Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information: (202)  606-6567      USDL 97-379

                                            For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                606-5902      Thursday, October 30, 1997
                                     
                                     
           AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY LEVELS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1996
                                     
   Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 313 metropolitan
areas increased by 4.0 percent from 1995 to 1996, according to preliminary
data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor.  The 4.0 percent increase from 1995 to 1996 was the
largest over-the-year gain since 1992.  Average annual pay was $30,250 in
1996, up from $29,099 in 1995.  Average annual pay for the entire nation,
metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas combined, was $28,945 in 1996.
(Average annual pay data by state and industry were issued on September 11,
1997, in USDL 97-315.)

     
   Average annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by employers
subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws covering
118.0 million full- and part-time workers.  Average annual pay is computed
by dividing the total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI programs
by the average monthly number of these employees.  (See Technical Note
beginning on page 4.)  Pay differences between areas reflect the varying
composition of employment by occupation, industry, and hours of work, as
well as other factors.  Similarly, over-the-year pay changes may reflect
shifts in these characteristics, as well as changes in the level of average
pay.  Along with pay data for 313 Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan
Statistical Areas, table 2 of this release includes averages and rankings
for the 18 areas designated as Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
(See Technical Note for definitions.)
   
Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
   
   New York, N.Y., led the nation with an average annual pay level of
$45,028 in 1996.  (See table 1.)  San Jose, Calif., had the second highest
average annual pay level ($44,819), followed by San Francisco, Calif.
($40,016), Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J. ($39,631), and New Haven-
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury-Waterbury, Conn. ($39,488).  Average pay levels
in these five metropolitan areas ranged from 31 to 49 percent above the
average for all metropolitan areas in the nation.  Of the 313 metropolitan
areas, 37 reported average annual pay levels above the national
metropolitan pay average of $30,250.  (Seven of the top ten average pay
levels were found in metropolitan areas that are part of the New York-
Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. consolidated
metropolitan statistical area.)
   
   Jacksonville, N.C., recorded the lowest average annual pay among
metropolitan areas in 1996 ($17,534) for the seventh straight year.  The
second lowest pay occurred in Yuma, Ariz. ($18,213), followed by Myrtle
Beach, S.C. ($18,551), McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex. ($18,928), and
Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. ($19,056).  Average annual pay in
these five metropolitan areas averaged 37 to 42 percent below the national
metropolitan pay average.  Although the individual positions have shifted,
the lowest levels of annual pay in the nation for the past 4 years have
been in these five areas.
   
   The largest percent increase in average annual pay from 1995 to 1996
occurred in Boulder-Longmont, Colo. (8.9 percent); however, the increase
was partially attributed to a reporting change in state government rather
than actual pay increases.  The next largest increase was in Austin-San
Marcos, Tex. (6.6 percent), followed by New York, N.Y. (6.5 percent),
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (6.5 percent), and Jersey City, N.J. (6.4
percent).  In 1996, 96 metropolitan areas experienced pay increases of 4.0
percent or greater, compared with 65 metropolitan areas in 1995.

                                  - 2 -

   From 1995 to 1996, average annual pay declined in five metropolitan
areas.  Bakersfield, Calif., had a drop of 1.4 percent, followed by
Gadsden, Ala. (-1.3 percent), Anchorage, Alaska (-0.4 percent), Yuma, Ariz.
(-0.4 percent), and Flint, Mich. (-0.3 percent).  In addition, eight other
metropolitan areas experienced pay growth rates of less than 1 percent.
   
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
   
   Average annual pay for consolidated metropolitan statistical areas rose
by 4.4 percent between 1995 and 1996, from $32,643 to $34,069.  (See table
2.)  The over-the-year increase of 4.4 percent was the largest gain since
1992.  For the tenth consecutive year, the New York-Northern New Jersey-
Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. consolidated metropolitan area had the
highest pay level, $40,089.  The next highest pay level was recorded in San
Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. ($37,966), followed by Detroit-Ann Arbor-
Flint, Mich. ($35,072), Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-
N.H. ($34,383), and Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. ($34,199).
   
   Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had the lowest average annual pay level
($28,056) of the consolidated metropolitan areas for the third consecutive
year.  Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind., had the second lowest ($28,878),
followed by Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. ($28,979), Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash.
($29,112), and Cleveland-Akron, Ohio ($29,355).
   
   The highest percent increase in average annual pay between 1995 and
1996, 5.8 percent, was reported in Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash.  The
next largest increases were in Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. (5.6 percent),
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa. (5.4
percent), Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash. (5.3 percent), San Francisco-Oakland-
San Jose, Calif. (4.9 percent), and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex. (4.9
percent).  The pay increase in Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. was partially
due to the aforementioned reporting change in Boulder-Longmont, Colo.
   
   None of the 18 consolidated metropolitan areas reported a decline in
average annual pay in 1996.  The smallest increase occurred in Sacramento-
Yolo, Calif. (1.0 percent), followed by Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. (2.8
percent), Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Calif. (3.2 percent), Miami-
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (3.3 percent), and Cleveland-Akron, Ohio (3.4
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 1996 are preliminary and subject to
revision.  A news release providing average annual pay data by state and
industry was issued on September 11, 1997 (USDL 97-315).
   
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 pay data included in this release are
derived from summaries of employment and wages submitted by states to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
   
   UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to
state.  In 1996, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 118.0 million
jobs.  The estimated 112.9 million workers in these jobs (because they
include multiple job holders) represented 97.3 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment.  Covered workers received $3.415 trillion in
pay, representing 94.0 percent of the wage and salary component of personal
income and 44.7 percent of the gross domestic product.  About 82 percent of
all covered workers were employed in metropolitan areas.  Total wages of
workers in metropolitan areas comprised approximately 86 percent of all
covered wages in the United States.
   
   Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1996 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 unemployment insurance 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 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 are also included.  Percent changes in average annual
pay were computed using final 1995 data as the base, which may differ from
the preliminary data issued last year.

                                  - 2 -

   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 metropolitan
areas, 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.  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 are also
introduced in the first quarter.  For these reasons, some data, especially
at more detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with
earlier years.
   
   The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas for
use in federal statistical activities and updates these definitions as
needed each summer.  Data in this release use metropolitan area criteria
established by OMB in definitions issued June 30, 1995 (OMB Bulletin No. 95-
04).  These definitions reflect information obtained from the 1990
Decennial Census and the 1992 and 1994 Bureau of the Census population
estimates.  A complete list of metropolitan area definitions is available
from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Document Sales,
5205 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22161, telephone 703-487-4650.
   
   Generally speaking, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a free-
standing urban area that meets a specified size criteria.  Primary
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs) are free-standing areas within very
large MSAs.  Once an area is identified as a PMSA, the term MSA no longer
is used to describe the area.  The large metropolitan area that is the sum
of the PMSAs is called a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA).
The set of areas known as MSAs, PMSAs, and CMSAs are collectively
designated and referred to as metropolitan areas.
   
   Current metropolitan area definitions are based on standards published
in the Federal Register on March 30, 1990 (55 FR12154-12160).  Under the
1990 standards, an area qualifies for recognition as an MSA in one of two
ways:  (1) if it includes a city of at least 50,000 population, or (2) if
it includes a Bureau of the Census-defined urbanized area (of at least
50,000 population) and has a total metropolitan population of at least
100,000 (75,000 in New England).  In addition to the county(ies) containing
the main city or urbanized area, an MSA may include additional counties
that have strong economic and social ties to the central county(ies) and
meet other specified requirements of metropolitan character.  The ties are
determined chiefly by census data on commuting to work.  An MSA may contain
more than one city of 50,000 population and may cross state lines.
   
   An area that meets these requirements for recognition as an MSA but also
has a total population of one million or more may be recognized as a CMSA
if:  (1) separate component areas can be identified within the entire area
by meeting specified statistical criteria, and (2) local opinion indicates
there is support for the component areas.  If recognized, the component
areas are designated PMSAs, and the entire area becomes a CMSA.  If no
PMSAs are recognized, the entire area is an MSA.

