Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  691-6567          USDL  00-349

                                                 For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                 691-5902          Tuesday, November 28, 2000


              AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1999


   Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 316 metropolitan
areas increased by 4.4 percent from 1998 to 1999, according to preliminary
data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The over-the-year gain was smaller than 1998's gain of 5.2 percent.  (See
chart 1.)  Annual pay in metropolitan areas averaged $34,868 in 1999, up
from $33,407 in 1998.
   
   Average annual pay for the entire nation, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan 
areas combined, was $33,313 in 1999, a 4.3 percent increase from 1998.
(Average annual pay by state and industry was issued on Nov. 17, 2000,
in USDL 00-339.)
   
   Average annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by
employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws
covering 127.0 million full- and part-time jobs.  Average annual pay is
computed by dividing the total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI
programs by the average monthly number of these employees.  (See Technical
Note.)  Pay differences between areas reflect the varying composition of
employment by occupation, industry, and hours of work, as well as other
factors.  Similarly, over-the-year pay changes may reflect shifts in these
characteristics, as well as changes in the level of average pay.  Table 1
of this release contains pay data for Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan
Statistical Areas within the United States and Puerto Rico; table 2
includes averages and rankings for the areas designated as Consolidated
Metropolitan Statistical Areas.  (See Technical Note for definitions.)  New
Jersey data were not available for the fourth quarter of 1999 and therefore
are not shown for 1999.  Totals for the United States were calculated using
estimated 1999 data for New Jersey.  The data for the six metropolitan
areas within Puerto Rico are not included in the averages for all
metropolitan areas.
     
Metropolitan and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas

   San Jose, Calif., the hub of Silicon Valley, led the nation with an
average annual pay level of $61,110 in 1999.  (See table 1.)  New York,
N.Y., had the second highest average annual pay level ($52,351), followed
by San Francisco, Calif. ($50,169), New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-
Danbury, Conn. ($47,142), and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. ($43,921).
The first four of these Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) occupied the
same slots last year.  Average pay levels in these five metropolitan areas
ranged from 26 to 75 percent above the average for all metropolitan areas
in the nation.  Of the 307 metropolitan areas in the nation, excluding
those with New Jersey components, 29 reported average annual pay levels
above the national metropolitan pay average of $34,868.  (The nation's
metropolitan average annual pay was calculated using estimated New Jersey
data.)

                                  - 2 -

   Excluding MSAs within Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, N.C., continued to
record the lowest average annual pay among metropolitan areas in 1999
($20,280).  The second lowest pay occurred in Yuma, Ariz. ($20,363),
followed by Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. ($20,997), McAllen-
Edinburg-Mission, Tex. ($21,105), and Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($21,691).  These
five MSAs had the lowest average annual pay in 1998 as well.
   
   The largest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1998 to 1999
occurred in San Jose, Calif. (18.9 percent).  The next largest increases
were in Barnstable-Yarmouth, Mass., and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
(10.2 percent each), followed by Austin-San Marcos, Tex. (10.1 percent),
and San Francisco, Calif. (9.9 percent).
   
   From 1998 to 1999, 275 metropolitan areas experienced less than the
average growth in annual pay (4.4 percent).  Of these, 5 MSAs had growth
around 1 percent; 14 metropolitan areas experienced growth of less than 1
percent; and 9 metropolitan areas reported a decline in average annual pay.

Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas

   Average annual pay within the nation's nonmetropolitan areas rose 3.8
percent in 1999, compared with 4.4 percent in metropolitan areas.  (See
chart 2.)  Average annual pay in nonmetropolitan areas in 1999 was $25,993,
up from $25,039 in 1998.  In 1999, nonmetropolitan average annual pay was
25 percent less than metropolitan average annual pay, a difference of
$8,875.  The difference between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan pay has
gradually widened over the years.  In 1980, the difference between the two
pay levels amounted to approximately 16 percent.  A difference of 22
percent was reported in 1988.
   
   With the exception of 1993 and 1994, growth in total metropolitan
average annual pay outpaced that of nonmetropolitan average annual pay over
the last 10 years.  (MSA historical data are not directly comparable due to
revisions of metropolitan area definitions.)  Average annual pay is based
on place of employment, not residence.
     

Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas

   Average annual pay for the nation's 18 Consolidated Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (CMSAs) rose by 4.9 percent from 1998 to 1999, from
$37,851 to $39,695.  (See table 2.)  This was lower than the previous
year's growth rate of 5.4 percent.
   
