Internet address:   http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6567          USDL 00-367

                                                For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902          Tuesday, December 19, 2000


        EMPLOYMENT AND AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY FOR LARGE COUNTIES, 1999


   Of the 305 largest counties in the United States, 135 had rates of
employment growth above the national average of 2.3 percent in 1999, and 16
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 1999 was higher than the national average of $33,313
in 97 of the largest 305 U.S. counties.  (New Jersey data were not
available for the fourth quarter of 1999 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 127.0 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 305
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 305 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.2
percent of total U.S. covered employment, 77.5 percent of total wages, and
9.7 percent of the 3,140 U.S. counties.  (San Juan, P.R., is not included
in this grouping of U.S. counties, but estimated data for New Jersey are.)
The largest absolute gains in employment were recorded in the counties of
Los Angeles, Calif. (102,294), Maricopa, Ariz. (62,474), Dallas, Texas
(49,674), New York, N.Y. (47,548), and Clark, Nev. (47,520).  These five
counties accounted for 10.8 percent of total U.S. covered employment
growth.  (See table A.)
   
   Eight of the ten fastest-growing counties were found in the southern
and western states.  Clark County, Nev., had the largest over-the-year
percentage increase in employment (7.7 percent), followed by the counties
of Harrison, Miss. (7.1 percent), Placer, Calif., (7.0 percent), Riverside,
Calif., (6.4 percent), and Gwinnett, Ga., (6.2 percent).  (See table 1 and
chart 1.)
   
Table A.  Top 10 counties ranked by 1999 employment level, 1998-99
employment growth, and  1998-99 percentage growth in employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             |                           | 1998-99 Percentage
    1999 Employment level    | 1998-99 Employment growth |      growth in
                             |                           |      employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles, Calif. 4,049,200|Los Angeles, Calif. 102,294|Clark, Nev.      7.7
Cook, Ill.          2,666,571|Maricopa, Ariz.      62,474|Harrison, Miss.  7.1
New York, N.Y.      2,306,946|Dallas, Texas        49,674|Placer, Calif.   7.0
Harris, Texas       1,793,849|New York, N.Y.       47,548|Riverside,Calif. 6.4
Dallas, Texas       1,510,248|Clark, Nev.          47,520|Gwinnett, Ga.    6.2
Maricopa, Ariz.     1,494,061|Orange, Calif.       46,535|Cobb, Ga.        6.0
Orange, Calif.      1,345,268|San Diego, Calif.    43,415|Sangamon, Ill.   5.8
San Diego, Calif.   1,157,524|King, Wash.          36,702|Denton, Texas    5.6
King, Wash.         1,130,385|Riverside, Calif.    26,706|Minnehaha, S.D.  5.5
Santa Clara, Calif.   975,402|Sacramento, Calif.   26,121|Travis, Texas    5.3
-----------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------
U.S.              127,039,783|U.S.              2,856,234|U.S.             2.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                  - 2 -

   Employment declined in 16 counties from 1998 to 1999.  The largest
percentage declines in employment were in Lafayette County, La. (-2.7
percent), followed by the counties of Newport News, Va. (-2.1 percent),
Yakima, Wash. (-1.7 percent), Gaston, N.C. (-1.4 percent), and Snohomish,
Wash. (-0.9 percent).  The largest absolute declines in employment occurred
in Lafayette County, La. (-3,128), Newport News County, Va. (-1,976),
Snohomish County, Wash. (-1,843), St. Louis City, Mo. (-1,701), and Yakima
County, Wash. (-1,581).

Average Annual Pay

   Average annual pay in 1999 was higher than the national average of
$33,313 in 97 of the largest 305 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 $65,653, followed by the counties of
Santa Clara, Calif. ($61,110), Fairfield, Conn. ($56,361), Loudoun, Va.
($52,282), and San Mateo, Calif. ($51,447).  (See table B.)
   
   There were 193 counties with average annual pay below the national
average.  The lowest average annual pay (excluding San Juan, Puerto Rico)
was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($20,997), followed by the counties
of Hidalgo, Texas ($21,105), Horry, S.C. ($21,691), Yakima, Wash.
($22,400), and Tulare, Calif. ($22,703).  (See table 2.)
   
   (Fifteen New Jersey counties were not included in the rankings.)

   Santa Clara County, Calif., led the nation in growth in average annual
pay with an increase of 18.9 percent from 1998 to 1999.  San Mateo County,
Calif., was second with 13.4 percent growth, followed by the counties of
King, Wash. (11.5 percent), Arapahoe, Colo. (11.4 percent), and Barnstable,
Mass. (10.2 percent).  (See chart 2.)

   Only four counties showed declines in average annual pay.  Rock Island
County, Ill., had the largest percentage decrease in average annual pay in
1999, at -3.1 percent.  This was followed by the counties of Lafayette, La.
(-2.1 percent), Lake, Ind. (-0.3 percent), and Duval, Fla. (-0.2 percent).
Cameron County, Texas, had the smallest increase in average annual pay,
with a 0.1 percent year over-the-year change.

Table B.  Top 10 counties ranked by 1999 pay level, 1998-99 growth in pay, and
1998-99 percentage growth in pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Average annual pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           |                          |  1998-99 Percentage
       1999 Pay level      |   1998-99 Growth in pay  |    growth in pay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York, N.Y.      $65,653|Santa Clara, Calif. $9,713|Santa Clara, Calif.18.9
Santa Clara, Calif.  61,110|San Mateo, Calif.    6,075|San Mateo, Calif.  13.4
Fairfield, Conn.     56,361|King, Wash.          4,762|King, Wash.        11.5
Loudoun, Va.         52,282|Arapahoe, Colo.      4,377|Arapahoe, Colo.    11.4
San Mateo, Calif.    51,447|San Francisco, Calif.4,087|Barnstable, Mass.  10.2
San Francisco, Calif.51,440|Suffolk, Mass.       3,695|San Francisco,Calif.8.6
Suffolk, Mass.       50,757|Middlesex, Mass.     3,687|Middlesex, Mass.    8.6
Washington, D.C.     50,742|Fairfield, Conn.     3,261|Johnson, Kan.       8.5
Arlington, Va.       49,311|Contra Costa, Calif. 2,890|Placer, Calif.      7.9
Fairfax, Va.         46,718|New York, N.Y.       2,808|Suffolk, Mass.      7.9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S.                 33,313|U.S.                 1,368|U.S.                4.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
      ---------------------------------------------------------
     |  1999 average annual pay and other data from the Covered| 
     |Employment and Wages program are available on the BLS    |
     |website at http://stats.bls.gov/cewnote.htm.             |
     ----------------------------------------------------------


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 1999 are preliminary and subject to
revision.
   