                                  - 3 -

   OMB defines metropolitan areas in terms of entire counties, except in
the six New England states where they are defined in terms of cities and
towns.  New England data in this news release, however, are based on a
county concept defined by OMB as New England County Metropolitan Areas
(NECMAs) because county-level data are the most detailed available from the
Covered Employment and Wages program.  NECMAs are county-based alternatives
to the city- and town-based metropolitan areas in New England.  The NECMA
for an MSA or CMSA includes:  (1) the county containing the first-named
city in that MSA/CMSA title (this county may include the first-named cities
of other MSAs/CMSAs), and (2) each additional county having at least half
its population in the MSA(s)/CMSA(s) whose first-named cities are in the
county identified in step 1.
   
Additional statistics and other information

   Annual average employment and pay data by state and county 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 202-606-6567 (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.  The bulletin for 1996, which is due to be issued in
November 1997, will be available for sale from the BLS Publication Sales
Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
     Table 1.  Average annual pay for 1995 and 1996 for all covered workers 1/ by metropolitan area
                                                                        Average annual pay        Ranking of
                                                                                                  areas
                                                                                       Percent    By level of
                         Metropolitan area 2/                                          change,    average annual
                                                                     1995    1996 3/   1995-96 4/ pay for 1996
          Metropolitan areas                                      $ 29,099  $ 30,250    4.0        ---
     Abilene, Tex.                                                  20,365    21,035    3.3        295
     Akron, Ohio                                                    27,090    28,106    3.8         74
     Albany, Ga.                                                    23,910    24,832    3.9        174
     Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.                                  27,694    28,719    3.7         59
     Albuquerque, N.M.                                              25,093    25,835    3.0        141
     Alexandria, La.                                                21,268    21,995    3.4        277
     Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.                                27,804    28,771    3.5         58
     Altoona, Pa.                                                   21,768    22,675    4.2        260
     Amarillo, Tex.                                                 22,633    23,076    2.0        245
     Anchorage, Alaska                                              33,650    33,501   -0.4         18
     Ann Arbor, Mich.                                               30,013    31,027    3.4         33
     Anniston, Ala.                                                 22,024    22,366    1.6        268
     Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis.                                  26,279    27,107    3.1        105
     Asheville, N.C.                                                22,912    23,731    3.6        216
     Athens, Ga.                                                    22,762    23,304    2.4        233
     Atlanta, Ga.                                                   29,959    31,354    4.7         31
     Atlantic-Cape May, N.J.                                        26,585    27,511    3.5         96
     Augusta-Aiken, Ga.-S.C.                                        25,611    25,976    1.4        133
     Austin-San Marcos, Tex.                                        26,922    28,707    6.6         61
     Bakersfield, Calif.                                            24,659    24,314   -1.4        193
     Baltimore, Md.                                                 28,733    29,953    4.2         40
     Bangor, Maine                                                  22,953    23,523    2.5        223
     Barnstable-Yarmouth, Mass.                                     23,097    24,154    4.6        200
     Baton Rouge, La.                                               25,172    25,995    3.3        130
     Beaumont-Port Arthur, Tex.                                     26,827    27,318    1.8        102
     Bellingham, Wash.                                              22,357    23,307    4.3        232
     Benton Harbor, Mich.                                           25,188    25,864    2.7        139
     Bergen-Passaic, N.J.                                           35,746    36,840    3.1          8
     Billings, Mont.                                                22,813    23,491    3.0        225
     Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, Miss.                              22,869    23,223    1.5        242
     Binghamton, N.Y.                                               26,008    26,904    3.4        107
     Birmingham, Ala.                                               27,337    28,520    4.3         64
     Bismarck, N.D.                                                 22,014    22,617    2.7        261
     Bloomington, Ind.                                              22,590    23,311    3.2        231
     Bloomington-Normal, Ill.                                       29,023    29,962    3.2         39
     Boise City, Idaho                                              26,072    26,342    1.0        117
     Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H.          32,798    34,383    4.8         15
     Boulder-Longmont, Colo.                                        28,441    30,968    8.9         34
     Brazoria, Tex.                                                 29,892    30,781    3.0         35
     Bremerton, Wash.                                               25,877    25,954    0.3        135
     Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex.                         18,566    19,056    2.6        309
     Bryan-College Station, Tex.                                    19,788    20,683    4.5        301
     Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.                                    26,749    27,607    3.2         92
     Burlington, Vt.                                                26,480    27,724    4.7         86
     Canton-Massillon, Ohio                                         24,644    25,109    1.9        164
     Casper, Wyo.                                                   22,621    23,200    2.6        243
     Cedar Rapids, Iowa                                             26,572    27,523    3.6         95
     Champaign-Urbana, Ill.                                         24,353    24,939    2.4        170
     Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.                              22,508    23,167    2.9        244
     Charleston, W.Va.                                              25,846    26,700    3.3        109
     Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C.                        27,859    29,291    5.1         47
     Charlottesville, Va.                                           24,708    25,704    4.0        145
     Chattanooga, Tenn.-Ga.                                         24,775    25,464    2.8        151
     Cheyenne, Wyo.                                                 21,913    21,999    0.4        276
     Chicago, Ill.                                                  32,523    33,907    4.3         16
     Chico-Paradise, Calif.                                         20,573    21,021    2.2        296
     Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.                                      28,057    29,043    3.5         55
     Clarksville-Hopkinsville, Tenn.-Ky.                            20,728    21,511    3.8        286
     Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, Ohio                                  28,742    29,705    3.4         44
     Colorado Springs, Colo.                                        24,500    25,771    5.2        142
     Columbia, Mo.                                                  23,150    23,917    3.3        212
     Columbia, S.C.                                                 23,647    24,479    3.5        188
     Columbus, Ga.-Ala.                                             22,257    22,858    2.7        251
     Columbus, Ohio                                                 26,948    27,888    3.5         79
     Corpus Christi, Tex.                                           24,032    24,976    3.9        169
     Cumberland, Md.-W.Va.                                          21,958    22,719    3.5        256
     Dallas, Tex.                                                   31,500    32,996    4.7         23
     Danville, Va.                                                  21,931    22,169    1.1        273
     Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill.                        25,861    26,510    2.5        112
     Dayton-Springfield, Ohio                                       27,676    28,659    3.6         62
     Daytona Beach, Fla.                                            20,497    21,121    3.0        292
     Decatur, Ala.                                                  24,853    25,843    4.0        140
     Decatur, Ill.                                                  27,339    28,399    3.9         68
     Denver, Colo.                                                  30,059    31,627    5.2         29
     Des Moines, Iowa                                               26,376    27,528    4.4         94
     Detroit, Mich.                                                 34,710    35,748    3.0         11
     Dothan, Ala.                                                   23,094    23,268    0.8        237
     Dover, Del.                                                    23,054    24,177    4.9        199
     Dubuque, Iowa.                                                 24,053    24,745    2.9        177
     Duluth-Superior, Minn.-Wis.                                    23,217    24,184    4.2        197
     Dutchess County, N.Y.                                          29,707    30,546    2.8         37
     Eau Claire, Wis.                                               21,613    22,147    2.5        274
     El Paso, Tex.                                                  20,971    21,834    4.1        279
     Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.                                           25,155    26,333    4.7        118
     Elmira, N.Y.                                                   23,749    24,358    2.6        191
     Enid, Okla.                                                    19,934    20,629    3.5        303
     Erie, Pa.                                                      25,204    25,941    2.9        136
     Eugene-Springfield, Ore.                                       23,206    24,150    4.1        201
     Evansville-Henderson, Ind.-Ky.                                 24,294    25,319    4.2        156
     Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.-Minn.                                     22,077    22,973    4.1        249
     Fayetteville, N.C.                                             21,557    22,514    4.4        263
     Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.                           22,363    23,003    2.9        247
     Flagstaff, Ariz.-Utah                                          20,849    21,444    2.9        287
     Flint, Mich.                                                   33,389    33,294   -0.3         20
     Florence, Ala.                                                 22,310    22,801    2.2        253
     Florence, S.C.                                                 22,605    23,440    3.7        229
     Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.                                   24,983    26,166    4.7        123
     Fort Lauderdale, Fla.                                          26,691    27,547    3.2         93
     Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla.                                    22,233    23,246    4.6        239
     Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, Fla.                               23,015    23,601    2.5        220
     Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla.                                         21,461    22,016    2.6        275
     Fort Walton Beach, Fla.                                        19,788    20,653    4.4        302
     Fort Wayne, Ind.                                               25,557    26,465    3.6        114
     Fort Worth-Arlington, Tex.                                     27,454    28,511    3.9         65
     Fresno, Calif.                                                 21,331    21,704    1.8        283
     Gadsden, Ala.                                                  23,558    23,256   -1.3        238
     Gainesville, Fla.                                              21,822    22,349    2.4        270
     Galveston-Texas City, Tex.                                     26,361    27,370    3.8         98
     Gary, Ind.                                                     27,498    28,504    3.7         66
     Glens Falls, N.Y.                                              23,346    24,321    4.2        192
     Goldsboro, N.C.                                                20,343    21,417    5.3        289
     Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn.                                        19,904    20,476    2.9        304
     Grand Junction, Colo.                                          22,181    22,715    2.4        257
     Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Mich.                           27,298    28,478    4.3         67
     Great Falls, Mont.                                             20,213    21,073    4.3        294
     Greeley, Colo.                                                 23,468    24,527    4.5        185
     Green Bay, Wis.                                                26,298    27,118    3.1        104
     Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, N.C.                      25,229    26,130    3.6        124
     Greenville, N.C.                                               22,635    23,466    3.7        227
     Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.                          24,667    25,397    3.0        153
     Hagerstown, Md.                                                23,695    24,388    2.9        190
     Hamilton-Middletown, Ohio                                      26,601    27,629    3.9         91
     Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa.                               26,856    27,788    3.5         85
     Hartford, Conn.                                                33,948    34,819    2.6         12
     Hattiesburg, Miss.                                             20,867    21,797    4.5        281
     Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, N.C.                                 21,726    22,493    3.5        265
     Honolulu, Hawaii                                               27,936    28,336    1.4         70
     Houma, La.                                                     22,969    24,099    4.9        203
     Houston, Tex.                                                  31,390    32,895    4.8         25
     Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio                             23,408    23,929    2.2        211
     Huntsville, Ala.                                               31,233    31,473    0.8         30
     Indianapolis, Ind.                                             28,081    29,137    3.8         49
     Iowa City, Iowa                                                24,798    25,536    3.0        150
     Jackson, Mich.                                                 26,848    27,640    3.0         90
     Jackson, Miss.                                                 24,193    24,928    3.0        171
     Jackson, Tenn.                                                 23,901    24,898    4.2        172
     Jacksonville, Fla.                                             25,256    26,373    4.4        116
     Jacksonville, N.C.                                             16,951    17,534    3.4        313
     Jamestown, N.Y.                                                22,358    22,807    2.0        252
     Janesville-Beloit, Wis.                                        26,898    27,832    3.5         82
     Jersey City, N.J.                                              34,621    36,833    6.4          9
     Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.                      23,424    24,492    4.6        187
     Johnstown, Pa.                                                 21,085    21,561    2.3        285
     Joplin, Mo.                                                    21,359    21,994    3.0        278
     Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich.                                  27,259    28,611    5.0         63
     Kankakee, Ill.                                                 23,961    25,205    5.2        159
     Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.                                          27,597    28,774    4.3         57
     Kenosha, Wis.                                                  24,933    26,228    5.2        122
     Killeen-Temple, Tex.                                           21,589    22,432    3.9        266
     Knoxville, Tenn.                                               24,567    25,340    3.1        155
     Kokomo, Ind.                                                   33,967    34,779    2.4         13
     LaCrosse, Wis.-Minn.                                           21,874    23,001    5.2        248
     Lafayette, Ind.                                                25,263    25,990    2.9        131
     Lafayette, La.                                                 22,735    23,942    5.3        209
     Lake Charles, La.                                              25,399    26,059    2.6        128
     Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.                                    23,238    24,106    3.7        202
     Lancaster, Pa.                                                 25,605    26,467    3.4        113
     Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.                                    28,149    29,247    3.9         48
     Laredo, Tex.                                                   19,174    20,388    6.3        305
     Las Cruces, N.M.                                               20,186    20,371    0.9        306
     Las Vegas, Nev.-Ariz.                                          26,263    27,324    4.0        101
     Lawrence, Kan.                                                 20,860    21,198    1.6        291
     Lawton, Okla.                                                  20,780    20,916    0.7        297
     Lewiston-Auburn, Maine                                         21,582    22,495    4.2        264
     Lexington, Ky.                                                 24,501    25,746    5.1        144
     Lima, Ohio                                                     24,694    25,013    1.3        167
     Lincoln, Neb.                                                  23,285    24,018    3.1        206
     Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark.                            24,569    25,392    3.4        154
     Longview-Marshall, Tex.                                        23,080    23,983    3.9        207
     Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.                                 32,445    33,478    3.2         19
     Louisville, Ky.-Ind.                                           25,554    26,628    4.2        110
     Lubbock, Tex.                                                  21,529    22,721    5.5        255
     Lynchburg, Va.                                                 23,077    23,934    3.7        210
     Macon, Ga.                                                     23,853    24,766    3.8        175
     Madison, Wis.                                                  26,364    27,191    3.1        103
     Mansfield, Ohio                                                23,584    24,536    4.0        183
     McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex.                                 18,031    18,928    5.0        310
     Medford-Ashland, Ore.                                          22,112    22,679    2.6        259
     Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Fla.                            26,854    27,360    1.9         99
     Memphis, Tenn.-Ark.-Miss.                                      26,915    27,912    3.7         77
     Merced, Calif.                                                 20,256    20,909    3.2        298
     Miami, Fla.                                                    27,453    28,383    3.4         69
     Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J.                             37,925    39,631    4.5          4
     Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wis.                                       27,926    29,079    4.1         50
     Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis.                               30,170    31,941    5.9         28
     Mobile, Ala.                                                   23,318    24,262    4.0        195
     Modesto, Calif.                                                23,376    23,735    1.5        215
