Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  691-6567   USDL  99-374

Media contact:                 691-5902   For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
                                          Thursday, December 30, 1999


           AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY LEVELS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1998


   Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 315 metropolitan
areas increased by 5.2 percent from 1997 to 1998, according to preliminary
data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The over-the-year gain was the largest since 1992, when average annual pay
increased by 5.4 percent.  (See chart 1.)  Annual pay in metropolitan areas
averaged $33,381 in 1998, up from $31,734 in 1997.  (New Jersey data were
not available for the third and fourth quarters of 1998 and therefore are
not shown in this release.  Totals for the United States were calculated
using estimated data for New Jersey.)
   
   Average annual pay for the entire nation, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan
areas combined, was $31,908 in 1998, a 5.1 percent increase from 1997.
(Average annual pay by state and industry for 1998 was issued on
Dec. 15, 1999, in USDL 99-357.)
   
   Average annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by employers
subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws covering
124.2 million full- and part-time workers.  Average annual pay is computed
by dividing 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 charac-
teristics, as well as changes in the level of average pay.  Table 1 of this
release contains pay data for the 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.)  The data for the
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 $51,409 in 1998.  (See table 1.)  New York,
N.Y., had the second highest average annual pay level ($50,395), followed
by San Francisco, Calif. ($45,670), New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-
Danbury, Conn. ($44,853), and Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. ($40,695).
Average pay levels in these five metropolitan areas ranged from 22 to 54
percent above the average for all metropolitan areas in the nation.  Of the
306 metropolitan areas in the nation, excluding those with New Jersey com-
ponents, 29 reported average annual pay levels above the national metropolitan
pay average of $33,381.  (The nation's metropolitan average annual pay was
calculated using estimated New Jersey data.)
   
   Excluding MSAs within Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, N.C., continued to
record the lowest average annual pay among metropolitan areas in 1998
($19,815).  The second lowest pay occurred in Yuma, Ariz. ($19,891),
followed by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex. ($20,717), Myrtle Beach, S.C.
($20,762), and Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Tex. ($20,962).
   
   The largest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1997 to 1998
occurred in Austin-San Marcos, Tex. (14.3 percent).  The second largest
increase was in Boulder-Longmont, Colo. (13.9 percent), followed by St.
Cloud, Minn. (11.4 percent), Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (9.7 percent),
and Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, Miss. (8.8 percent).  Growth in average
annual pay for the Boulder-Longmont, Colo., MSA was partially the result of
large bonuses paid in the service sector.  From 1997 to 1998, none of the
metropolitan areas reported a decline in average annual pay.  Six metro-
politan areas experienced pay growth of less than 1.0 percent.

                                  - 2 -

Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
     
   Average annual pay within the nation's nonmetropolitan areas rose
4.8 percent in 1998, compared with 5.2 percent in metropolitan areas.
(See chart 2.)  Average annual pay in nonmetropolitan areas in 1998 was
$24,997, up from $23,854 in 1997.  In 1998, nonmetropolitan average annual
pay was $8,383 less than metropolitan average annual pay, a difference of
25 percent; in 1997, the percentage difference was the same.  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, and a difference of 22 percent was reported in 1988.
   
   With the exception of 1993 and 1994, growth in total metropolitan
average annual pay has 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.) Metropolitan pay grew
faster than nonmetropolitan pay in both the private and public sectors in
1998.  In the private sector, metropolitan average annual pay grew at a
rate of 5.6 percent, while nonmetropolitan pay increased 5.3 percent.
Within the public sector, metropolitan average annual pay increased
3.2 percent, versus 3.1 percent for nonmetropolitan pay.
   
   
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
   
   Average annual pay for the nation's 18 consolidated metropolitan
statistical areas (CMSAs) rose by 5.4 percent from 1997 to 1998, from
$35,844 to $37,790.  (See table 2.)  This was the largest percentage
increase since 1992.
   
   The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif., consolidated metropolitan
area had the highest pay level, $43,143.  The second highest pay level was
recorded in Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, Mich. ($38,624), followed by Boston-
Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.-N.H. ($38,357), Washington-
Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. ($38,016), and Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton,
Wash. ($37,179).  (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.)
   
   Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had the lowest average annual pay level
($30,477) of the consolidated metropolitan areas in the nation for the
fifth consecutive year.  Portland-Salem, Ore.-Wash., had the second lowest
($31,919), followed by Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. ($31,937),
Cleveland-Akron, Ohio ($32,011), and Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. ($32,069).
   
