37,489          36            24     
                                                                                                            
                   Multnomah, OR.........      443,202       6,321        33,346          75           251     
                   Jefferson, KY.........      426,473       8,905        30,506         136            56     
                   Davidson, TN..........      424,989      15,404        31,952         100           246     
                   Fairfield, CT.........      420,423       9,071        53,169           2            51     
                   Kings, NY.............      418,235       6,811        28,929         178           216     
                   Riverside, CA.........      415,178      20,470        26,855         230            59     
                   Montgomery, MD........      413,460      13,274        39,626          16           108     
                   Duval, FL.............      411,785       9,176        31,236         123            16     
                   Pinellas, FL..........      408,454      13,409        28,486         187           154     
                   Honolulu, HI..........      398,674      -1,958        30,248         142           272     
                                                                                                               
                   Monroe, NY............      394,257       3,506        34,360          62           276     
                   Oklahoma, OK..........      393,521      10,551        27,105         224           237     
                   Jackson, MO...........      388,592       3,504        32,496          86           109     
                   Westchester, NY.......      388,195       8,221        41,702          11           156     
                   Jefferson, AL.........      380,596       8,320        31,309         119           253     
                   Baltimore City, MD....      378,823         -16        35,095          54           215     
                   New Haven, CT.........      361,565       5,929        35,182          52           229     
                   Wake, NC..............      358,873      18,641        30,970         128            95     
                   San Mateo, CA.........      345,934      15,354        45,402           8            31     
                   Baltimore, MD.........      345,836       4,740        31,906         102           133     
                                                                                                               
                   Tulsa, OK.............      331,528      15,191        29,402         161           169     
                   Kent, MI..............      330,982       1,494        32,115          97            77     
                   Macomb, MI............      329,835      -1,077        38,110          29           236     
                   Ramsey, MN............      321,661       5,268        35,168          53           145     
                   San Juan, PR..........      320,345       4,802        19,575         287           142     
                   Contra Costa, CA......      318,410      11,135        37,941          32            91     
                   Douglas, NE...........      316,991      10,800        29,397         162           259     
                   Dekalb, GA............      313,199       4,458        35,216          51           257     
                   Fresno, CA............      310,987       2,747        24,020         273           119     
                   Worcester, MA.........      310,778       7,593        32,851          82           191     
                                                                                                               
                   Norfolk, MA...........      309,406       6,878        37,328          39            99     
                   Pima, AZ..............      308,270       7,438        26,773         232           118     
                   Montgomery, OH........      302,661         552        32,288          91           266     
                   Bernalillo, NM........      297,378       2,444        28,272         193           147     
                   Prince Georges, MD....      293,672       5,187        33,887          67           223     
                   Essex, MA.............      290,314       5,894        33,384          74           258     
                   Lake, IL..............      285,327       6,909        38,904          24            36     
                   Providence, RI........      282,341       5,165        31,134         126           127     
                   Cobb, GA..............      282,019      13,640        35,491          47             7     
                   New Castle, DE........      274,788       7,974        37,395          38            93     
                                                                                                               
                   Guilford, NC..........      272,718       5,691        30,088         147            71     
                   Johnson, KS...........      267,602      16,873        32,207          93            84     
                   Ventura, CA...........      265,311       8,458        31,962          99           144     
                   Dane, WI..............      262,006       6,444        29,872         152           141     
                   Arapahoe, CO..........      261,008      11,123        38,521          27             8     
                   Orleans, LA...........      260,071         272        30,956         130           117     
                   Summit, OH............      259,952       2,132        31,249         122           110     
                   Polk, IA..............      254,664       6,916        31,179         125           131     
                   St. Louis City, MO....      253,012      -1,791        36,163          45           198     
                   Gwinnett, GA..........      251,481      14,479        34,369          61            52     
                                                                                                      
                   Sedgwick, KS..........      249,305       7,189        31,451         111           177     
                   Onondaga, NY..........      248,093       2,874        30,475         138           249     
                   El Paso, TX...........      244,352       4,418        23,697         276           195     
                   Pulaski, AR...........      240,306       3,232        28,805         182           143     
                   Lucas, OH.............      236,111       2,780        30,487         137           280     
                   Bucks, PA.............      232,776       5,386        31,506         109           193     
                   Kern, CA..............      232,372       4,504        26,281         243           227     
                   East Baton Rouge, LA..      232,053       9,257        28,283         192           122     
                   Pierce, WA............      228,334       5,866        27,507         213           221     
                   Albany, NY............      223,506       2,468        32,857          81           136     
                                                                                                               