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 7.8
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 1999, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 127.0 million
jobs.  The estimated 122 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders) represented 99.0 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment.  Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS).  Covered workers received $4.232 trillion
in pay, representing 94.7 percent of the wage and salary component
of personal income and 45.5 percent of the gross domestic product.
   
   Major exclusions from UI coverage during 1999 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 1998 data
as the base.  These final 1998 data may differ from the preliminary 1998
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.  
   
   The 1998 data have been adjusted for establishment classification code
changes in order to be comparable with 1999 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 1998-99 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 third 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, 1999 will be available in early 2001 from the BLS Publication Sales
Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690.  News releases providing 1999
average annual pay data by state and industry and by metropolitan areas also
are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  To be added or dropped
from the mailing list for these news releases, please call 202-691-5887.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
   
                Table 1.  Employment and average annual pay for 1999 and 1998-99 percent changes for all covered
                workers(1) in the 306 largest counties
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                                          Employment                        Average annual pay     
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                       County(2)                            Percent       Ranked by                      Percent   
                                            1999(3)         change,        percent        1999(3)        change,   
                                                          1998-99(4)       change,                     1998-99(4)  
                                                                         1998-99(5)                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                United States(6)........  127,039,783         2.3             -           $33,313          4.3     
                                                                                                                   
                Jefferson, AL...........      383,014         1.3            211           32,680          4.4     
                Madison, AL.............      151,623         1.5            198           34,187          1.4     
                Mobile, AL..............      169,859        -0.2            274           27,945          2.7     
                Montgomery, AL..........      132,886         1.9            171           27,979          4.4     
                Tuscaloosa, AL..........       75,835         0.9            236           28,384          5.1     
                Anchorage, AK...........      127,087         0.9            237           35,707          0.7     
                Maricopa, AZ............    1,494,061         4.4             28           32,562          3.9     
                Pima, AZ................      317,662         2.8            100           28,194          5.3     
                Pulaski, AR.............      242,529         1.5            199           29,696          3.1     
                Washington, AR..........       78,076         3.5             66           25,443          3.9     
                                                                                                                   
                Alameda, CA.............      673,025         3.0             90           41,054          5.6     
                Contra Costa, CA........      329,282         4.0             45           40,814          7.6     
                Fresno, CA..............      316,956         2.0            160           24,944          3.7     
                Kern, CA................      232,666         1.5            200           26,997          2.0     
                Los Angeles, CA.........    4,049,200         2.6            113           37,748          3.2     
                Marin, CA...............      110,388         3.7             55           39,223          4.8     
                Monterey, CA............      160,917         3.7             56           28,500          4.5     
                Orange, CA..............    1,345,268         3.6             61           37,487          5.0     
                Placer, CA..............       98,600         7.0              3           31,755          7.9     
                Riverside, CA...........      443,927         6.4              4           27,777          3.4     
                                                                                                                   
                Sacramento, CA..........      558,998         4.9             18           35,203          3.3     
                San Bernardino, CA......      508,154         4.2             34           28,809          2.5     
                San Diego, CA...........    1,157,524         3.9             50           34,690          7.7     
                San Francisco, CA.......      590,922         4.2             35           51,440          8.6     
                San Joaquin, CA.........      194,576         3.6             62           27,921          3.4     
                San Luis Obispo, CA.....       92,941         4.0             46           26,441          2.3     
                San Mateo, CA...........      358,121         4.1             40           51,447         13.4     
                Santa Barbara, CA.......      171,714         3.7             57           30,092          2.8     
                Santa Clara, CA.........      975,402         1.6            191           61,110         18.9     
                Santa Cruz, CA..........      100,344         1.7            184           30,975          7.4     
                                                                                                                   
                Solano, CA..............      112,265         4.8             19           29,189          3.9     
                Sonoma, CA..............      185,014         2.8            101           32,077          4.7     
                Stanislaus, CA..........      158,443         3.3             74           26,958          3.5     
                Tulare, CA..............      127,652         0.8            242           22,703          4.0     
                Ventura, CA.............      276,171         3.4             67           33,927          6.1     
                Yolo, CA................       82,944         4.3             31           32,341          1.0     
                Adams, CO...............      138,755         4.2             36           31,883          5.5     
                Arapahoe, CO............      274,417         4.3             32           42,900         11.4     
                Boulder, CO.............      166,733         5.2             12           40,002          5.8     
                Denver, CO..............      455,656         3.4             68           39,734          6.0     
                                                                                                                   
                El Paso, CO.............      229,822         4.4             29           30,674          4.3     
                Jefferson, CO...........      204,840         2.5            121           34,392          4.6     
                Larimer, CO.............      113,345         2.6            114           30,019          2.9     
                Fairfield, CT...........      424,486         1.2            217           56,361          6.1     
                Hartford, CT............      497,437         1.7            185           40,979          3.9     
                New Haven, CT...........      364,893         0.9            238           36,418          3.5     
                New London, CT..........      122,372         1.8            178           35,409          2.3     
                New Castle, DE..........      284,384         3.6             63           38,643          3.3     
                Washington, DC..........      614,665         3.6             64           50,742          4.7     
                Alachua, FL.............      115,236         2.5            122           25,166          1.0     

                Brevard, FL.............      176,031         1.1            223          $29,961          1.6     
                Broward, FL.............      623,376         2.1            150           31,210          4.0     
                Collier, FL.............       96,475         4.2             37           28,008          4.5     
                Dade, FL................      958,735         1.3            212           32,059          3.9     
                Duval, FL...............      417,145         1.4            205           31,185         -0.2     
                Escambia, FL............      124,177         2.4            129           25,565          0.4     
                Hillsborough, FL........      572,312         3.4             69           30,198          3.8     
                Lee, FL.................      157,613         2.5            123           26,451          4.5     
                Leon, FL................      139,086         2.4            130           28,081          3.1     
                Manatee, FL.............      110,402         (7)            (7)           24,772          (7)     
                                                                                                                   