   The highest percentage increase in average annual pay from 1997 to 1998,
8.8 percent, was reported in Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash.  The next
largest increases were in Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo. (7.6 percent),
Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. (6.3 percent), Sacramento-Yolo, Calif. (6.2 percent),
and San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. (6.1 percent).
   
   None of the consolidated metropolitan areas reported a decline in
average annual pay in 1998.  The smallest increase occurred in Portland-
Salem, Ore.-Wash. (4.0 percent), followed by Cleveland-Akron, Ohio
(4.4 percent), and Milwaukee-Racine, Wis. (4.6 percent).  Both Los Angeles-
Riverside-Orange County, Calif., and Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., reported
increases of 5.0 percent, followed by Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Tex.
(5.1 percent).


Technical Note
     
   
   These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program known
as Covered Employment and Wages, or the ES-202 program.  The data are derived
from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by unemployment
insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Employment Security Agencies
(SESAs).  The summaries are a by-product of the administration of state
unemployment insurance programs that require most employers to pay quarterly
taxes based on the employment and wages of workers covered by UI.  Data for
1998 are preliminary and subject to revision.  Effective with third-quarter
1997 processing, employment and wage totals were generated using new systems
in each of the states and at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In some cases,
this transition to new systems resulted in larger differences between pre-
liminary and final 1997 levels.  This is the second year that BLS has
published annual pay data for metropolitan areas within Puerto Rico in this
release.
   
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 nearly 7.7 million employer reports of
employment and wages submitted by states to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These reports are based on place of employment rather than place of
residence.
   
   UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to
state.  In 1998, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 124.2 million
jobs.  The estimated 119.0 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment
for multiple jobholders), represented 98.4 percent of wage and salary
civilian employment.  Multiple jobholder estimates are produced by the
Current Population Survey (CPS).  Covered workers received $3.961 trillion
in pay, representing 95.5 percent of the wage and salary component of
personal income and 46.5 percent of the gross domestic product.  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 1998 included most agricultural
workers on small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials
in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic workers, most
student workers at schools, and employees of certain small nonprofit
organizations.
   
Concepts and methodology
   
   Average annual pay was computed by dividing total annual pay of
employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these
employees.  Included in the annual payroll data are bonuses, the cash value
of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other gratuities, and, in some
states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans, such
as 401(k) plans, and stock options.  Monthly employment is based on the number
of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period including the
12th of the month.  With few exceptions, all employees of covered firms are
reported, including production and sales workers, corporation officials,
executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical workers.  Workers on paid
vacation and part-time workers are also included.  Percent changes in average
annual pay were computed using final 1997 data as the base.  These final 1997
data may differ from the preliminary 1997 data previously published.

                                  - 2 -

   Average annual pay is affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time
workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying
occupations.  When comparing average annual pay levels 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 are also
introduced in the first quarter.  For these reasons, some data, especially
at more detailed geographic levels, may not be strictly comparable with
earlier years.  In 1997, effective with first quarter, improved Department
of Defense civilian employment and wages were centrally collected from a
new data source.
   
   The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas for
use in federal statistical activities and updates these definitions as
needed each summer.  Data in this release use metropolitan area criteria
established by OMB in definitions issued June 30, 1996 (OMB Bulletin
No. 96-08).  These definitions reflect information obtained from the 1990
Decennial Census and the 1992 and 1994 Bureau of the Census population
estimates.  Metropolitan statistical area definitions are typically
redefined on a yearly basis.  Over the past 11 years, changes to
metropolitan area definitions have occurred in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990,
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.  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.  Non-metropolitan areas
include counties which do not fall within defined metropolitan areas.
Covered employment and wage data include establishments classified as
foreign locations, out-of-state locations, and unknown locations in
nonmetropolitan areas.
   
   Current metropolitan area definitions are based on standards published
in the Federal Register on March 30, 1990 (55 FR12154-12160).  Under the
1990 standards, an area qualifies for recognition as an MSA in one of two
ways:  (1) if it includes a city of at least 50,000 population, or (2) if
it includes a Bureau of the Census-defined urbanized area (of at least
50,000 population) and has a total metropolitan population of at least
100,000 (75,000 in New England).  In addition to the county(ies) containing
the main city or urbanized area, an MSA may include additional counties
that have strong economic and social ties to the central county(ies) and
meet other specified requirements of metropolitan character.  The ties are
determined chiefly by census data on commuting to work.  An MSA may contain
more than one city of 50,000 population and may cross state lines.