   The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif., consolidated metropolitan
area had the highest pay level, $48,073.  The second highest pay level was
recorded in Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H.
($40,903), followed by Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash. ($40,612), Detroit-
Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. ($39,926), and Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-
W.Va. ($39,675).  (New Jersey data were not available for this release;
therefore, data for the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-
Conn.-Pa., and Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.,
CMSAs are not included in this release.)

                                  - 3 -

   Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had the lowest average annual pay level
($31,725) of the consolidated metropolitan areas in the nation for the
sixth consecutive year.  Cleveland-Akron, Ohio, had the second lowest
($32,903), followed by Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. ($33,296),
Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. ($33,301), and Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash. ($33,408).
   
   The highest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1998 to 1999
was in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. consolidated metropolitan
area, at 11.5 percent.  The next largest increases were in Seattle-Tacoma-
Bremerton, Wash. (9.2 percent), Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. (6.8 percent), 
Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H. (6.7 percent), and
Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. (5.0 percent).
   
   None of the consolidated metropolitan areas reported a decline in
average annual pay in 1999.  The smallest increases occurred in Cleveland-
Akron, Ohio (2.8 percent), and Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. (3.4 percent).  
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex., Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County,
Calif., and Sacramento-Yolo, Calif., reported increases of 3.6 percent.

      ---------------------------------------------------------
     |  1999 average annual pay and other data from the Covered|
     |Employment and Wages program will be available on the BLS|
     |web site at http://stats.bls.gov/cewnote.htm in early    |
     |December.                                                |
      ---------------------------------------------------------
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 reports, employers who operate multiple establishments within
a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report,"
which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of
their establishments.  Average annual pay data included in this release are
derived from microdata summaries of 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.  About
82 percent of all covered workers were employed in metropolitan areas.
Total wages of workers in metropolitan areas comprised approximately 86
percent of all covered wages in the United States.
   
   Major exclusions from UI coverage during 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 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 among metropolitan
areas, these factors should be taken into consideration.  Annual pay
data only approximate annual earnings because an individual may not be
employed by the same employer all year or may work for more than one
employer.  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 classifications 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas
for use in federal statistical activities and updates these definitions as
needed each summer.  Data in this release use metropolitan area criteria
established by OMB in definitions issued June 23, 1998 (OMB Bulletin No. 98-
06).  These definitions reflect information obtained from the 1990
Decennial Census and the 1996 and 1997 Bureau of the Census population
estimates.  Metropolitan statistical area definitions are typically
redefined on a yearly basis.  A complete list of metropolitan area
definitions is available from the National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Document Sales, 5205 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22161,
telephone 1-800-553-6847.
   
   Generally speaking, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a free-
standing urban area that meets a specified size criteria.  Primary
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs) are free-standing areas within very
large MSAs.  Once an area is identified as a PMSA, the term MSA no longer
is used to describe the area.  The large metropolitan area that is the sum
of the PMSAs is called a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA).
The set of areas known as MSAs, PMSAs, and CMSAs are collectively
designated and referred to as metropolitan areas.  Nonmetropolitan areas
include counties which do not fall within defined metropolitan areas and also
establishments classified as foreign locations with U.S. workers, out-of-state
locations, and unknown locations.
   
   Current metropolitan area definitions are based on standards published
in the Federal Register on March 30, 1990 (55 FR12154-12160).  Under the
1990 standards, an area qualifies for recognition as an MSA in one of two
ways:  (1) if it includes a city of at least 50,000 population, or (2) if
it includes a Bureau of the Census-defined urbanized area (of at least
50,000 population) and has a total metropolitan population of at least
100,000 (75,000 in New England).  In addition to the county(ies) containing
the main city or urbanized area, an MSA may include additional counties
that have strong economic and social ties to the central county(ies) and
meet other specified requirements of metropolitan character.  The ties are
determined chiefly by census data on commuting to work.  An MSA may contain
more than one city of 50,000 population and may cross state lines.

   An area that meets these requirements for recognition as an MSA but
also has a total population of one million or more may be recognized as a
CMSA if:  (1) separate component areas can be identified within the entire
area by meeting specified statistical criteria, and (2) local opinion
indicates there is support for the component areas.  If recognized, the
component areas are designated PMSAs, and the entire area becomes a CMSA.
If no PMSAs are recognized, the entire area is an MSA.
   
