Of the 317 largest counties in the United States, 161 had over-the-year percentage growth in employment above the national average in March 2004, and 144 experienced changes below the national average. Average weekly wages grew faster than the national average in 103 of the largest U.S. counties, while the percent change in average weekly wages was below the national average in 203 counties.
The employment and average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from reports submitted by every employer subject to unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The 8.4 million employer reports cover 127.8 million full- and part-time workers.
Large County Employment
The national employment total in March 2004 was 127.8 million, which was 0.8 percent higher than in March 2003. The 317 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.6 percent of total U.S. covered employment and 77.4 percent of total wages. These 317 counties had a net job gain of 680,700 over the year, comprising 64 percent of the U.S. net over-the-year employment increase from March 2003. The largest gains in employment from March 2003 to March 2004 were recorded in the counties of Orange, Calif. (49,900), Clark, Nev. (40,000), Maricopa, Ariz. (39,500), Los Angeles, Calif. (29,500), and Riverside, Calif. (29,000).Employment increased in 222 counties from March 2003 to March 2004. Prince William County, Va., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (8.0 percent). Rutherford County, Tenn., had the next largest increase, 7.3 percent, followed by the counties of Marion, Fla. (6.4 percent), Placer, Calif. (6.3 percent), and Lee, Fla.
Employment declined in 80 counties from March 2003 to March 2004. The largest percentage decline in employment was in Trumbull County, Ohio (-3.2 percent), followed by the counties of St. Louis City, Mo. (-2.9 percent), Oakland, Mich. (-2.5 percent), Wayne, Mich. (-2.4 percent), and San Mateo, Calif. (-1.9 percent). The largest absolute declines in employment occurred in Wayne County, Mich. (-19,600), followed by the counties of Oakland, Mich. (-18,200), Cook, Ill. (-12,600), Middlesex, Mass. (-9,600), and Alameda, Calif. (-9,100).
Large County Average Weekly Wages
The national average weekly wage in the first quarter of 2004 was $758, which was 3.8 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2003. Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 107 of the largest 317 U.S. counties. New York County, N.Y., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,913. Fairfield County, Conn., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,492, followed by Suffolk, Mass. ($1,405), Santa Clara, Calif. ($1,338), and Somerset, N.J. ($1,322).New York County, N.Y., also led the nation in growth in average weekly wages, with an increase of 13.6 percent from the first quarter of 2003. Suffolk County, Mass., was second with 12.6 percent growth, followed by the counties of San Mateo, Calif. (10.8 percent), Olmsted, Minn. (10.4 percent), and Loudoun, Va. (10.1 percent).
There were 210 counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the first quarter of 2004. The lowest average weekly wages were reported in Cameron County, Texas ($445), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($451), Webb, Texas ($473), Horry, S.C. ($484), and Yakima, Wash. ($505).
Eleven counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Trumbull County, Ohio, had the largest decrease, -3.0 percent, followed by the counties of Williamson, Texas (-1.6 percent), Chester, Penn. (-1.4 percent), Snohomish, Wash. (-1.3 percent), and Broome, N.Y. (-0.8 percent).