                                  - 3 -

   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 now issues three
other reports which provide data from state UI and UCFE programs.  The 1998
news release for average annual pay by state and industry was issued on
Dec. 15, 1999 (USDL 99-357), and employment and average annual average pay
for large counties is scheduled to be issued in early 2000.  The large county
report was published for the first time in November 1998 with 1996 data.  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, 1998 is available for sale 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 the BLS Internet site
(http://stats.bls.gov.newsrels.htm).  Information in this release will be
made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone:
202-606-5886; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
          Table 1.  Average annual pay for 1997 and 1998 for all covered workers(1) by metropolitan area
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                            Average annual pay              Ranking of  
                                                                                                               areas    
                                                                                                                        
                           Metropolitan area(2)                                                                         
                                                                                               Percent      By level of 
                                                                     1997        1998(3)       change,    average annual
                                                                                            1997-1998(4)   pay for 1998 
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
            Metropolitan areas(5)...............................    $31,734      $33,381         5.2             -      
                                                                                                                        
          Abilene, TX...........................................     21,944       22,283         1.5            295     
          Aguadilla, PR.........................................     15,361       16,044         4.4            309     
          Akron, OH.............................................     29,101       30,697         5.5             66     
          Albany, GA............................................     25,409       26,179         3.0            189     
          Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY...........................     29,724       31,086         4.6             62     
          Albuquerque, NM.......................................     27,011       28,185         4.3            128     
          Alexandria, LA........................................     22,710       23,881         5.2            263     
          Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA........................     29,706       30,685         3.3             67     
          Altoona, PA...........................................     23,440       24,435         4.2            252     
          Amarillo, TX..........................................     24,013       24,926         3.8            238     
                                                                                                                        
          Anchorage, AK.........................................     34,787       35,441         1.9             23     
          Ann Arbor, MI.........................................     32,606       34,350         5.3             27     
          Anniston, AL..........................................     22,860       23,851         4.3            266     
          Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI...........................     28,395       29,398         3.5             98     
          Arecibo, PR...........................................     14,146       15,022         6.2            312     
          Asheville, NC.........................................     24,633       25,766         4.6            206     
          Athens, GA............................................     24,374       25,776         5.8            205     
          Atlanta, GA...........................................     33,254       35,433         6.6             24     
          Atlantic-Cape May, NJ.................................     27,934        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC..................................     26,944       27,957         3.8            132     
                                                                                                                        
          Austin-San Marcos, TX.................................     31,061       35,488        14.3             22     
          Bakersfield, CA.......................................     25,343       26,281         3.7            186     
          Baltimore, MD.........................................     31,317       32,752         4.6             36     
          Bangor, ME............................................     24,642       25,374         3.0            220     
          Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA...............................     25,121       26,965         7.3            161     
          Baton Rouge, LA.......................................     26,975       28,335         5.0            124     
          Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX..............................     28,704       30,236         5.3             80     
          Bellingham, WA........................................     23,908       24,792         3.7            243     
          Benton Harbor, MI.....................................     27,678       27,872         0.7            133     
          Bergen-Passaic, NJ....................................     38,513        (6)           (6)            (6)     
                                                                                                                        
          Billings, MT..........................................     24,519       24,802         1.2            242     
          Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, MS........................     24,196       26,328         8.8            185     
          Binghamton, NY........................................     27,742       28,441         2.5            119     
          Birmingham, AL........................................     29,636       30,604         3.3             72     
          Bismarck, ND..........................................     23,286       24,233         4.1            257     
          Bloomington, IN.......................................     24,221       25,836         6.7            203     
          Bloomington-Normal, IL................................     30,584       31,410         2.7             51     
          Boise City, ID........................................     27,129       28,028         3.3            131     
          Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH......     36,218       38,357         5.9             10     
          Boulder-Longmont, CO..................................     33,199       37,821        13.9             11     
                                                                                                                        
          Brazoria, TX..........................................     32,206       32,901         2.2             33     
          Bremerton, WA.........................................     27,550       28,377         3.0            121     
          Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX..................     20,009       20,962         4.8            302     
          Bryan-College Station, TX.............................     21,581       22,358         3.6            294     
          Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY.............................     28,359       29,659         4.6             91     
          Burlington, VT........................................     28,957       30,489         5.3             76     
          Caguas, PR............................................     16,287       17,039         4.6            308     
          Canton-Massillon, OH..................................     26,084       27,396         5.0            148     
          Casper, WY............................................     24,139       25,144         4.2            229     
          Cedar Rapids, IA......................................     29,005       31,394         8.2             52     
                                                                                                       