   OMB defines metropolitan areas in terms of entire counties, except in
the six New England states where they are defined in terms of cities and
towns.  New England data in this news release, however, are based on a
county concept defined by OMB as New England County Metropolitan Areas
(NECMAs) because county-level data are the most detailed available from the
Covered Employment and Wages program.  NECMAs are county-based alternatives
to the city- and town-based metropolitan areas in New England.  The NECMA
for an MSA or CMSA includes:  (1) the county containing the first-named
city in that MSA/CMSA title (this county may include the first-named cities
of other MSAs/CMSAs), and (2) each additional county having at least half
its population in the MSA(s)/CMSA(s) whose first-named cities are in the
county identified in step 1.

Additional statistics and other information

   Average annual employment and pay data by state and county are
available upon request from the Division of Occupational and Administrative
Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
Washington, DC 20212, telephone 202-691-6567 (e-mail: 202_info@bls.gov).
BLS issues three other reports which provide data from state UI and UCFE
programs.  The 1999 news release for average annual pay by state and
industry was issued on Nov. 17, 2000 (USDL 00-339), and employment and
average annual average pay for large counties is scheduled to be released
soon.  Also published from this program is the comprehensive bulletin,
Employment and Wages, which 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 for sale in
early 2001 from the BLS Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago,
Illinois 60690.
   
   This news release, along with other BLS statistics and information, is
available via the Internet at (http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm).
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.  Average annual pay for 1998 and 1999 for all covered workers(1) by metropolitan area
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                            Average annual pay              Ranking of  
                                                                                                               areas    
                                                                                                                        
                           Metropolitan area(2)                                                                         
                                                                                               Percent      By level of 
                                                                     1998        1999(3)       change,    average annual
                                                                                              1998-1999    pay for 1999 
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
            Metropolitan areas(4)...............................    $33,407      $34,868         4.4             -      
                                                                                                                        
          Abilene, TX...........................................     22,274       22,988         3.2            296     
          Aguadilla, PR.........................................     16,040       16,807         4.8            310     
          Akron, OH.............................................     30,698       30,990         1.0             80     
          Albany, GA............................................     26,152       26,813         2.5            191     
          Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY...........................     31,078       31,901         2.6             68     
          Albuquerque, NM.......................................     28,177       28,934         2.7            130     
          Alexandria, LA........................................     23,884       23,962         0.3            278     
          Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA........................     30,712       32,154         4.7             62     
          Altoona, PA...........................................     24,494       25,352         3.5            246     
          Amarillo, TX..........................................     24,930       25,632         2.8            236     
                                                                                                                        
          Anchorage, AK.........................................     35,459       35,707         0.7             25     
          Ann Arbor, MI.........................................     34,331       35,733         4.1             24     
          Anniston, AL..........................................     23,851       24,591         3.1            267     
          Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI...........................     29,399       30,772         4.7             86     
          Arecibo, PR...........................................     15,083       15,505         2.8            313     
          Asheville, NC.........................................     25,728       26,504         3.0            205     
          Athens, GA............................................     25,772       26,683         3.5            197     
          Atlanta, GA...........................................     35,405       37,341         5.5             21     
          Atlantic-Cape May, NJ.................................     28,509        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC..................................     28,019       28,592         2.0            140     
                                                                                                                        
          Austin-San Marcos, TX.................................     35,347       38,930        10.1             15     
          Bakersfield, CA.......................................     26,478       26,997         2.0            183     
          Baltimore, MD.........................................     32,731       33,837         3.4             39     
          Bangor, ME............................................     25,374       26,219         3.3            215     
          Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA...............................     26,954       29,711        10.2            110     
          Baton Rouge, LA.......................................     28,309       28,793         1.7            132     
          Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX..............................     30,222       30,242         0.1             98     
          Bellingham, WA........................................     24,795       25,605         3.3            237     
          Benton Harbor, MI.....................................     27,848       29,882         7.3            107     
          Bergen-Passaic, NJ....................................     40,110        (5)           (5)            (5)     
                                                                                                                        
          Billings, MT..........................................     24,802       25,550         3.0            239     
          Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, MS........................     26,319       26,348         0.1            213     
          Binghamton, NY........................................     28,445       29,167         2.5            126     
          Birmingham, AL........................................     30,607       31,990         4.5             66     
          Bismarck, ND..........................................     24,239       24,792         2.3            258     
          Bloomington, IN.......................................     25,810       26,141         1.3            219     
          Bloomington-Normal, IL................................     31,437       32,888         4.6             50     
          Boise City, ID........................................     28,000       29,864         6.7            108     
          Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH......     38,335       40,903         6.7              8     
          Boulder-Longmont, CO..................................     37,817       40,002         5.8             10     
                                                                                                                        