                   El Paso, CO...........      220,396       7,795        29,407         160            14     
                   Greenville, SC........      219,017       4,222        29,093         174           148     
                   Delaware, PA..........      215,782       3,364        34,152          65            33     
                   Jefferson, LA.........      213,623       3,664        26,683         236           106     
                   Snohomish, WA.........      213,306      10,287        33,595          72           205     
                   Waukesha, WI..........      212,224       6,759        33,132          77           104     
                   Bristol, MA...........      211,331       3,471        28,263         194           178     
                   Lancaster, PA.........      210,652       3,620        28,515         186           165     
                   Washington, OR........      209,557       7,054        36,668          41           126     
                   Bronx, NY.............      205,181         491        31,201         124           242     
                                                                                                               
                   Lake, IN..............      203,256       2,488        30,448         139           116     
                   Chester, PA...........      201,970       7,404        39,414          19            46     
                   Richland, SC..........      200,874       6,140        27,508         212            86     
                   Jefferson, CO.........      199,697       2,702        32,879          80           240     
                   Hampden, MA...........      195,354       2,203        29,737         156           235     
                   Knox, TN..............      194,462       4,427        28,330         191            81     
                   Allen, IN.............      188,314       4,369        30,022         148           208     
                   San Joaquin, CA.......      186,654       2,400        26,972         227           254     
                   Washtenaw, MI.........      186,120       3,707        36,547          44            64     
                   Hillsborough, NH......      183,983       5,204        34,236          63            85     
                                                                                                               
                   Spokane, WA...........      180,668       3,276        26,568         240           206     
                   Washoe, NV............      179,750       4,702        29,827         153           135     
                   Sonoma, CA............      178,816       7,131        30,653         134            41     
                   Hamilton, TN..........      178,577       4,511        28,458         189           283     
                   Anne Arundel, MD......      178,218       4,310        32,191          94           107     
                   Polk, FL..............      176,689       5,847        26,189         245           162     
                   Forsyth, NC...........      175,802       3,911        31,253         121           180     
                   Charleston, SC........      174,215       5,684        25,166         264           158     
                   Brevard, FL...........      174,116       2,430        29,462         158           212     
                   Stark, OH.............      172,331       3,401        27,562         209           125     
                                                                                                               
                   Ingham, MI............      172,165      -1,336        31,747         105           285     
                   Richmond, VA..........      170,925      -1,044        35,347          49           172     
                   Mobile, AL............      170,831       2,203        27,207         222           263     
                   Kane, IL..............      169,729       3,552        31,377         115            68     
                   Dauphin, PA...........      168,422       2,137        31,783         104           138     
                   Genesee, MI...........      168,319      -7,092        34,612          60           264     
                   Santa Barbara, CA.....      166,131         139        29,277         167            92     
                   Fayette, KY...........      165,174       4,479        28,190         197           209     
                   Berks, PA.............      162,663         822        30,547         135           226     
                   Lehigh, PA............      162,361       3,312        32,712          84           230     
                                                                                                         
                   Plymouth, MA..........      161,112       2,942        30,985         127            63     
                   Ada, ID...............      160,625       9,272        29,185         171           267     
                   York, PA..............      160,192       1,219        29,280         166           203     
                   Boulder, CO...........      158,811       7,449        37,821          33             2     
                   Cumberland, ME........      157,926       3,397        28,897         179           132     
                   Durham, NC............      157,793       4,442        39,330          20           269     
                   Arlington, VA.........      155,859        -848        48,358           5           151     
                   Virginia Beach, VA....      154,455       4,922        23,641         277           256     
                   Monterey, CA..........      154,097       2,829        27,294         220           161     
                   Lee, FL...............      153,569       6,638        25,267         263           175     
                                                                                                               
                   Henrico, VA...........      153,347       3,221        31,851         103           100     
                   Stanislaus, CA........      152,595       5,644        26,036         250           183     
                   Madison, AL...........      149,383       4,089        33,732          69           174     
                   Norfolk, VA...........      147,345         -99        29,262         169           171     
                   Hidalgo, TX...........      145,594       5,659        20,717         286           159     
                   Hinds, MS.............      143,575       4,015        27,962         203           275     
                   Sangamon, IL..........      143,515       6,223        32,794          83           163     
                   Winnebago, IL.........      142,498         716        30,360         141           176     
                   Nueces, TX............      140,972       2,533        26,619         237           239     
                   Collin, TX............      140,797       7,219        37,947          31             9     
                                                                                                               