          Champaign-Urbana, IL..................................     25,829       26,941         4.3            163     
          Charleston-North Charleston, SC.......................     24,102       25,233         4.7            226     
          Charleston, WV........................................     27,484       28,448         3.5            118     
          Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC...................     30,834       32,884         6.6             34     
          Charlottesville, VA...................................     26,591       28,559         7.4            115     
          Chattanooga, TN-GA....................................     26,783       27,328         2.0            149     
          Cheyenne, WY..........................................     23,024       24,314         5.6            255     
          Chicago, IL...........................................     35,892       37,752         5.2             12     
          Chico-Paradise, CA....................................     22,164       23,205         4.7            278     
          Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN..................................     30,484       32,220         5.7             43     
                                                                                                                        
          Clarksville-Hopkinsville, TN-KY.......................     22,207       23,054         3.8            283     
          Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH...........................     31,086       32,375         4.1             39     
          Colorado Springs, CO..................................     27,299       29,407         7.7             96     
          Columbia, MO..........................................     24,411       25,623         5.0            212     
          Columbia, SC..........................................     25,473       26,798         5.2            167     
          Columbus, GA-AL.......................................     24,216       25,046         3.4            234     
          Columbus, OH..........................................     29,488       31,180         5.7             60     
          Corpus Christi, TX....................................     25,635       26,557         3.6            176     
          Cumberland, MD-WV.....................................     23,439       23,696         1.1            269     
          Dallas, TX............................................     35,015       37,323         6.6             14     
                                                                                                                        
          Danville, VA..........................................     23,196       23,852         2.8            265     
          Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL...................     28,462       29,298         2.9             99     
          Dayton-Springfield, OH................................     30,304       31,210         3.0             58     
          Daytona Beach, FL.....................................     21,932       22,730         3.6            289     
          Decatur, AL...........................................     26,872       27,676         3.0            141     
          Decatur, IL...........................................     29,533       31,234         5.8             57     
          Denver, CO............................................     33,359       35,628         6.8             20     
          Des Moines, IA........................................     29,167       30,627         5.0             71     
          Detroit, MI...........................................     37,164       39,520         6.3              7     
          Dothan, AL............................................     24,218       25,371         4.8            221     
                                                                                                                        
          Dover, DE.............................................     24,824       25,972         4.6            201     
          Dubuque, IA...........................................     25,446       26,457         4.0            180     
          Duluth-Superior, MN-WI................................     24,888       26,156         5.1            191     
          Dutchess County, NY...................................     31,136       33,581         7.9             29     
          Eau Claire, WI........................................     23,171       24,615         6.2            247     
          El Paso, TX...........................................     22,743       23,697         4.2            268     
          Elkhart-Goshen, IN....................................     27,203       28,724         5.6            111     
          Elmira, NY............................................     24,968       25,830         3.5            204     
          Enid, OK..............................................     21,557       21,765         1.0            300     
          Erie, PA..............................................     26,799       27,488         2.6            146     
                                                                                                                        
          Eugene-Springfield, OR................................     25,108       26,132         4.1            193     
          Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY...........................     26,692       28,419         6.5            120     
          Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN.................................     23,818       25,072         5.3            233     
          Fayetteville, NC......................................     23,545       24,500         4.1            251     
          Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR....................     24,351       26,115         7.2            194     
          Flagstaff, AZ-UT......................................     22,151       23,409         5.7            276     
          Flint, MI.............................................     33,654       34,612         2.8             25     
          Florence, AL..........................................     23,545       23,599         0.2            271     
          Florence, SC..........................................     24,243       25,269         4.2            224     
          Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.............................     27,410       29,159         6.4            103     
                                                                                  
          Fort Lauderdale, FL...................................     28,502       29,939         5.0             82     
          Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL.............................     24,197       25,267         4.4            225     
          Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL........................     24,810       25,507         2.8            215     
          Fort Smith, AR-OK.....................................     22,921       23,901         4.3            262     
          Fort Walton Beach, FL.................................     22,108       23,352         5.6            277     
          Fort Wayne, IN........................................     27,592       28,836         4.5            109     
          Fort Worth-Arlington, TX..............................     30,054       31,660         5.3             49     
          Fresno, CA............................................     22,626       23,822         5.3            267     
          Gadsden, AL...........................................     24,028       24,422         1.6            253     
          Gainesville, FL.......................................     23,612       24,956         5.7            236     
                                                                                                                        