          Brazoria, TX..........................................     32,945       33,266         1.0             45     
          Bremerton, WA.........................................     28,346       29,109         2.7            128     
          Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX..................     20,979       20,997         0.1            305     
          Bryan-College Station, TX.............................     22,348       23,413         4.8            288     
          Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY.............................     29,661       30,487         2.8             92     
          Burlington, VT........................................     30,444       31,716         4.2             70     
          Caguas, PR............................................     17,019       17,480         2.7            309     
          Canton-Massillon, OH..................................     27,394       27,707         1.1            167     
          Casper, WY............................................     25,094       25,683         2.3            234     
          Cedar Rapids, IA......................................     31,375       32,441         3.4             55     
                                                                                                                        
          Champaign-Urbana, IL..................................     26,952       28,047         4.1            155     
          Charleston-North Charleston, SC.......................     25,245       26,410         4.6            209     
          Charleston, WV........................................     28,477       29,105         2.2            129     
          Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC...................     32,897       34,325         4.3             33     
          Charlottesville, VA...................................     28,601       29,394         2.8            119     
          Chattanooga, TN-GA....................................     27,303       28,264         3.5            149     
          Cheyenne, WY..........................................     24,312       25,249         3.9            250     
          Chicago, IL...........................................     37,745       39,536         4.7             13     
          Chico-Paradise, CA....................................     23,195       24,115         4.0            274     
          Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN..................................     32,206       33,626         4.4             41     
                                                                                                                        
          Clarksville-Hopkinsville, TN-KY.......................     23,052       23,775         3.1            283     
          Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH...........................     32,354       33,437         3.3             42     
          Colorado Springs, CO..................................     29,415       30,674         4.3             88     
          Columbia, MO..........................................     25,666       26,547         3.4            202     
          Columbia, SC..........................................     26,785       27,941         4.3            160     
          Columbus, GA-AL.......................................     25,047       26,131         4.3            221     
          Columbus, OH..........................................     31,166       32,428         4.0             58     
          Corpus Christi, TX....................................     26,553       26,940         1.5            186     
          Cumberland, MD-WV.....................................     23,697       24,084         1.6            275     
          Dallas, TX............................................     37,309       39,281         5.3             14     
                                                                                                                        
          Danville, VA..........................................     23,892       24,681         3.3            265     
          Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL...................     29,293       29,263        -0.1            125     
          Dayton-Springfield, OH................................     31,196       32,362         3.7             59     
          Daytona Beach, FL.....................................     22,859       23,640         3.4            285     
          Decatur, AL...........................................     27,700       28,892         4.3            131     
          Decatur, IL...........................................     31,239       32,061         2.6             64     
          Denver, CO............................................     35,606       38,133         7.1             16     
          Des Moines, IA........................................     30,604       32,271         5.4             61     
          Detroit, MI...........................................     39,497       40,836         3.4              9     
          Dothan, AL............................................     25,362       25,923         2.2            229     
                                                                                                                        
          Dover, DE.............................................     25,974       26,408         1.7            210     
          Dubuque, IA...........................................     26,462       26,662         0.8            198     
          Duluth-Superior, MN-WI................................     26,145       27,198         4.0            179     
          Dutchess County, NY...................................     33,568       35,256         5.0             28     
          Eau Claire, WI........................................     24,601       25,318         2.9            248     
          El Paso, TX...........................................     23,691       24,275         2.5            270     
          Elkhart-Goshen, IN....................................     28,725       29,643         3.2            114     
          Elmira, NY............................................     25,846       26,603         2.9            199     
          Enid, OK..............................................     21,765       22,695         4.3            300     
          Erie, PA..............................................     27,489       27,864         1.4            163     
                                                                                                                        
          Eugene-Springfield, OR................................     26,132       26,913         3.0            189     
          Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY...........................     28,412       29,166         2.7            127     
          Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN.................................     25,069       25,983         3.6            226     
          Fayetteville, NC......................................     24,491       25,120         2.6            254     
          Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR....................     26,133       27,679         5.9            168     
          Flagstaff, AZ-UT......................................     23,419       23,814         1.7            282     
          Flint, MI.............................................     34,580       35,658         3.1             26     
          Florence, AL..........................................     23,617       24,792         5.0            259     
          Florence, SC..........................................     25,273       26,101         3.3            222     
          Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.............................     29,165       30,019         2.9            104     
                                                                                                                        