                Marion, FL..............       81,573         2.5            124           24,196          2.6     
                Orange, FL..............      592,344         4.2             38           29,841          3.3     
                Palm Beach, FL..........      463,644         3.2             77           32,609          2.3     
                Pinellas, FL............      420,006         3.1             80           29,676          4.1     
                Polk, FL................      178,206         0.8            243           26,914          2.8     
                Sarasota, FL............      147,522         (7)            (7)           26,056          (7)     
                Seminole, FL............      132,884         4.2             39           28,836          4.1     
                Volusia, FL.............      139,276         1.7            186           23,762          3.6     
                Bibb, GA................       89,591         0.8            244           28,374          3.1     
                Chatham, GA.............      121,581         1.9            172           29,046          3.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Clayton, GA.............      117,263         2.8            102           34,478          4.4     
                Cobb, GA................      298,389         6.0              6           36,797          3.6     
                Dekalb, GA..............      317,119         2.0            161           36,818          4.5     
                Fulton, GA..............      739,026         3.6             65           43,401          6.6     
                Gwinnett, GA............      267,576         6.2              5           36,973          7.5     
                Muscogee, GA............       98,728         2.3            137           26,766          4.2     
                Richmond, GA............      107,460         1.8            179           27,591          2.1     
                Honolulu, HI............      397,985        -0.2            275           30,971          2.3     
                Ada, ID.................      166,789         4.5             24           31,338          7.4     
                Champaign, IL...........       87,717         1.3            213           28,047          4.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Cook, IL................    2,666,571         1.0            229           40,504          5.3     
                Du Page, IL.............      578,987         4.3             33           41,091          4.9     
                Kane, IL................      176,463         3.8             52           32,124          2.4     
                Lake, IL................      300,316         2.4            131           39,920          2.6     
                McHenry, IL.............       85,066         3.3             75           31,368          5.9     
                McLean, IL..............       83,113         4.8             20           32,888          4.6     
                Madison, IL.............       94,381         1.2            218           28,111          3.0     
                Peoria, IL..............      103,147         0.0            268           30,886          5.5     
                Rock Island, IL.........       79,330         0.2            261           32,077         -3.1     
                St. Clair, IL...........       88,305         1.6            192           26,211          0.4     
                                                                                                                   
                Sangamon, IL............      151,277         5.8              7           34,179          4.2     
                Will, IL................      134,832         3.7             58           31,670          4.3     
                Winnebago, IL...........      143,087         0.1            264           30,873          1.8     
                Allen, IN...............      188,653        -0.3            277           31,331          4.3     
                Elkhart, IN.............      121,986         4.7             21           29,643          3.2     
                Lake, IN................      204,050         0.4            257           30,351         -0.3     
                Marion, IN..............      597,430         2.7            105           35,332          3.2     
                St. Joseph, IN..........      129,484         0.6            251           28,632          3.4     
                Tippecanoe, IN..........       76,623         2.1            151           29,896          1.8     
                Vanderburgh, IN.........      109,017         2.1            152           28,651          1.9     

                Linn, IA................      119,728         4.0             47          $32,441          3.4     
                Polk, IA................      260,429         2.1            153           32,851          5.4     
                Scott, IA...............       87,507         0.8            245           27,994          2.5     
                Johnson, KS.............      280,228         4.5             25           34,918          8.5     
                Sedgwick, KS............      249,806         0.0            269           31,765          1.0     
                Shawnee, KS.............       97,990         1.3            214           28,464          3.6     
                Wyandotte, KS...........       78,221         0.1            265           33,625          4.3     
                Fayette, KY.............      169,239         2.6            115           29,539          4.7     
                Jefferson, KY...........      432,843         1.7            187           31,914          4.6     
                Caddo, LA...............      118,880         1.0            230           27,904          3.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Calcasieu, LA...........       83,792         0.5            255           27,957          0.7     
                East Baton Rouge, LA....      239,750         2.7            106           28,797          1.8     
                Jefferson, LA...........      216,589         0.6            252           27,470          2.9     
                Lafayette, LA...........      112,005        -2.7            288           28,366         -2.1     
                Orleans, LA.............      258,973        -0.1            273           31,287          1.0     
                Cumberland, ME..........      160,714         2.9             95           30,412          5.2     
                Anne Arundel, MD........      183,167         2.0            162           33,057          2.7     
                Baltimore, MD...........      354,012         2.1            154           32,556          2.0     
                Howard, MD..............      121,418         5.3             10           36,062          3.8     
                Montgomery, MD..........      426,297         3.1             81           41,299          4.2     
                                                                                                                   
                Prince Georges, MD......      298,155         2.3            138           34,638          2.2     
                Baltimore City, MD......      384,032         2.2            145           36,826          4.9     
                Barnstable, MA..........       85,519         3.7             59           29,711         10.2     
                Bristol, MA.............      216,676         1.7            188           29,436          4.2     
                Essex, MA...............      296,274         1.4            206           35,969          7.7     
                Hampden, MA.............      199,767         1.8            180           30,734          3.4     
                Middlesex, MA...........      819,042         1.8            181           46,602          8.6     
                Norfolk, MA.............      314,330         2.0            163           39,292          5.3     
                Plymouth, MA............      164,345         2.0            164           31,854          2.9     
                Suffolk, MA.............      596,083         3.0             91           50,757          7.9     
                                                                                                                   
                Worcester, MA...........      313,390         1.1            224           33,988          3.6     
                Genesee, MI.............      166,942         0.0            270           35,658          3.1     
                Ingham, MI..............      172,785        -0.6            282           33,191          4.6     
                Kalamazoo, MI...........      119,548         2.3            139           31,947          1.0     
                Kent, MI................      338,026         2.1            155           33,001          3.3     
                Macomb, MI..............      332,859         0.6            253           39,569          4.0     
                Oakland, MI.............      752,405         2.5            125           42,789          3.2     
                Ottawa, MI..............      115,406         3.0             92           30,871          2.2     
                Saginaw, MI.............       95,473         2.4            132           33,924          4.3     
                Washtenaw, MI...........      194,345         3.1             82           38,125          4.4     
                                                                                                                   
                Wayne, MI...............      848,459         1.0            231           41,034          3.3     
                Anoka, MN...............      104,747         3.1             83           32,485          3.3     
                Dakota, MN..............      147,540         3.8             53           32,807          4.3     
                Hennepin, MN............      858,629         2.0            165           40,905          4.8     
                Olmsted, MN.............       79,512         3.8             54           35,025          5.7     
                Ramsey, MN..............      329,509         2.6            116           36,903          4.9     
                St. Louis, MN...........       93,506         1.0            232           27,645          4.0     
                Harrison, MS............       90,370         7.1              2           24,284          3.7     
                Hinds, MS...............      142,190         0.5            256           29,221          4.5     
                Clay, MO................       83,846         0.0            271           30,257          4.1     