                   Dakota, MN............      140,502       3,759        31,492         110            35     
                   Lancaster, NE.........      139,875       4,273        26,608         238            78     
                   Luzerne, PA...........      137,327         981        26,500         241           238     
                   Volusia, FL...........      137,201       1,171        22,793         281           232     
                   Leon, FL..............      136,152       1,768        27,207         223            42     
                   Lane, OR..............      136,028       4,413        26,132         247           201     
                   Greene, MO............      135,853       2,353        25,370         261           168     
                   Brown, WI.............      133,995       3,364        29,799         154           261     
                   Westmoreland, PA......      131,668         946        26,719         234           245     
                   Utah, UT..............      131,378       6,403        25,301         262           160     
                                                                                                               
                   Montgomery, AL........      130,743       2,729        26,782         231           244     
                   Adams, CO.............      130,296       4,634        30,228         143            74     
                   St. Joseph, IN........      128,672       1,677        27,683         206           190     
                   Sarasota, FL..........      127,856       2,997        26,490         242           155     
                   Seminole, FL..........      127,533       (6)          27,594         207           (6)     
                   Will, IL..............      126,893       4,712        30,362         140           214     
                   Erie, PA..............      126,413       1,525        27,488         214           271     
                   Cumberland, PA........      126,274       2,633        30,730         133            53     
                   Clackamas, OR.........      126,150       2,608        29,934         150           187     
                   Tulare, CA............      125,983       2,848        21,812         282           129     
                                                                                                               
                   Anchorage, AK.........      125,585       3,687        35,441          48           282     
                   Marion, OR............      123,578       1,259        26,059         249           202     
                   Escambia, FL..........      121,615       2,359        25,432         260           184     
                   Jefferson, TX.........      121,238       2,555        30,957         129            61     
                   New London, CT........      120,596         868        34,612          59           153     
                   Spartanburg, SC.......      119,468       1,165        28,423         190           111     
                   Chatham, GA...........      118,939         945        28,164         198            17     
                   Rockingham, NH........      118,890       3,691        31,915         101            18     
                   Caddo, LA.............      118,235         964        27,085         225           210     
                   Kalamazoo, MI.........      118,045      -1,640        31,681         107            94     
                                                                                                               
                   Elkhart, IN...........      116,680       3,278        28,724         183            83     
                   Butler, OH............      116,636       2,865        29,896         151           225     
                   Lafayette, LA.........      116,334       6,651        28,939         177           270     
                   Linn, IA..............      115,148       4,830        31,394         114            10     
                   Clayton, GA...........      114,423       6,811        33,010          79           213     
                   Howard, MD............      114,170       5,243        34,932          55            62     
                   Orange, NY............      113,672       2,764        27,299         219           217     
                   Mahoning, OH..........      113,265       2,828        24,606         269           281     
                   Alachua, FL...........      112,611       2,928        24,956         268            75     
                   Manatee, FL...........      112,233         781        23,747         275             6     
                                                                                                               
                   Lubbock, TX...........      111,730       1,795        24,597         270           140     
                   Kanawha, WV...........      110,451       1,160        28,634         185           247     
                   Larimer, CO...........      110,450       5,264        29,159         172            44     
                   Ottawa, MI............      110,337       1,607        30,219         144           179     
                   Clark, WA.............      109,482       3,642        29,331         165           182     
                   Solano, CA............      107,224       2,495        28,090         200           196     
                   Vanderburgh, IN.......      106,803       1,499        28,118         199            25     
                   Marin, CA.............      106,618       2,812        37,613          34            11     
                   Oneida, NY............      106,490       1,744        25,742         255           277     
                   Denton, TX............      106,177       6,041        27,742         205             5     
                                                                                                               
                   Richmond, GA..........      105,195       2,104        27,008         226            98     
                   Cumberland, NC........      104,872       3,098        24,500         271           200     
                   Buncombe, NC..........      104,291       1,602        25,913         251           164     
                   Dutchess, NY..........      104,263       1,228        33,581          73            12     
                   Peoria, IL............      103,151       1,370        29,272         168            76     
                   Rockland, NY..........      101,532       3,922        35,316          50           137     
                   Chesterfield, VA......      101,034       3,870        29,357         164            89     
                   Anoka, MN.............      100,651       3,569        31,431         112            69     
                   Lorain, OH............      100,560      -1,149        30,820         132            39     
                   Santa Cruz, CA........      100,226       2,006        28,862         181            50     
                                                                                                               
                   Lake, OH..............       99,922       1,920        29,237         170           250     
                   Cameron, TX...........       99,328       2,386        20,962         284           149     
                   Muscogee, GA..........       97,609       1,704        25,685         257           222     
                   Minnehaha, SD.........       97,524       4,141        26,249         244            65     
                   Shawnee, KS...........       97,366       1,494        27,479         215           105     
                   Broome, NY............       97,213       1,037        28,018         202           265     
                   Catawba, NC...........       96,004       2,791        26,186         246           101     
                   Lackawanna, PA........       95,608         -73        25,556         258           157     
                   Mc Lennan, TX.........       95,268       1,424        25,470         259           170     
                   Trumbull, OH..........       94,988      -2,896        31,326         117           284     
                                                                                                               