          Fort Lauderdale, FL...................................     30,006       31,210         4.0             76     
          Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL.............................     25,300       26,451         4.5            207     
          Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL........................     25,558       26,044         1.9            224     
          Fort Smith, AR-OK.....................................     23,901       24,731         3.5            263     
          Fort Walton Beach, FL.................................     23,492       23,913         1.8            279     
          Fort Wayne, IN........................................     28,847       30,052         4.2            103     
          Fort Worth-Arlington, TX..............................     31,662       32,961         4.1             49     
          Fresno, CA............................................     23,856       24,734         3.7            262     
          Gadsden, AL...........................................     24,476       24,740         1.1            261     
          Gainesville, FL.......................................     24,923       25,166         1.0            252     
                                                                                                                        
          Galveston-Texas City, TX..............................     28,238       28,371         0.5            146     
          Gary, IN..............................................     30,510       30,455        -0.2             94     
          Glens Falls, NY.......................................     26,059       26,140         0.3            220     
          Goldsboro, NC.........................................     23,116       23,989         3.8            277     
          Grand Forks, ND-MN....................................     22,783       23,385         2.6            292     
          Grand Junction, CO....................................     24,553       25,312         3.1            249     
          Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI.....................     31,060       31,913         2.7             67     
          Great Falls, MT.......................................     22,509       23,153         2.9            294     
          Greeley, CO...........................................     26,404       27,384         3.7            175     
          Green Bay, WI.........................................     29,789       30,632         2.8             90     
                                                                                                                        
          Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC.............     28,610       29,676         3.7            112     
          Greenville, NC........................................     25,447       26,515         4.2            204     
          Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC...................     27,663       28,704         3.8            134     
          Hagerstown, MD........................................     26,525       27,637         4.2            170     
          Hamilton-Middletown, OH...............................     29,897       30,980         3.6             81     
          Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA.......................     30,416       31,487         3.5             72     
          Hartford, CT..........................................     38,490       39,954         3.8             11     
          Hattiesburg, MS.......................................     22,880       23,615         3.2            286     
          Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC..........................     24,941       25,965         4.1            228     
          Honolulu, HI..........................................     30,260       30,971         2.3             83     
                                                                                                                        
          Houma, LA.............................................     27,147       27,091        -0.2            181     
          Houston, TX...........................................     36,729       38,114         3.8             17     
          Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH..........................     25,099       25,577         1.9            238     
          Huntsville, AL........................................     33,789       34,225         1.3             35     
          Indianapolis, IN......................................     32,487       33,655         3.6             40     
          Iowa City, IA.........................................     27,232       28,578         4.9            141     
          Jackson, MI...........................................     29,488       30,828         4.5             85     
          Jackson, MS...........................................     27,073       28,074         3.7            153     
          Jackson, TN...........................................     26,788       27,811         3.8            165     
          Jacksonville, FL......................................     29,955       29,918        -0.1            106     
                                                                                                                        
          Jacksonville, NC......................................     19,818       20,280         2.3            307     
          Jamestown, NY.........................................     24,660       24,813         0.6            257     
          Janesville-Beloit, WI.................................     29,867       30,501         2.1             91     
          Jersey City, NJ.......................................     40,079        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.................     25,695       26,142         1.7            218     
          Johnstown, PA.........................................     23,160       24,018         3.7            276     
          Jonesboro, AR.........................................     23,655       24,375         3.0            269     
          Joplin, MO............................................     23,469       24,245         3.3            271     
          Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, MI............................     30,601       31,246         2.1             75     
          Kankakee, IL..........................................     26,399       27,293         3.4            178     
                                                                                                                        
          Kansas City, MO-KS....................................     31,276       33,026         5.6             47     
          Kenosha, WI...........................................     28,906       30,073         4.0            102     
          Killeen-Temple, TX....................................     23,145       23,879         3.2            280     
          Knoxville, TN.........................................     27,700       28,597         3.2            139     
          Kokomo, IN............................................     37,532       39,653         5.7             12     
          La Crosse, WI-MN......................................     24,928       25,972         4.2            227     
          Lafayette, LA.........................................     26,528       26,146        -1.4            217     
          Lafayette, IN.........................................     28,752       29,296         1.9            123     
          Lake Charles, LA......................................     27,757       27,957         0.7            159     
          Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.............................     26,188       26,914         2.8            188     
                                                                                                                        
          Lancaster, PA.........................................     28,539       29,452         3.2            118     
          Lansing-East Lansing, MI..............................     30,945       32,434         4.8             56     
          Laredo, TX............................................     22,169       22,653         2.2            301     
          Las Cruces, NM........................................     22,707       22,798         0.4            297     
          Las Vegas, NV-AZ......................................     29,803       30,634         2.8             89     
          Lawrence, KS..........................................     22,840       23,643         3.5            284     
          Lawton, OK............................................     23,068       23,087         0.1            295     
          Lewiston-Auburn, ME...................................     24,368       25,364         4.1            244     
          Lexington, KY.........................................     28,151       29,319         4.1            122     
          Lima, OH..............................................     27,231       28,210         3.6            150     
                                                                                                                        