                Greene, MO..............      139,153         2.3            140          $26,128          3.0     
                Jackson, MO.............      392,209         1.0            233           33,937          4.4     
                St. Charles, MO.........       92,504         2.7            107           28,436          3.5     
                St. Louis, MO...........      640,891         1.5            201           36,116          4.2     
                St. Louis City, MO......      250,535        -0.7            283           37,082          2.5     
                Douglas, NE.............      323,276         2.5            126           31,080          5.6     
                Lancaster, NE...........      143,666         2.9             96           27,431          3.1     
                Clark, NV...............      662,815         7.7              1           31,078          2.8     
                Washoe, NV..............      183,366         2.2            146           31,380          5.2     
                Hillsborough, NH........      188,061         2.7            108           35,948          5.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Rockingham, NH..........      124,971         4.5             26           32,618          2.2     
                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..........      300,787         0.7            248           28,982          2.5     
                Albany, NY..............      228,805         2.3            141           33,749          2.7     
                Bronx, NY...............      209,370         2.4            133           31,966          2.5     
                Broome, NY..............       98,766         3.1             84           28,629          2.2     
                                                                                                                   
                Dutchess, NY............      107,681         2.6            117           35,256          5.0     
                Erie, NY................      456,352         1.6            193           30,570          2.7     
                Kings, NY...............      432,253         3.0             93           29,612          2.4     
                Monroe, NY..............      396,762         0.7            249           34,808          1.3     
                Nassau, NY..............      590,977         2.7            109           38,314          4.4     
                New York, NY............    2,306,946         2.1            156           65,653          4.5     
                Niagara, NY.............       78,606         0.4            258           30,009          3.0     
                Oneida, NY..............      109,141         2.5            127           26,417          2.6     
                Onondaga, NY............      250,738         0.9            239           31,427          3.1     
                Orange, NY..............      117,549         2.8            103           28,057          2.8     
                                                                                                                   
                Queens, NY..............      477,003         2.3            142           33,486          2.6     
                Richmond, NY............       86,898         4.4             30           30,819          2.1     
                Rockland, NY............      105,340         2.9             97           35,695          1.1     
                Suffolk, NY.............      562,829         4.0             48           35,505          2.0     
                Westchester, NY.........      396,790         2.3            143           43,438          4.2     
                Buncombe, NC............      105,177         1.2            219           26,608          2.8     
                Catawba, NC.............       98,881         1.6            194           27,100          3.8     
                Cumberland, NC..........      108,792         1.9            173           25,120          2.6     
                Durham, NC..............      163,571         4.0             49           43,951          6.5     
                Forsyth, NC.............      177,854         1.4            207           32,005          2.4     

                Gaston, NC..............       79,974        -1.4            285          $27,249          5.4     
                Guilford, NC............      280,242         2.7            110           31,271          4.0     
                Mecklenburg, NC.........      494,001         5.0             16           38,399          4.1     
                New Hanover, NC.........       87,169         4.5             27           27,397          6.1     
                Wake, NC................      370,347         4.6             22           32,965          6.5     
                Cass, ND................       79,922         2.2            147           26,705          3.7     
                Butler, OH..............      121,843         2.4            134           30,980          3.6     
                Cuyahoga, OH............      815,019         1.1            225           35,034          3.6     
                Franklin, OH............      685,162         3.1             85           33,458          4.1     
                Hamilton, OH............      565,702         1.2            220           36,179          4.2     
                                                                                                                   
                Lake, OH................      100,994         0.2            262           30,106          3.0     
                Lorain, OH..............      102,967         2.0            166           31,403          1.9     
                Lucas, OH...............      238,526         1.1            226           31,534          3.5     
                Mahoning, OH............      113,613         0.7            250           25,222          2.6     
                Montgomery, OH..........      302,411         0.1            266           33,680          4.3     
                Stark, OH...............      172,666        -0.3            278           27,888          1.2     
                Summit, OH..............      265,381         1.6            195           31,416          0.5     
                Trumbull, OH............       95,120        -0.2            276           32,472          3.7     
                Oklahoma, OK............      402,983         2.2            148           27,766          2.4     
                Tulsa, OK...............      332,538         0.9            240           30,037          2.2     
                                                                                                                   
                Clackamas, OR...........      130,048         1.9            174           31,235          4.2     
                Lane, OR................      139,139         2.1            157           26,913          3.0     
                Marion, OR..............      125,166         1.6            196           27,323          4.9     
                Multnomah, OR...........      444,341         0.6            254           34,654          3.9     
                Washington, OR..........      214,761         2.7            111           39,186          6.9     
                Allegheny, PA...........      701,941         1.5            202           35,839          6.4     
                Berks, PA...............      165,091         1.7            189           31,002          1.5     
                Bucks, PA...............      237,410         2.4            135           32,938          4.6     
                Chester, PA.............      210,706         4.1             41           40,927          3.8     
                Cumberland, PA..........      125,944         2.1            158           31,814          3.5     
                                                                                                                   
                Dauphin, PA.............      169,139        -0.4            280           32,941          3.6     
                Delaware, PA............      215,212         0.8            246           34,930          2.3     
                Erie, PA................      129,746         2.2            149           27,864          1.4     
                Lackawanna, PA..........       98,544         3.1             86           25,747          0.7     
                Lancaster, PA...........      214,234         1.7            190           29,452          3.2     
                Lehigh, PA..............      166,856         2.0            167           34,398          5.2     
                Luzerne, PA.............      139,390         1.3            215           27,115          2.4     
                Montgomery, PA..........      469,349         1.4            208           41,142          4.4     
                Northampton, PA.........       85,548         1.1            227           29,797          3.6     
                Philadelphia, PA........      656,155         1.2            221           38,012          1.3     
                                                                                                                   
                Westmoreland, PA........      132,724         0.3            259           27,723          3.8     
                York, PA................      163,814         1.9            175           29,817          1.8     
                Providence, RI..........      285,996         1.6            197           32,132          3.1     
                Charleston, SC..........      179,876         3.3             76           26,447          5.0     
                Greenville, SC..........      227,307         3.1             87           30,082          3.6     
                Horry, SC...............       97,635         5.1             15           21,691          4.5     
                Lexington, SC...........       79,938         2.0            168           26,569          6.3     
                Richland, SC............      206,468         2.0            169           28,472          3.6     
                Spartanburg, SC.........      119,485         0.0            272           29,577          4.2     
                Minnehaha, SD...........      102,718         5.5              9           27,203          3.7     