     Monmouth-Ocean, N.J.                                           29,033    29,920    3.1         42
     Monroe, La.                                                    22,977    23,389    1.8        230
     Montgomery, Ala.                                               23,798    24,511    3.0        186
     Muncie, Ind.                                                   24,123    25,144    4.2        162
     Myrtle Beach, S.C.                                             17,910    18,551    3.6        311
     Naples, Fla.                                                   22,747    23,728    4.3        218
     Nashville, Tenn.                                               27,346    28,172    3.0         73
     Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.                                           31,635    32,993    4.3         24
     New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury-Waterbury, Conn.         37,546    39,488    5.2          5
     New London-Norwich, Conn.                                      30,892    32,000    3.6         27
     New Orleans, La.                                               25,593    26,085    1.9        127
     New York, N.Y.                                                 42,272    45,028    6.5          1
     Newark, N.J.                                                   37,224    38,886    4.5          6
     Newburgh, N.Y.-Pa.                                             25,016    25,594    2.3        147
     Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C.                  23,544    24,184    2.7        197
     Oakland, Calif.                                                33,180    34,402    3.7         14
     Ocala, Fla.                                                    21,082    21,677    2.8        284
     Odessa-Midland, Tex.                                           25,032    25,897    3.5        137
     Oklahoma City, Okla.                                           23,626    24,286    2.8        194
     Olympia, Wash.                                                 26,083    26,575    1.9        111
     Omaha, Neb.-Iowa                                               24,978    25,961    3.9        134
     Orange County, Calif.                                          30,904    32,179    4.1         26
     Orlando, Fla.                                                  24,450    25,204    3.1        160
     Owensboro, Ky.                                                 21,685    22,209    2.4        272
     Panama City, Fla.                                              20,491    21,121    3.1        292
     Parkersburg-Marietta, W.Va.-Ohio                               24,000    24,686    2.9        180
     Pensacola, Fla.                                                22,506    23,244    3.3        240
     Peoria-Pekin, Ill.                                             27,548    27,861    1.1         81
     Philadelphia, Pa.-N.J.                                         31,695    33,080    4.4         22
     Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.                                            26,748    27,826    4.0         83
     Pine Bluff, Ark.                                               22,457    22,738    1.3        254
     Pittsburgh, Pa.                                                28,051    29,069    3.6         52
     Pittsfield, Mass.                                              25,513    26,297    3.1        119
     Portland, Maine                                                25,359    26,379    4.0        115
     Portland-Vancouver, Ore.-Wash.                                 28,358    29,940    5.6         41
     Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I.                             26,487    27,339    3.2        100
     Provo-Orem, Utah                                               22,848    23,481    2.8        226
     Pueblo, Colo.                                                  21,869    22,357    2.2        269
     Punta Gorda, Fla.                                              21,058    21,817    3.6        280
     Racine, Wis.                                                   26,861    27,973    4.1         76
     Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.                               27,925    29,077    4.1         51
     Rapid City, S.D.                                               20,107    20,719    3.0        299
     Reading, Pa.                                                   27,442    28,205    2.8         72
     Redding, Calif.                                                23,590    23,856    1.1        213
     Reno, Nev.                                                     26,513    27,679    4.4         88
     Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Wash.                                27,570    27,864    1.1         80
     Richmond-Petersburg, Va.                                       27,598    28,714    4.0         60
     Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.                               24,815    25,248    1.7        158
     Roanoke, Va.                                                   23,955    24,589    2.6        181
     Rochester, Minn.                                               29,107    30,663    5.3         36
     Rochester, N.Y.                                                29,301    30,241    3.2         38
     Rockford, Ill.                                                 27,228    28,093    3.2         75
     Rocky Mount, N.C.                                              22,532    23,280    3.3        235
     Sacramento, Calif.                                             29,289    29,576    1.0         45
     Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, Mich.                                29,863    31,138    4.3         32
     Salem, Ore.                                                    23,108    23,747    2.8        214
     Salinas, Calif.                                                24,260    24,851    2.4        173
     Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah                                     24,693    25,770    4.4        143
     San Angelo, Tex.                                               21,124    21,426    1.4        288
     San Antonio, Tex.                                              23,725    24,460    3.1        189
     San Diego, Calif.                                              27,842    28,845    3.6         56
     San Francisco, Calif.                                          37,975    40,016    5.4          3
     San Jose, Calif.                                               42,409    44,819    5.7          2
     San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, Calif.                 23,026    23,969    4.1        208
     Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, Calif.                       25,805    26,251    1.7        120
     Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.                                 25,036    26,098    4.2        126
     Santa Fe, N.M.                                                 23,691    24,539    3.6        182
     Santa Rosa, Calif.                                             26,177    26,876    2.7        108
     Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.                                       22,279    22,560    1.3        262
     Savannah, Ga.                                                  23,865    25,084    5.1        165
     Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, Pa.                            23,278    24,071    3.4        204
     Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.                                31,550    33,588    6.5         17
     Sharon, Pa.                                                    22,815    23,494    3.0        224
     Sheboygan, Wis.                                                24,875    26,020    4.6        129
     Sherman-Denison, Tex.                                          23,879    25,124    5.2        163
     Shreveport-Bossier City, La.                                   23,408    23,731    1.4        216
     Sioux City, Iowa-Neb.                                          22,443    23,273    3.7        236
     Sioux Falls, S.D.                                              22,739    23,547    3.6        221
     South Bend, Ind.                                               25,096    25,661    2.2        146
     Spokane, Wash.                                                 23,595    24,536    4.0        183
     Springfield, Ill.                                              28,615    29,714    3.8         43
     Springfield, Mass.                                             26,437    27,423    3.7         97
     Springfield, Mo.                                               22,111    22,875    3.5        250
     St. Cloud, Minn.                                               21,685    22,681    4.6        258
     St. Joseph, Mo.                                                22,279    23,242    4.3        241
     St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.                                            28,599    29,469    3.0         46
     State College, Pa.                                             24,298    24,730    1.8        178
     Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.Va.                               25,649    26,245    2.3        121
     Stockton-Lodi, Calif.                                          24,380    24,765    1.6        176
     Sumter, S.C.                                                   19,880    20,708    4.2        300
     Syracuse, N.Y.                                                 27,267    27,652    1.4         89
     Tacoma, Wash.                                                  24,687    25,548    3.5        148
     Tallahassee, Fla.                                              23,141    24,244    4.8        196
     Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.                          24,650    25,540    3.6        149
     Terre Haute, Ind.                                              22,583    23,047    2.1        246
     Texarkana, Tex.-Texarkana, Ark.                                21,770    22,390    2.8        267
     Toledo, Ohio                                                   26,907    27,793    3.3         84
     Topeka, Kan.                                                   24,904    25,454    2.2        152
     Trenton, N.J.                                                  36,614    37,598    2.7          7
     Tucson, Ariz.                                                  23,622    24,705    4.6        179
     Tulsa, Okla.                                                   25,338    26,116    3.1        125
     Tuscaloosa, Ala.                                               24,487    25,051    2.3        166
     Tyler, Tex.                                                    24,176    25,295    4.6        157
     Utica-Rome, N.Y.                                               23,207    23,677    2.0        219
     Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, Calif.                                 25,453    25,889    1.7        138
     Ventura, Calif.                                                27,262    28,260    3.7         71
     Victoria, Tex.                                                 22,267    23,448    5.3        228
     Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, N.J.                             27,104    27,901    2.9         78
     Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif.                             19,439    19,768    1.7        308
     Waco, Tex.                                                     22,534    23,302    3.4        234
     Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va.                                 34,910    36,383    4.2         10
     Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa                                     24,813    25,170    1.4        161
     Wausau, Wis.                                                   24,112    25,011    3.7        168
     West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.                               27,912    29,057    4.1         53
     Wheeling, W.Va.-Ohio                                           21,769    22,228    2.1        271
     Wichita, Kan.                                                  26,388    27,688    4.9         87
     Wichita Falls, Tex.                                            21,264    21,718    2.1        282
     Williamsport, Pa.                                              23,093    23,526    1.9        222
     Wilmington-Newark, Del.-Md.                                    31,439    33,223    5.7         21
     Wilmington, N.C.                                               23,233    24,050    3.5        205
     Yakima, Wash.                                                  19,271    19,780    2.6        307
     Yolo, Calif.                                                   28,616    29,053    1.5         54
     York, Pa.                                                      26,074    26,955    3.4        106
     Youngstown-Warren, Ohio                                        25,380    25,981    2.4        132
     Yuba City, Calif.                                              21,237    21,374    0.6        290
     Yuma, Ariz.                                                    18,286    18,213   -0.4        312
     1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for
     Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
     2/ Includes data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
     as of June 30, 1995.  In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA)
     definitions were used.  See Technical Note.
     3/ Data are preliminary.
     4/ Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may differ from 
     those computed using data rounded to the nearest dollar.
     Table 2.  Average annual pay for 1995 and 1996 for all covered workers 1/ by Consolidated
     Metropolitan Statistical Area
                                                                       Average annual pay         Ranking of
                       Consolidated metropolitan                                                  areas
                          statistical area 2/                                          Percent    By level of
                                                                                       change,    average annual
                                                                     1995    1996 3/   1995-96 4/ pay for 1996