          Lincoln, NE...........................................     26,602       27,431         3.1            174     
          Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR.....................     27,698       28,620         3.3            138     
          Longview-Marshall, TX.................................     25,387       25,865         1.9            232     
          Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA............................     36,571       37,748         3.2             19     
          Louisville, KY-IN.....................................     29,172       30,473         4.5             93     
          Lubbock, TX...........................................     24,618       24,727         0.4            264     
          Lynchburg, VA.........................................     26,041       26,857         3.1            190     
          Macon, GA.............................................     27,692       28,355         2.4            147     
          Madison, WI...........................................     29,863       31,097         4.1             77     
          Mansfield, OH.........................................     26,660       27,307         2.4            177     
                                                                                                                        
          Mayaguez, PR..........................................     15,487       16,047         3.6            312     
          McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX..........................     20,689       21,105         2.0            304     
          Medford-Ashland, OR...................................     24,275       25,677         5.8            235     
          Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL.....................     29,492       29,961         1.6            105     
          Memphis, TN-AR-MS.....................................     31,285       32,591         4.2             52     
          Merced, CA............................................     22,380       23,502         5.0            287     
          Miami-Dade, FL........................................     30,867       32,059         3.9             65     
          Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ......................     44,567        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI................................     32,130       33,375         3.9             43     
          Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI...........................     35,624       37,248         4.6             22     
                                                                                                                        
          Missoula, MT..........................................    23,266(6)    24,127(7)       3.7            273     
          Mobile, AL............................................     25,832       26,595         3.0            200     
          Modesto, CA...........................................     26,040       26,958         3.5            185     
          Monmouth-Ocean, NJ....................................     33,233        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Monroe, LA............................................     24,520       25,356         3.4            245     
          Montgomery, AL........................................     26,159       27,309         4.4            176     
          Muncie, IN............................................     26,490       26,775         1.1            193     
          Myrtle Beach, SC......................................     20,762       21,691         4.5            303     
          Naples, FL............................................     26,802       28,008         4.5            157     
          Nashville, TN.........................................     30,691       31,711         3.3             71     
                                                                                                                        
          Nassau-Suffolk, NY....................................     35,783       36,944         3.2             23     
          New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-Danbury, CT...     44,812       47,142         5.2              4     
          New London-Norwich, CT................................     34,618       35,409         2.3             27     
          New Orleans, LA.......................................     28,984       29,365         1.3            120     
          New York, NY..........................................     50,381       52,351         3.9              2     
          Newark, NJ............................................     42,906        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Newburgh, NY-PA.......................................     26,870       27,671         3.0            169     
          Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA-NC............     26,131       27,156         3.9            180     
          Oakland, CA...........................................     38,559       40,975         6.3              7     
          Ocala, FL.............................................     23,591       24,196         2.6            272     
                                                                                                                        
          Odessa-Midland, TX....................................     28,384       27,785        -2.1            166     
          Oklahoma City, OK.....................................     25,972       26,700         2.8            196     
          Olympia, WA...........................................     28,456       29,702         4.4            111     
          Omaha, NE-IA..........................................     28,593       30,084         5.2            101     
          Orange County, CA.....................................     35,717       37,487         5.0             20     
          Orlando, FL...........................................     27,796       28,781         3.5            133     
          Owensboro, KY.........................................     24,107       25,077         4.0            255     
          Panama City, FL.......................................     23,916       23,841        -0.3            281     
          Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH...........................     26,426       26,770         1.3            194     
          Pensacola, FL.........................................     24,888       25,172         1.1            251     
                                                                                                                        
          Peoria-Pekin, IL......................................     30,749       31,784         3.4             69     
          Philadelphia, PA-NJ...................................     36,231        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Phoenix-Mesa, AZ......................................     31,197       32,430         4.0             57     
          Pine Bluff, AR........................................     24,777       25,339         2.3            247     
          Pittsburgh, PA........................................     31,369       33,057         5.4             46     
          Pittsfield, MA........................................     28,882       29,629         2.6            115     
          Pocatello, ID.........................................     22,656       23,322         2.9            293     
          Ponce, PR.............................................     15,720       16,198         3.0            311     
          Portland, ME..........................................     28,897       30,412         5.2             96     
          Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA.............................     32,840       34,380         4.7             32     
                                                                                                                        
          Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, RI......................     30,092       31,053         3.2             78     
          Provo-Orem, UT........................................     25,292       26,543         4.9            203     
          Pueblo, CO............................................     23,952       24,605         2.7            266     
          Punta Gorda, FL.......................................     23,144       23,393         1.1            291     
          Racine, WI............................................     31,348       32,532         3.8             54     
          Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC........................     32,821       34,866         6.2             30     
          Rapid City, SD........................................     22,204       23,406         5.4            289     
          Reading, PA...........................................     30,541       31,002         1.5             79     
          Redding, CA...........................................     25,399       25,906         2.0            230     
          Reno, NV..............................................     29,832       31,380         5.2             74     
                                                                                                                        
          Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA..........................     29,517       30,088         1.9            100     
          Richmond-Petersburg, VA...............................     31,404       33,012         5.1             48     
          Riverside-San Bernardino, CA..........................     27,529       28,328         2.9            148     
          Roanoke, VA...........................................     26,750       28,011         4.7            156     
          Rochester, MN.........................................     33,125       35,025         5.7             29     
          Rochester, NY.........................................     32,084       32,588         1.6             53     
          Rockford, IL..........................................     30,598       31,441         2.8             73     
          Rocky Mount, NC.......................................     25,729       26,798         4.2            192     
          Sacramento, CA........................................     32,979       34,266         3.9             34     
          Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, MI..........................     33,330       33,990         2.0             36     
                                                                                                                        
          St. Cloud, MN.........................................     26,207       26,148        -0.2            216     
          St. Joseph, MO........................................     25,104       26,000         3.6            225     
          St. Louis, MO-IL......................................     32,256       33,345         3.4             44     
          Salem, OR.............................................     25,738       26,931         4.6            187     
          Salinas, CA...........................................     27,279       28,500         4.5            143     
          Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT..............................     28,370       29,486         3.9            117     
          San Angelo, TX........................................     23,454       24,521         4.5            268     
          San Antonio, TX.......................................     26,976       28,068         4.0            154     
          San Diego, CA.........................................     32,210       34,690         7.7             31     
          San Francisco, CA.....................................     45,644       50,169         9.9              3     
                                                                                                                        
          San Jose, CA..........................................     51,397       61,110        18.9              1     
          San Juan-Bayamon, PR..................................     19,113       19,720         3.2            308     
          San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA............     25,853       26,441         2.3            208     
          Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA..................     29,279       30,092         2.8             99     
          Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA............................     28,836       30,975         7.4             82     
          Santa Fe, NM..........................................     26,924       27,559         2.4            172     
          Santa Rosa, CA........................................     30,631       32,077         4.7             63     
          Sarasota-Bradenton, FL................................      (8)         25,506         (8)            241     
          Savannah, GA..........................................     27,745       28,643         3.2            136     
          Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA..................     26,068       26,593         2.0            201     
                                                                                                                        
          Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA..........................     39,849       43,921        10.2              5     
          Sharon, PA............................................     24,868       25,442         2.3            242     
          Sheboygan, WI.........................................     28,164       29,622         5.2            116     
          Sherman-Denison, TX...................................     27,026       28,098         4.0            152     
          Shreveport-Bossier City, LA...........................     25,546       26,272         2.8            214     
          Sioux City, IA-NE.....................................     24,793       25,440         2.6            243     
          Sioux Falls, SD.......................................     25,969       26,964         3.8            184     
          South Bend, IN........................................     27,683       28,632         3.4            137     
          Spokane, WA...........................................     26,553       27,566         3.8            171     
          Springfield, IL.......................................     32,610       33,990         4.2             37     
                                                                                                                        
          Springfield, MO.......................................     24,733       25,508         3.1            240     
          Springfield, MA.......................................     29,392       30,281         3.0             97     
          State College, PA.....................................     26,964       27,971         3.7            158     
          Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV...........................     26,346       26,742         1.5            195     
          Stockton-Lodi, CA.....................................     27,011       27,921         3.4            162     
          Sumter, SC............................................     22,206       22,758         2.5            298     
          Syracuse, NY..........................................     29,593       30,423         2.8             95     
          Tacoma, WA............................................     27,482       28,654         4.3            135     
          Tallahassee, FL.......................................     26,920       27,544         2.3            173     
          Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL...................     28,249       29,342         3.9            121     
                                                                                                                        