                Davidson, TN............      429,755         2.3            144          $33,072          3.4     
                Hamilton, TN............      184,633         5.0             17           29,391          3.3     
                Knox, TN................      198,394         1.4            209           28,896          2.0     
                Rutherford, TN..........       76,435         4.1             42           30,007          3.3     
                Shelby, TN..............      494,065         2.0            170           33,720          4.4     
                Bell, TX................       86,367         2.9             98           24,209          3.3     
                Bexar, TX...............      634,922         2.8            104           28,436          4.0     
                Cameron, TX.............      103,026         4.1             43           20,997          0.1     
                Collin, TX..............      156,746         5.2             13           38,283          0.9     
                Dallas, TX..............    1,510,248         3.4             70           41,206          6.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Denton, TX..............      113,271         5.6              8           28,157          1.5     
                El Paso, TX.............      247,309         0.8            247           24,275          2.5     
                Fort Bend, TX...........       84,706         1.0            234           33,860          0.6     
                Galveston, TX...........       87,726         0.2            263           28,371          0.5     
                Harris, TX..............    1,793,849         1.4            210           38,881          3.9     
                Hidalgo, TX.............      152,878         4.6             23           21,105          2.0     
                Jefferson, TX...........      119,241        -0.3            279           31,035          0.3     
                Lubbock, TX.............      113,177         1.8            182           24,727          0.4     
                Mc Lennan, TX...........       97,654         2.6            118           26,487          4.0     
                Nueces, TX..............      140,446         0.1            267           26,916          1.1     
                                                                                                                   
                Potter, TX..............       75,489         1.2            222           25,840          3.0     
                Smith, TX...............       80,845         1.5            203           28,505          3.4     
                Tarrant, TX.............      680,617         3.4             71           33,767          4.2     
                Travis, TX..............      511,192         5.3             11           38,631          2.3     
                Davis, UT...............       82,004         2.5            128           25,835          3.3     
                Salt Lake, UT...........      517,998         2.4            136           30,646          4.1     
                Utah, UT................      136,203         4.1             44           26,543          4.9     
                Weber, UT...............       86,195         1.9            176           25,986          3.6     
                Chittenden, VT..........       91,143         3.1             88           32,897          4.4     
                Arlington, VA...........      152,336         3.1             89           49,311          2.3     
                                                                                                                   
                Chesterfield, VA........      105,053         3.7             60           30,852          5.1     
                Fairfax, VA.............      505,062         5.2             14           46,718          3.5     
                Henrico, VA.............      160,926         2.7            112           34,138          7.2     
                Loudoun, VA.............       77,284         (7)            (7)           52,282          (7)     
                Alexandria, VA..........       87,576         2.1            159           39,687          1.7     
                Chesapeake, VA..........       79,699         1.0            235           25,016          4.7     
                Newport News, VA........       91,777        -2.1            287           28,722          4.2     
                Norfolk, VA.............      144,938         0.3            260           30,678          4.9     
                Richmond, VA............      165,606        -0.5            281           36,796          4.0     
                Virginia Beach, VA......      160,279         3.9             51           24,331          3.0     
                                                                                                                   
                Clark, WA...............      112,510         2.9             99           30,322          3.4     
                King, WA................    1,130,385         3.4             72           46,057         11.5     
                Pierce, WA..............      231,680         1.3            216           28,654          4.3     
                Snohomish, WA...........      211,832        -0.9            284           33,909          0.9     
                Spokane, WA.............      183,631         1.5            204           27,566          3.8     
                Thurston, WA............       82,852         2.6            119           29,702          4.4     
                Yakima, WA..............       92,585        -1.7            286           22,400          4.1     
                Kanawha, WV.............      112,257         0.9            241           29,222          2.0     
                Brown, WI...............      138,704         3.2             78           30,632          2.8     
                Dane, WI................      268,987         3.0             94           31,097          4.1     

                Milwaukee, WI...........      529,904         1.8            183          $33,705          4.3     
                Outagamie, WI...........       91,918         3.4             73           29,460          4.5     
                Racine, WI..............       79,536         1.1            228           32,532          3.8     
                Waukesha, WI............      217,739         2.6            120           34,002          2.6     
                Winnebago, WI...........       88,609         1.9            177           32,728          4.7     
                San Juan, PR............      324,010         3.2             79           20,532          4.1     

                  1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for
                Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.  The 305 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties, comprise
                70.2% 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 288 counties that are comparable
                over the year.
                
                  6 Totals for the United States were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the fourth
                quarter in 1999 and do not include data for Puerto Rico.
                
                  7 Data are not available for release.
                
                  8 New Jersey counties are not available for 1999.  Please see text for more information.
                

                   Table 2.  County rankings of employment and average annual pay for 1999 and 1998-99 percent
                   changes for all covered workers(1) in the 306 largest counties
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                                                   Employment                     Average annual pay           
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                         County(2)                           Net                                    Ranked by  
                                              1999(3)      change,       1999(3)      Ranked by      percent   
                                                          1998-99(4)                  1999 level     change,   
                                                                                                    1998-99(5) 
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                   Los Angeles, CA.......    4,049,200     102,294       $37,748          45           178     
                   Cook, IL..............    2,666,571      25,900        40,504          28            39     
                   New York, NY..........    2,306,946      47,548        65,653           1            73     
                   Harris, TX............    1,793,849      24,095        38,881          37           130     
                   Dallas, TX............    1,510,248      49,674        41,206          19            27     
                   Maricopa, AZ..........    1,494,061      62,474        32,562         113           124     
                   Orange, CA............    1,345,268      46,535        37,487          46            46     
                   San Diego, CA.........    1,157,524      43,415        34,690          74            11     
                   King, WA..............    1,130,385      36,702        46,057          12             3     
                   Santa Clara, CA.......      975,402      15,019        61,110           2             1     
                                                                                                               
                   Dade, FL..............      958,735      12,444        32,059         124           128     
                   Hennepin, MN..........      858,629      16,493        40,905          26            57     
                   Wayne, MI.............      848,459       8,249        41,034          23           172     
                   Middlesex, MA.........      819,042      14,283        46,602          11             7     
                   Cuyahoga, OH..........      815,019       8,539        35,034          69           148     
                   Oakland, MI...........      752,405      18,284        42,789          17           181     
                   Fulton, GA............      739,026      25,752        43,401          15            19     
                   Allegheny, PA.........      701,941      10,635        35,839          60            22     
                   Franklin, OH..........      685,162      20,567        33,458          97           111     
                   Tarrant, TX...........      680,617      22,141        33,767          90           104     
                                                                                                               
                   Alameda, CA...........      673,025      19,391        41,054          22            32     
                   Clark, NV.............      662,815      47,520        31,078         150           204     
                   Philadelphia, PA......      656,155       7,969        38,012          44           263     
                   St. Louis, MO.........      640,891       9,682        36,116          56            99     
                   Bexar, TX.............      634,922      17,017        28,436         215           121     
                   Broward, FL...........      623,376      13,063        31,210         146           117     
                   Washington, DC........      614,665      21,218        50,742           8            59     
                   Marion, IN............      597,430      15,472        35,332          66           180     
                   Suffolk, MA...........      596,083      17,584        50,757           7            10     
                   Orange, FL............      592,344      23,698        29,841         181           170     
                                                                                                               