          Galveston-Texas City, TX..............................     26,926       28,238         4.9            126     
          Gary, IN..............................................     29,067       30,514         5.0             75     
          Glens Falls, NY.......................................     25,165       26,064         3.6            196     
          Goldsboro, NC.........................................     22,069       23,088         4.6            282     
          Grand Forks, ND-MN....................................     22,132       22,825         3.1            288     
          Grand Junction, CO....................................     23,608       24,555         4.0            249     
          Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI.....................     29,627       31,178         5.2             61     
          Great Falls, MT.......................................     21,782       22,509         3.3            292     
          Greeley, CO...........................................     25,294       26,408         4.4            182     
          Green Bay, WI.........................................     28,920       29,799         3.0             89     
                                                                                                                        
          Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC.............     27,201       28,628         5.2            113     
          Greenville, NC........................................     24,835       25,477         2.6            216     
          Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC...................     26,473       27,692         4.6            139     
          Hagerstown, MD........................................     25,499       26,527         4.0            177     
          Hamilton-Middletown, OH...............................     28,789       29,896         3.8             84     
          Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA.......................     28,827       30,413         5.5             78     
          Hartford, CT..........................................     36,662       38,504         5.0              9     
          Hattiesburg, MS.......................................     22,645       22,884         1.1            286     
          Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC..........................     23,576       24,992         6.0            235     
          Honolulu, HI..........................................     29,512       30,248         2.5             79     
                                                                                                                        
          Houma, LA.............................................     25,994       27,142         4.4            153     
          Houston, TX...........................................     34,938       36,732         5.1             16     
          Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH..........................     24,797       25,107         1.3            231     
          Huntsville, AL........................................     32,588       33,798         3.7             28     
          Indianapolis, IN......................................     30,514       32,495         6.5             38     
          Iowa City, IA.........................................     26,431       27,263         3.1            151     
          Jackson, MI...........................................     28,604       29,492         3.1             94     
          Jackson, MS...........................................     26,143       27,086         3.6            155     
          Jackson, TN...........................................     25,631       26,782         4.5            168     
          Jacksonville, FL......................................     27,959       29,937         7.1             83     
                                                                                                                        
          Jacksonville, NC......................................     18,977       19,815         4.4            306     
          Jamestown, NY.........................................     23,567       24,660         4.6            246     
          Janesville-Beloit, WI.................................     29,462       29,877         1.4             85     
          Jersey City, NJ.......................................     38,459        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.................     24,881       25,661         3.1            210     
          Johnstown, PA.........................................     22,403       23,166         3.4            280     
          Jonesboro, AR.........................................     22,981       23,647         2.9            270     
          Joplin, MO............................................     22,912       23,424         2.2            275     
          Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, MI............................     29,400       30,628         4.2             70     
          Kankakee, IL..........................................     26,242       26,381         0.5            183     
                                                                                             
          Kansas City, MO-KS....................................     29,809       31,278         4.9             56     
          Kenosha, WI...........................................     27,270       28,916         6.0            105     
          Killeen-Temple, TX....................................     22,491       23,185         3.1            279     
          Knoxville, TN.........................................     26,415       27,673         4.8            142     
          Kokomo, IN............................................     35,880       37,517         4.6             13     
          La Crosse, WI-MN......................................     23,968       24,944         4.1            237     
          Lafayette, LA.........................................     25,684       26,514         3.2            178     
          Lafayette, IN.........................................     27,461       28,742         4.7            110     
          Lake Charles, LA......................................     27,064       27,751         2.5            135     
          Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.............................     25,036       26,189         4.6            188     
                                                                                                                        
          Lancaster, PA.........................................     27,272       28,515         4.6            116     
          Lansing-East Lansing, MI..............................     30,672       30,943         0.9             63     
          Laredo, TX............................................     21,470       22,003         2.5            298     
          Las Cruces, NM........................................     21,477       22,705         5.7            290     
          Las Vegas, NV-AZ......................................     28,198       29,801         5.7             88     
          Lawrence, KS..........................................     21,913       22,833         4.2            287     
          Lawton, OK............................................     21,504       23,042         7.2            284     
          Lewiston-Auburn, ME...................................     23,460       24,368         3.9            254     
          Lexington, KY.........................................     27,053       28,159         4.1            130     
          Lima, OH..............................................     25,817       27,239         5.5            152     
                                                                                                                        