          Terre Haute, IN.......................................     25,515       26,402         3.5            211     
          Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR...........................     24,212       24,828         2.5            256     
          Toledo, OH............................................     29,705       30,890         4.0             84     
          Topeka, KS............................................     27,472       28,464         3.6            144     
          Trenton, NJ...........................................     41,612        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Tucson, AZ............................................     26,764       28,194         5.3            151     
          Tulsa, OK.............................................     28,670       29,273         2.1            124     
          Tuscaloosa, AL........................................     27,001       28,384         5.1            145     
          Tyler, TX.............................................     27,568       28,505         3.4            142     
          Utica-Rome, NY........................................     25,194       25,881         2.7            231     
                                                                                                                        
          Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA............................     28,309       29,674         4.8            113     
          Ventura, CA...........................................     31,973       33,927         6.1             38     
          Victoria, TX..........................................     25,335       25,707         1.5            233     
          Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ......................     30,198        (5)           (5)            (5)     
          Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA........................     21,826       22,703         4.0            299     
          Waco, TX..............................................     25,468       26,487         4.0            206     
          Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV...............................     40,585       42,601         5.0              6     
          Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA..............................     26,697       26,352        -1.3            212     
          Wausau, WI............................................     26,951       27,853         3.3            164     
          West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL........................     31,877       32,609         2.3             51     
                                                                                                                        
          Wheeling, WV-OH.......................................     23,594       24,792         5.1            260     
          Wichita, KS...........................................     30,479       30,770         1.0             87     
          Wichita Falls, TX.....................................     23,000       23,395         1.7            290     
          Williamsport, PA......................................     25,141       26,101         3.8            223     
          Wilmington-Newark, DE-MD..............................     36,758       37,990         3.4             18     
          Wilmington, NC........................................     25,621       27,017         5.4            182     
          Yakima, WA............................................     21,518       22,400         4.1            302     
          Yolo, CA..............................................     32,025       32,341         1.0             60     
          York, PA..............................................     29,280       29,817         1.8            109     
          Youngstown-Warren, OH.................................     27,110       27,932         3.0            161     
                                                                                                                        
          Yuba City, CA.........................................     23,983       25,129         4.8            253     
          Yuma, AZ..............................................     19,894       20,363         2.4            306     

            1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
          Employees (UCFE) programs.
          
            2 Includes data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of June
          1999.  In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used.  See
          Technical Note.
          
            3 Data are preliminary.
          
            4 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the fourth quarter in 1999 and do not
          include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
          
            5 MSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1999.  Please see text for more information.
          
            6 Data are being provided for over-the-year comparison purposes only.
          
            7 Data consists of a new MSA.
          
            8 Data are not available for release.
          
            Table 2.  Average annual pay for 1998 and 1999 for all covered workers(1) by Consolidated Metropolitan
            Statistical Area
                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      
                                                                             Average annual pay           Ranking of  
                                                                                                             areas    
                           Consolidated metropolitan                                                                  
                              statistical area(2)                                                                     
                                                                                             Percent      By level of 
                                                                       1998     1999(3)      change,    average annual
                                                                                            1998-1999    pay for 1999 
                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      
              Consolidated metropolitan statistical areas(4)........  $37,851   $39,695        4.9             -      
                                                                                                                      
            Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH........   38,335    40,903        6.7              2     
            Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI..........................   37,094    38,765        4.5              6     
            Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN...........................   31,919    33,296        4.3             14     
            Cleveland-Akron, OH.....................................   31,994    32,903        2.8             15     
            Dallas-Fort Worth, TX...................................   35,718    37,503        5.0              9     
            Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO..............................   35,415    37,833        6.8              7     
            Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI.............................   38,599    39,926        3.4              4     
            Houston-Galveston-Brazoria,TX...........................   36,247    37,550        3.6              8     
            Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA.................   34,932    36,182        3.6             10     
            Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL...............................   30,530    31,725        3.9             16     
                                                                                                                      
            Milwaukee-Racine, WI....................................   32,062    33,301        3.9             13     
            New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA...   44,582     (5)          (5)            (5)     
            Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD......   35,666     (5)          (5)            (5)     
            Portland-Salem, OR-WA...................................   31,913    33,408        4.7             12     
            Sacramento-Yolo, CA.....................................   32,877    34,062        3.6             11     
            San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA......................   43,127    48,073       11.5              1     
            San Juan-Caguas-Arecibo, PR.............................   18,734    19,319        3.1             17     
            Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA............................   37,174    40,612        9.2              3     
            Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV.......................   37,928    39,675        4.6              5     

              1 Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
            Employees (UCFE) programs.
            
              2 Includes data for Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of June 1999.  In the New England
            areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used.  See Technical Note.
            
              3 Data are preliminary.
            
              4 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the fourth quarter in 1999 and do not
            include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
            
              5 CMSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1999.  Please see text for more information.