          Consolidated metropolitan statistical areas             $ 32,643  $ 34,069    4.4        --

     Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H.          32,798    34,383    4.8          4
     Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.                           32,047    33,405    4.2          6
     Cincinnati-Hamilton,  Ohio-Ky.-Ind.                            27,886    28,878    3.6         17
     Cleveland-Akron, Ohio                                          28,382    29,355    3.4         14
     Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex.                                        30,339    31,713    4.5         11
     Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo.                                  29,531    31,198    5.6         12
     Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich.                                 34,121    35,072    2.8          3
     Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex.                               31,107    32,620    4.9          8
     Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Calif.                    30,915    31,897    3.2          9
     Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.                                    27,161    28,056    3.3         18
     Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.                                         27,830    28,979    4.1         16
     New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa.  38,047    40,089    5.4          1
     Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.       31,238    32,625    4.4          7
     Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash.                                     27,649    29,112    5.3         15
     Sacramento-Yolo, Calif.                                        29,214    29,519    1.0         13
     San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.                         36,186    37,966    4.9          2
     Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash.                                30,052    31,792    5.8         10
     Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va.                       32,816    34,199    4.2          5
     1/ Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for
     Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
     2/ Includes data for Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of June 30, 1995.
     In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA)
     definitions were used.  See Technical Note.
     3/ Data are preliminary.
     4/ Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may differ from 
     those computed using data rounded to the nearest dollar.