          Lincoln, NE...........................................     25,180       26,608         5.7            174     
          Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR.....................     26,438       27,703         4.8            137     
          Longview-Marshall, TX.................................     24,797       25,396         2.4            219     
          Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA............................     34,958       36,608         4.7             17     
          Louisville, KY-IN.....................................     27,609       29,162         5.6            102     
          Lubbock, TX...........................................     23,439       24,597         4.9            248     
          Lynchburg, VA.........................................     25,030       26,037         4.0            197     
          Macon, GA.............................................     26,441       27,701         4.8            138     
          Madison, WI...........................................     28,470       29,872         4.9             86     
          Mansfield, OH.........................................     25,713       26,656         3.7            173     
                                                                                                                        
          Mayaguez, PR..........................................     14,502       15,510         7.0            311     
          McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX..........................     19,785       20,717         4.7            304     
          Medford-Ashland, OR...................................     23,309       24,291         4.2            256     
          Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL.....................     28,366       29,462         3.9             95     
          Memphis, TN-AR-MS.....................................     29,278       31,301         6.9             55     
          Merced, CA............................................     21,656       22,386         3.4            293     
          Miami-Dade, FL........................................     29,385       30,828         4.9             64     
          Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ......................     41,794        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI................................     30,689       32,136         4.7             44     
          Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI...........................     33,581       35,626         6.1             21     
                                                                                                                        
          Mobile, AL............................................     25,166       25,842         2.7            202     
          Modesto, CA...........................................     24,971       26,036         4.3            198     
          Monmouth-Ocean, NJ....................................     31,510        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Monroe, LA............................................     24,065       24,525         1.9            250     
          Montgomery, AL........................................     25,315       26,148         3.3            192     
          Muncie, IN............................................     26,399       26,485         0.3            179     
          Myrtle Beach, SC......................................     19,521       20,762         6.4            303     
          Naples, FL............................................      (7)         26,739         (7)            171     
          Nashville, TN.........................................     29,904       30,685         2.6             68     
          Nassau-Suffolk, NY....................................     34,338       35,752         4.1             18     
                                                                                   
          New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Waterbury-Danbury, CT...     42,551       44,853         5.4              4     
          New London-Norwich, CT................................     33,053       34,612         4.7             26     
          New Orleans, LA.......................................     27,560       28,983         5.2            104     
          New York, NY..........................................     47,378       50,395         6.4              2     
          Newark, NJ............................................     40,413        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Newburgh, NY-PA.......................................     25,851       26,874         4.0            165     
          Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA-NC............      (8)         26,160         (8)            190     
          Oakland, CA...........................................     36,410       38,535         5.8              8     
          Ocala, FL.............................................     22,420       23,570         5.1            273     
          Odessa-Midland, TX....................................     27,523       28,350         3.0            123     
                                                                                                                        
          Oklahoma City, OK.....................................     25,093       25,980         3.5            200     
          Olympia, WA...........................................     27,374       28,460         4.0            117     
          Omaha, NE-IA..........................................     27,591       28,584         3.6            114     
          Orange County, CA.....................................     33,750       35,714         5.8             19     
          Orlando, FL...........................................      (7)         27,759         (7)            134     
          Owensboro, KY.........................................     23,519       24,073         2.4            259     
          Panama City, FL.......................................     22,569       23,873         5.8            264     
          Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH...........................     25,679       26,410         2.8            181     
          Pensacola, FL.........................................     23,830       24,854         4.3            241     
          Peoria-Pekin, IL......................................     29,423       30,769         4.6             65     
                                                                                                                        
          Philadelphia, PA-NJ...................................     34,367        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Phoenix-Mesa, AZ......................................     29,306       31,190         6.4             59     
          Pine Bluff, AR........................................     23,822       24,768         4.0            244     
          Pittsburgh, PA........................................     30,366       31,379         3.3             53     
          Pittsfield, MA........................................     27,942       28,842         3.2            108     
          Pocatello, ID.........................................     22,028       22,663         2.9            291     
          Ponce, PR.............................................     14,880       15,690         5.4            310     
          Portland, ME..........................................     27,541       28,897         4.9            106     
          Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA.............................     31,590       32,846         4.0             35     
          Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, RI......................     28,606       30,088         5.2             81     
                                                                                                                        