                   Nassau, NY............      590,977      15,308        38,314          41            81     
                   San Francisco, CA.....      590,922      23,580        51,440           6             6     
                   Du Page, IL...........      578,987      24,080        41,091          21            50     
                   Hillsborough, FL......      572,312      18,777        30,198         171           131     
                   Hamilton, OH..........      565,702       6,523        36,179          55           101     
                   Suffolk, NY...........      562,829      21,467        35,505          64           246     
                   Sacramento, CA........      558,998      26,121        35,203          68           168     
                   Milwaukee, WI.........      529,904       9,311        33,705          93            94     
                   Salt Lake, UT.........      517,998      12,179        30,646         164           112     
                   Travis, TX............      511,192      25,818        38,631          39           235     
                                                                                                               
                   San Bernardino, CA....      508,154      20,308        28,809         203           219     
                   Fairfax, VA...........      505,062      25,175        46,718          10           159     
                   Hartford, CT..........      497,437       8,091        40,979          24           127     
                   Shelby, TN............      494,065       9,642        33,720          92            83     
                   Mecklenburg, NC.......      494,001      23,729        38,399          40           110     
                   Queens, NY............      477,003      10,838        33,486          96           215     
                   Montgomery, PA........      469,349       6,616        41,142          20            82     
                   Palm Beach, FL........      463,644      14,297        32,609         112           232     
                   Erie, NY..............      456,352       7,220        30,570         166           211     
                   Denver, CO............      455,656      15,045        39,734          31            28     

                   Multnomah, OR.........      444,341       2,467       $34,654          75           129     
                   Riverside, CA.........      443,927      26,706        27,777         235           160     
                   Jefferson, KY.........      432,843       7,151        31,914         128            65     
                   Kings, NY.............      432,253      12,412        29,612         189           226     
                   Davidson, TN..........      429,755       9,557        33,072          99           165     
                   Montgomery, MD........      426,297      12,665        41,299          18            97     
                   Fairfield, CT.........      424,486       5,177        56,361           3            25     
                   Pinellas, FL..........      420,006      12,699        29,676         187           106     
                   Duval, FL.............      417,145       5,586        31,185         147           285     
                   Oklahoma, OK..........      402,983       8,552        27,766         236           228     
                                                                                                               
                   Honolulu, HI..........      397,985        -710        30,971         155           233     
                   Westchester, NY.......      396,790       8,739        43,438          14           100     
                   Monroe, NY............      396,762       2,710        34,808          73           262     
                   Jackson, MO...........      392,209       3,757        33,937          85            80     
                   Baltimore City, MD....      384,032       8,296        36,826          50            51     
                   Jefferson, AL.........      383,014       4,947        32,680         110            76     
                   Wake, NC..............      370,347      16,322        32,965         102            21     
                   New Haven, CT.........      364,893       3,423        36,418          54           155     
                   San Mateo, CA.........      358,121      14,056        51,447           5             2     
                   Baltimore, MD.........      354,012       7,129        32,556         114           245     
                                                                                                               
                   Kent, MI..............      338,026       6,861        33,001         101           171     
                   Macomb, MI............      332,859       1,874        39,569          33           118     
                   Tulsa, OK.............      332,538       3,025        30,037         175           241     
                   Ramsey, MN............      329,509       8,388        36,903          49            52     
                   Contra Costa, CA......      329,282      12,748        40,814          27            13     
                   San Juan, PR..........      324,010       9,948        20,532         291           115     
                   Douglas, NE...........      323,276       7,907        31,080         149            33     
                   Pima, AZ..............      317,662       8,506        28,194         220            38     
                   Dekalb, GA............      317,119       6,188        36,818          51            71     
                   Fresno, CA............      316,956       6,102        24,944         277           138     
                                                                                                               
                   Norfolk, MA...........      314,330       6,057        39,292          34            40     
                   Worcester, MA.........      313,390       3,312        33,988          84           146     
                   Montgomery, OH........      302,411         406        33,680          94            92     
                   Bernalillo, NM........      300,787       2,233        28,982         200           222     
                   Lake, IL..............      300,316       6,954        39,920          30           213     
                   Cobb, GA..............      298,389      16,884        36,797          52           144     
                   Prince Georges, MD....      298,155       6,777        34,638          76           237     
                   Essex, MA.............      296,274       4,227        35,969          58            12     
                   Providence, RI........      285,996       4,516        32,132         120           191     
                   New Castle, DE........      284,384       9,930        38,643          38           169     
                                                                                                               
                   Guilford, NC..........      280,242       7,423        31,271         144           120     
                   Johnson, KS...........      280,228      12,155        34,918          72             8     
                   Ventura, CA...........      276,171       9,160        33,927          86            24     
                   Arapahoe, CO..........      274,417      11,320        42,900          16             4     
                   Dane, WI..............      268,987       7,864        31,097         148           114     
                   Gwinnett, GA..........      267,576      15,650        36,973          48            14     
                   Summit, OH............      265,381       4,211        31,416         137           278     
                   Polk, IA..............      260,429       5,288        32,851         107            36     
                   Orleans, LA...........      258,973        -387        31,287         143           270     
                   Onondaga, NY..........      250,738       2,281        31,427         136           190     

                   St. Louis City, MO....      250,535      -1,701       $37,082          47           221     
                   Sedgwick, KS..........      249,806         104        31,765         132           269     
                   El Paso, TX...........      247,309       2,019        24,275         282           224     
                   Pulaski, AR...........      242,529       3,607        29,696         186           183     
                   East Baton Rouge, LA..      239,750       6,304        28,797         204           254     
                   Lucas, OH.............      238,526       2,597        31,534         135           157     
                   Bucks, PA.............      237,410       5,627        32,938         104            67     
                   Kern, CA..............      232,666       3,454        26,997         249           244     
                   Pierce, WA............      231,680       2,953        28,654         206            93     
                   El Paso, CO...........      229,822       9,690        30,674         163            86     
                                                                                                               