                   Yakima, WA............       94,174       1,567        21,483         283           231     
                   Saginaw, MI...........       94,125        -914        32,465          87           255     
                   Newport News, VA......       93,904       1,417        27,562         210           220     
                   Horry, SC.............       92,827       5,288        20,762         285            48     
                   St. Louis, MN.........       92,815       1,694        26,593         239           134     
                   Collier, FL...........       92,769       (6)          26,739         233           (6)     
                   Madison, IL...........       92,351         510        27,269         221           233     
                   Placer, CA............       91,443       3,963        29,375         163            13     
                   Outagamie, WI.........       90,102       2,318        28,211         196           262     
                   St. Charles, MO.......       89,330       1,952        27,458         216            70     
                                                                                                          
                   San Luis Obispo, CA...       89,247       2,313        25,733         256           188     
                   Galveston, TX.........       89,015       2,550        28,238         195           139     
                   Bibb, GA..............       88,910        -309        27,527         211           197     
                   Chittenden, VT........       88,131       1,810        31,521         108            88     
                   St. Clair, IL.........       87,383         758        26,094         248            32     
                   Winnebago, WI.........       87,028       2,127        31,258         120           207     
                   Scott, IA.............       86,878       2,792        27,333         218           241     
                   Alexandria, VA........       86,201       2,105        39,015          23           150     
                   Northampton, PA.......       84,338       1,902        28,693         184           278     
                   Weber, UT.............       84,280         184        25,073         265           103     
                                                                                                               
                   Harrison, MS..........       84,164       3,412        23,412         280            22     
                   Bell, TX..............       84,157       1,992        23,474         279           260     
                   Champaign, IL.........       83,940         777        26,941         229           185     
                   Clay, MO..............       83,661         829        29,069         175           146     
                   Calcasieu, LA.........       83,584       1,250        27,751         204           274     
                   New Hanover, NC.......       83,414       3,314        25,864         253           243     
                   Richmond, NY..........       83,333       2,325        30,187         146            30     
                   Barnstable, MA........       81,767       1,935        26,965         228            21     
                   Fort Bend, TX.........       81,711       4,784        33,605          71           112     
                   Gaston, NC............       81,215        -414        25,872         252           186     
                                                                                                               
                   Thurston, WA..........       81,023       2,150        28,460         188           211     
                   McHenry, IL...........       80,253       1,556        29,611         157           115     
                   Davis, UT.............       79,927       2,103        24,969         267           204     
                   Smith, TX.............       79,778       2,062        27,572         208            87     
                   Marion, FL............       79,708       2,892        23,570         278           114     
                   Racine, WI............       79,343         411        31,371         116           248     
                   Rock Island, IL.......       79,017       2,143        33,098          78           273     
                   Yolo, CA..............       78,860       2,151        32,024          98           228     
                   Wyandotte, KS.........       78,533         270        32,150          95           234     
                   Lexington, SC.........       78,517       3,216        24,980         266           194     
                                                                                                               
                   Niagara, NY...........       78,451        -227        29,122         173           279     
                   McLean, IL............       78,169       3,978        31,410         113           268     
                   Cass, ND..............       78,112       2,351        25,767         254            80     
                   Olmsted, MN...........       77,055       3,860        33,142          76           123     
                   Chesapeake, VA........       76,482       1,686        23,902         274            90     
                   Washington, AR........       75,520       1,511        24,472         272           128     
                   Roanoke City, VA......       75,503       1,248        26,701         235            97     
                   Atlantic, NJ..........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Bergen, NJ............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Burlington, NJ........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                                                                                                               
                   Camden, NJ............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Essex, NJ.............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Gloucester, NJ........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Hudson, NJ............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Mercer, NJ............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Middlesex, NJ.........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Monmouth, NJ..........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Morris, NJ............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Ocean, NJ.............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Passaic, NJ...........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                                                                                                  
                   Somerset, NJ..........      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     
                   Union, NJ.............      (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)           (7)     

                     1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation
                   for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.  The 301 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties,
                   comprise 70.0% of the total covered workers in the U.S.
                   
                     2 Includes areas not officially designated as counties.  See technical note.
                   
                     3 Data are preliminary.
                   
                     4 Net changes were computed from annual employment data adjusted for noneconomic county
                   reclassifications.  See technical note.
                   
                     5 Rankings for percent change in annual pay are based on the 285 counties that are
                   comparable over the year.
                   
                     6 Data are not available for release.
                   
                     7 New Jersey counties are not available for 1998.  Please see text for more information.