          Provo-Orem, UT........................................     24,175       25,301         4.7            223     
          Pueblo, CO............................................     23,091       23,953         3.7            261     
          Punta Gorda, FL.......................................     22,199       23,102         4.1            281     
          Racine, WI............................................     30,346       31,371         3.4             54     
          Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC........................     30,923       32,332         4.6             40     
          Rapid City, SD........................................     21,447       22,208         3.5            297     
          Reading, PA...........................................     29,431       30,547         3.8             74     
          Redding, CA...........................................     24,697       25,417         2.9            218     
          Reno, NV..............................................     28,439       29,827         4.9             87     
          Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA..........................     28,317       29,521         4.3             93     
                                                                                                                        
          Richmond-Petersburg, VA...............................     29,986       31,442         4.9             50     
          Riverside-San Bernardino, CA..........................     26,161       27,505         5.1            145     
          Roanoke, VA...........................................     25,689       26,780         4.2            169     
          Rochester, MN.........................................     31,551       33,142         5.0             31     
          Rochester, NY.........................................     31,345       32,087         2.4             45     
          Rockford, IL..........................................     29,304       30,600         4.4             73     
          Rocky Mount, NC.......................................     24,823       25,722         3.6            209     
          Sacramento, CA........................................     31,003       33,001         6.4             32     
          Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, MI..........................     32,063       33,274         3.8             30     
          St. Cloud, MN.........................................     23,570       26,247        11.4            187     
                                                                                               
          St. Joseph, MO........................................     24,050       25,105         4.4            232     
          St. Louis, MO-IL......................................     30,989       32,263         4.1             41     
          Salem, OR.............................................     24,734       25,744         4.1            207     
          Salinas, CA...........................................     26,091       27,294         4.6            150     
          Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT..............................     27,140       28,365         4.5            122     
          San Angelo, TX........................................     22,237       23,444         5.4            274     
          San Antonio, TX.......................................     25,514       26,984         5.8            158     
          San Diego, CA.........................................     30,357       32,221         6.1             42     
          San Francisco, CA.....................................     42,698       45,670         7.0              3     
          San Jose, CA..........................................     48,655       51,409         5.7              1     
                                                                                                                        
          San Juan-Bayamon, PR..................................     18,089       19,042         5.3            307     
          San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA............     24,703       25,733         4.2            208     
          Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA..................     27,745       29,277         5.5            101     
          Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA............................     27,160       28,862         6.3            107     
          Santa Fe, NM..........................................     25,542       26,900         5.3            164     
          Santa Rosa, CA........................................     28,771       30,653         6.5             69     
          Sarasota-Bradenton, FL................................     23,588       25,208         6.9            227     
          Savannah, GA..........................................     25,822       27,733         7.4            136     
          Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, PA....................     25,087       26,071         3.9            195     
          Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA..........................     36,315       39,848         9.7              6     
                                                                                                                        
          Sharon, PA............................................     24,342       24,870         2.2            240     
          Sheboygan, WI.........................................     27,123       28,171         3.9            129     
          Sherman-Denison, TX...................................     25,431       27,025         6.3            156     
          Shreveport-Bossier City, LA...........................     24,517       25,566         4.3            213     
          Sioux City, IA-NE.....................................     23,603       24,909         5.5            239     
          Sioux Falls, SD.......................................     24,568       25,993         5.8            199     
          South Bend, IN........................................     26,571       27,683         4.2            140     
          Spokane, WA...........................................     25,527       26,568         4.1            175     
          Springfield, IL.......................................     31,175       32,608         4.6             37     
          Springfield, MO.......................................     23,640       24,743         4.7            245     
                                                                                                                        
          Springfield, MA.......................................     28,359       29,406         3.7             97     
          State College, PA.....................................     26,080       26,967         3.4            160     
          Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV...........................     25,438       26,337         3.5            184     
          Stockton-Lodi, CA.....................................     26,143       26,972         3.2            159     
          Sumter, SC............................................     21,772       22,212         2.0            296     
          Syracuse, NY..........................................     28,677       29,595         3.2             92     
          Tacoma, WA............................................     26,462       27,507         3.9            144     
          Tallahassee, FL.......................................     25,064       26,803         6.9            166     
          Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL...................     26,831       28,220         5.2            127     
          Terre Haute, IN.......................................     24,141       25,516         5.7            214     
                                                                                                                        
          Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR...........................     23,999       24,225         0.9            258     
          Toledo, OH............................................     29,052       29,733         2.3             90     
          Topeka, KS............................................     26,120       27,479         5.2            147     
          Trenton, NJ...........................................     39,834        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Tucson, AZ............................................     25,504       26,773         5.0            170     
          Tulsa, OK.............................................     27,464       28,673         4.4            112     
          Tuscaloosa, AL........................................     25,961       26,997         4.0            157     
          Tyler, TX.............................................     26,109       27,572         5.6            143     
          Utica-Rome, NY........................................     24,660       25,189         2.1            228     
          Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA............................     27,076       28,309         4.6            125     
                                                                                                             
          Ventura, CA...........................................     30,489       31,962         4.8             47     
          Victoria, TX..........................................     24,104       25,339         5.1            222     
          Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ......................     28,952        (6)           (6)            (6)     
          Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA........................     20,795       21,812         4.9            299     
          Waco, TX..............................................     24,383       25,470         4.5            217     
          Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV...............................     38,461       40,695         5.8              5     
          Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA..............................     26,432       26,728         1.1            172     
          Wausau, WI............................................     26,266       26,956         2.6            162     
          West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL........................     29,808       31,735         6.5             48     
          Wheeling, WV-OH.......................................     22,828       23,599         3.4            272     
                                                                                                                        
          Wichita, KS...........................................     29,211       30,474         4.3             77     
          Wichita Falls, TX.....................................     22,429       22,999         2.5            285     
          Williamsport, PA......................................     24,117       25,144         4.3            230     
          Wilmington-Newark, DE-MD..............................     34,843       36,758         5.5             15     
          Wilmington, NC........................................     24,767       25,645         3.5            211     
          Yakima, WA............................................     20,715       21,483         3.7            301     
          Yolo, CA..............................................     30,868       32,024         3.7             46     
          York, PA..............................................     28,116       29,280         4.1            100     
          Youngstown-Warren, OH.................................     26,855       27,123         1.0            154     
          Yuba City, CA.........................................     22,521       24,052         6.8            260     
                                                                                                                        
          Yuma, AZ..............................................     19,466       19,891         2.2            305     

            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
          1998.  In the New England areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used.  See
          Technical Note.
            3 Data are preliminary.
            4 Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may differ from those computed
          using data rounded to the nearest dollar.
            5 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the third and fourth quarters in 1998 and
          do not include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.
            6 MSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1998.  Please see text for more information.
            7 Data are not available for release.
            8 Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.

            Table 2.  Average annual pay for 1997 and 1998 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 
                                                                        1997    1998(3)      change,    average annual
                                                                                          1997-1998(4)   pay for 1998 
                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      
              Consolidated metropolitan statistical areas(5)........  $35,844   $37,790        5.4             -      
                                                                                                                      
            Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, MA-NH........   36,218    38,357        5.9              3     
            Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI..........................   35,284    37,105        5.2              6     
            Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN...........................   30,278    31,937        5.5             14     
            Cleveland-Akron, OH.....................................   30,654    32,011        4.4             13     
            Dallas-Fort Worth, TX...................................   33,610    35,732        6.3              8     
            Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO..............................   32,941    35,440        7.6              9     
            Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI.............................   36,430    38,624        6.0              2     
            Houston-Galveston-Brazoria,TX...........................   34,497    36,242        5.1              7     
            Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA.................   33,321    34,974        5.0             10     
            Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL...............................   29,038    30,477        5.0             16     
                                                                                                                      
            Milwaukee-Racine, WI....................................   30,658    32,069        4.6             12     
            New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA...   42,142     (6)          (6)            (6)     
            Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD......   33,889     (6)          (6)            (6)     
            Portland-Salem, OR-WA...................................   30,689    31,919        4.0             15     
            Sacramento-Yolo, CA.....................................   30,988    32,897        6.2             11     
            San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA......................   40,649    43,143        6.1              1     
            San Juan-Caguas-Arecibo, PR.............................   17,741    18,677        5.3             17     
            Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA............................   34,165    37,179        8.8              5     
            Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV.......................   36,034    38,016        5.5              4     

              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 1998.  In the New England
            areas, the New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA) definitions were used.  See Technical Note.            
              3 Data are preliminary.            
              4 Percent changes were computed from unrounded average annual pay data and may differ from those
            computed using data rounded to the nearest dollar.            
              5 Totals were calculated using estimated data for New Jersey for the third and fourth quarters in 1998
            and do not include the six MSAs within Puerto Rico.            
              6 CMSAs containing New Jersey data are not available for 1998.  Please see text for more information.