                   Albany, NY............      228,805       5,245        33,749          91           210     
                   Greenville, SC........      227,307       6,933        30,082         174           151     
                   Waukesha, WI..........      217,739       5,593        34,002          83           218     
                   Bristol, MA...........      216,676       3,649        29,436         194            98     
                   Jefferson, LA.........      216,589       1,266        27,470         241           200     
                   Delaware, PA..........      215,212       1,608        34,930          71           234     
                   Washington, OR........      214,761       5,723        39,186          36            18     
                   Lancaster, PA.........      214,234       3,565        29,452         193           182     
                   Snohomish, WA.........      211,832      -1,843        33,909          88           273     
                   Chester, PA...........      210,706       8,318        40,927          25           134     
                                                                                                               
                   Bronx, NY.............      209,370       4,913        31,966         126           223     
                   Richland, SC..........      206,468       4,128        28,472         212           152     
                   Jefferson, CO.........      204,840       4,916        34,392          79            63     
                   Lake, IN..............      204,050         822        30,351         168           286     
                   Hampden, MA...........      199,767       3,599        30,734         161           164     
                   Knox, TN..............      198,394       2,794        28,896         201           247     
                   San Joaquin, CA.......      194,576       6,703        27,921         231           161     
                   Washtenaw, MI.........      194,345       5,884        38,125          43            79     
                   Allen, IN.............      188,653        -620        31,331         142            88     
                   Hillsborough, NH......      188,061       4,931        35,948          59            47     
                                                                                                               
                   Sonoma, CA............      185,014       4,971        32,077         122            58     
                   Hamilton, TN..........      184,633       8,808        29,391         195           174     
                   Spokane, WA...........      183,631       2,798        27,566         240           136     
                   Washoe, NV............      183,366       3,945        31,380         139            42     
                   Anne Arundel, MD......      183,167       3,636        33,057         100           209     
                   Charleston, SC........      179,876       5,776        26,447         261            49     
                   Polk, FL..............      178,206       1,429        26,914         252           203     
                   Forsyth, NC...........      177,854       2,432        32,005         125           227     
                   Kane, IL..............      176,463       6,395        32,124         121           225     
                   Brevard, FL...........      176,031       1,875        29,961         179           257     
                                                                                                               
                   Ingham, MI............      172,785        -964        33,191          98            66     
                   Stark, OH.............      172,666        -468        27,888         233           264     
                   Santa Barbara, CA.....      171,714       6,131        30,092         173           202     
                   Mobile, AL............      169,859        -350        27,945         230           208     
                   Fayette, KY...........      169,239       4,268        29,539         191            60     
                   Dauphin, PA...........      169,139        -699        32,941         103           149     
                   Genesee, MI...........      166,942          51        35,658          63           188     
                   Lehigh, PA............      166,856       3,337        34,398          78            43     
                   Ada, ID...............      166,789       7,160        31,338         141            16     
                   Boulder, CO...........      166,733       8,197        40,002          29            30     

                   Richmond, VA..........      165,606        -825       $36,796          53           123     
                   Berks, PA.............      165,091       2,832        31,002         152           258     
                   Plymouth, MA..........      164,345       3,175        31,854         130           201     
                   York, PA..............      163,814       3,061        29,817         182           255     
                   Durham, NC............      163,571       6,222        43,951          13            20     
                   Henrico, VA...........      160,926       4,221        34,138          82            17     
                   Monterey, CA..........      160,917       5,695        28,500         211            68     
                   Cumberland, ME........      160,714       4,464        30,412         167            41     
                   Virginia Beach, VA....      160,279       6,087        24,331         280           198     
                   Stanislaus, CA........      158,443       5,096        26,958         250           154     
                                                                                                               
                   Lee, FL...............      157,613       3,918        26,451         260            70     
                   Collin, TX............      156,746       7,766        38,283          42           272     
                   Hidalgo, TX...........      152,878       6,756        21,105         289           248     
                   Arlington, VA.........      152,336       4,650        49,311           9           236     
                   Madison, AL...........      151,623       2,186        34,187          80           260     
                   Sangamon, IL..........      151,277       8,330        34,179          81            96     
                   Dakota, MN............      147,540       5,366        32,807         108            91     
                   Sarasota, FL..........      147,522       (6)          26,056         266           (6)     
                   Norfolk, VA...........      144,938         401        30,678         162            55     
                   Lancaster, NE.........      143,666       4,065        27,431         242           189     
                                                                                                               
                   Winnebago, IL.........      143,087          85        30,873         157           252     
                   Hinds, MS.............      142,190         732        29,221         197            72     
                   Nueces, TX............      140,446         121        26,916         251           266     
                   Luzerne, PA...........      139,390       1,856        27,115         247           229     
                   Volusia, FL...........      139,276       2,287        23,762         285           143     
                   Greene, MO............      139,153       3,122        26,128         265           193     
                   Lane, OR..............      139,139       2,913        26,913         253           196     
                   Leon, FL..............      139,086       3,263        28,081         223           184     
                   Adams, CO.............      138,755       5,648        31,883         129            34     
                   Brown, WI.............      138,704       4,344        30,632         165           207     
                                                                                                               
                   Utah, UT..............      136,203       5,403        26,543         258            54     
                   Will, IL..............      134,832       4,766        31,670         134            87     
                   Montgomery, AL........      132,886       2,446        27,979         228            77     
                   Seminole, FL..........      132,884       5,406        28,836         202           107     
                   Westmoreland, PA......      132,724         454        27,723         237           135     
                   Clackamas, OR.........      130,048       2,486        31,235         145           102     
                   Erie, PA..............      129,746       2,823        27,864         234           261     
                   St. Joseph, IN........      129,484         765        28,632         208           162     
                   Tulare, CA............      127,652       1,004        22,703         286           116     
                   Anchorage, AK.........      127,087       1,190        35,707          61           274     
                                                                                                               
                   Cumberland, PA........      125,944       2,650        31,814         131           158     
                   Marion, OR............      125,166       1,982        27,323         244            53     
                   Rockingham, NH........      124,971       5,385        32,618         111           239     
                   Escambia, FL..........      124,177       2,862        25,565         271           280     
                   New London, CT........      122,372       2,120        35,409          65           231     
                   Elkhart, IN...........      121,986       5,467        29,643         188           179     
                   Butler, OH............      121,843       2,820        30,980         153           147     
                   Chatham, GA...........      121,581       2,246        29,046         199           186     
                   Howard, MD............      121,418       6,105        36,062          57           132     
                   Linn, IA..............      119,728       4,580        32,441         118           163     

                   Kalamazoo, MI.........      119,548       2,641       $31,947         127           271     
                   Spartanburg, SC.......      119,485         -37        29,577         190           103     
                   Jefferson, TX.........      119,241        -312        31,035         151           283     
                   Caddo, LA.............      118,880       1,152        27,904         232           187     
                   Orange, NY............      117,549       3,252        28,057         224           205     
                   Clayton, GA...........      117,263       3,219        34,478          77            78     
                   Ottawa, MI............      115,406       3,403        30,871         158           238     
                   Alachua, FL...........      115,236       2,758        25,166         274           268     
                   Mahoning, OH..........      113,613         818        25,222         273           217     
                   Larimer, CO...........      113,345       2,885        30,019         176           199     
                                                                                                               
                   Denton, TX............      113,271       5,967        28,157         221           259     
                   Lubbock, TX...........      113,177       2,016        24,727         279           282     
                   Clark, WA.............      112,510       3,187        30,322         169           167     
                   Solano, CA............      112,265       5,170        29,189         198           126     
                   Kanawha, WV...........      112,257       1,025        29,222         196           249     
                   Lafayette, LA.........      112,005      -3,128        28,366         219           287     
                   Manatee, FL...........      110,402       (6)          24,772         278           (6)     
                   Marin, CA.............      110,388       3,961        39,223          35            56     
                   Oneida, NY............      109,141       2,648        26,417         263           214     
                   Vanderburgh, IN.......      109,017       2,269        28,651         207           250     
                                                                                                               
                   Cumberland, NC........      108,792       2,057        25,120         275           216     
                   Dutchess, NY..........      107,681       2,708        35,256          67            48     
                   Richmond, GA..........      107,460       1,924        27,591         239           242     
                   Rockland, NY..........      105,340       3,003        35,695          62           265     
                   Buncombe, NC..........      105,177       1,276        26,608         256           206     
                   Chesterfield, VA......      105,053       3,779        30,852         159            45     
                   Anoka, MN.............      104,747       3,124        32,485         116           173     
                   Peoria, IL............      103,147          12        30,886         156            35     
                   Cameron, TX...........      103,026       4,077        20,997         290           284     
                   Lorain, OH............      102,967       2,005        31,403         138           251     
                                                                                                               
                   Minnehaha, SD.........      102,718       5,354        27,203         246           142     
                   Lake, OH..............      100,994         229        30,106         172           195     
                   Santa Cruz, CA........      100,344       1,655        30,975         154            15     
                   Catawba, NC...........       98,881       1,584        27,100         248           133     
                   Broome, NY............       98,766       2,991        28,629         209           240     
                   Muscogee, GA..........       98,728       2,258        26,766         254            95     
                   Placer, CA............       98,600       6,421        31,755         133             9     
                   Lackawanna, PA........       98,544       2,926        25,747         270           276     
                   Shawnee, KS...........       97,990       1,212        28,464         213           145     
                   Mc Lennan, TX.........       97,654       2,504        26,487         259           122     
                                                                                                               
                   Horry, SC.............       97,635       4,759        21,691         288            74     
                   Collier, FL...........       96,475       3,880        28,008         226            69     
                   Saginaw, MI...........       95,473       2,246        33,924          87            90     
                   Trumbull, OH..........       95,120        -171        32,472         117           141     
                   Madison, IL...........       94,381       1,120        28,111         222           192     
                   St. Louis, MN.........       93,506         880        27,645         238           119     
                   San Luis Obispo, CA...       92,941       3,585        26,441         262           230     
                   Yakima, WA............       92,585      -1,581        22,400         287           113     
                   St. Charles, MO.......       92,504       2,449        28,436         214           156     
                   Outagamie, WI.........       91,918       3,017        29,460         192            75     

                   Newport News, VA......       91,777      -1,976       $28,722         205           105     
                   Chittenden, VT........       91,143       2,716        32,897         105            84     
                   Harrison, MS..........       90,370       5,988        24,284         281           139     
                   Bibb, GA..............       89,591         749        28,374         217           185     
                   Winnebago, WI.........       88,609       1,681        32,728         109            62     
                   St. Clair, IL.........       88,305       1,371        26,211         264           281     
                   Galveston, TX.........       87,726         213        28,371         218           279     
                   Champaign, IL.........       87,717       1,129        28,047         225           108     
                   Alexandria, VA........       87,576       1,791        39,687          32           256     
                   Scott, IA.............       87,507         731        27,994         227           220     
                                                                                                               
                   New Hanover, NC.......       87,169       3,721        27,397         243            26     
                   Richmond, NY..........       86,898       3,648        30,819         160           243     
                   Bell, TX..............       86,367       2,427        24,209         283           176     
                   Weber, UT.............       86,195       1,646        25,986         267           153     
                   Northampton, PA.......       85,548         897        29,797         183           150     
                   Barnstable, MA........       85,519       3,048        29,711         184             5     
                   McHenry, IL...........       85,066       2,733        31,368         140            29     
                   Fort Bend, TX.........       84,706         833        33,860          89           277     
                   Clay, MO..............       83,846         -34        30,257         170           109     
                   Calcasieu, LA.........       83,792         435        27,957         229           275     
                                                                                                               
                   McLean, IL............       83,113       3,833        32,888         106            64     
                   Yolo, CA..............       82,944       3,456        32,341         119           267     
                   Thurston, WA..........       82,852       2,104        29,702         185            85     
                   Davis, UT.............       82,004       2,003        25,835         269           177     
                   Marion, FL............       81,573       1,981        24,196         284           212     
                   Smith, TX.............       80,845       1,196        28,505         210           166     
                   Gaston, NC............       79,974      -1,098        27,249         245            37     
                   Lexington, SC.........       79,938       1,588        26,569         257            23     
                   Cass, ND..............       79,922       1,717        26,705         255           140     
                   Chesapeake, VA........       79,699         819        25,016         276            61     
                                                                                                               
                   Racine, WI............       79,536         830        32,532         115           137     
                   Olmsted, MN...........       79,512       2,940        35,025          70            31     
                   Rock Island, IL.......       79,330         150        32,077         123           288     
                   Niagara, NY...........       78,606         303        30,009         177           194     
                   Wyandotte, KS.........       78,221          90        33,625          95            89     
                   Washington, AR........       78,076       2,626        25,443         272           125     
                   Loudoun, VA...........       77,284       (6)          52,282           4           (6)     
                   Tippecanoe, IN........       76,623       1,590        29,896         180           253     
                   Rutherford, TN........       76,435       3,018        30,007         178           175     
                   Tuscaloosa, AL........       75,835         658        28,384         216            44     
                                                                                                               
                   Potter, TX............       75,489         864        25,840         268           197     
                   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 305 U.S. counties including New Jersey counties,
                   comprise 70.2% 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 288 counties that are
                   comparable over the year.
                   
                     6 Data are not available for release.
                   
                     7 New Jersey counties are not available for 1999.  Please see text for more information.