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News Release Information

23-1397-DAL
Friday, June 23, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

County Employment and Wages in Arkansas — Fourth Quarter 2022

Employment rose in the three largest counties in Arkansas from December 2021 to December 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Benton County (+4.3 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. Benton’s rate of job gain ranked 21st among the 355 large U.S. counties. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

 

National employment increased 2.6 percent over the year, with 325 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 7.9 percent. Elkhart, IN, and Hendricks, IN, both experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.7 percent each.

Among the three largest counties in Arkansas, employment was highest in Pulaski County (256,500) in December 2022. Within Pulaski County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the three largest Arkansas counties accounted for 40.4 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 72 counties in Arkansas with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of the 72 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Washington County was the only large county in Arkansas to report an average weekly wage loss from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, declining 5.5 percent.  (See chart 2.) Benton County and Pulaski County had gains of 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.

 

Nationwide, wages decreased by 2.3 percent over the year. Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 240 had over-the-year wage decreases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage decrease (-22.6 percent). Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase (+6.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the three largest counties in Arkansas were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Benton County’s average weekly wage of $1,259 ranked 163rd among the 355 large U.S counties, followed by Pulaski County ($1,197, 204th). Washington County’s average weekly wage of $1,163 ranked 230th.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 86 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2022. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,329. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 269 counties. At $827 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Arkansas' smaller counties

Among the 72 smaller counties in Arkansas—those with employment below 75,000— Mississippi County ($1,261) reported the highest average weekly wage in the state, followed by Union County ($1,251). Montgomery County ($693) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 75 counties in Arkansas were considered, 19 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 25 registered wages from $800 to $899, 21 had wages from $900 to $999, and 10 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.) The counties with the highest average weekly wages were mainly concentrated around the larger metropolitan areas of Fort Smith and Little Rock, as well as the smaller areas of Blytheville and Fayetteville, and along the southern border of the state. The lowest-paying counties, with wages below $800, were concentrated mainly in the west central and north central parts of the state.

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.


Technical Note

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 summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the three largest counties in Arkansas, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 -- $1,385 -- -2.3 --

Arkansas

101.0 1,272.9 2.9 -- 1,065 50 -0.1 13

Benton

7.9 138.0 4.3 21 1,259 163 0.4 81

Pulaski

14.4 256.5 2.3 136 1,197 204 0.2 95

Washington

6.8 119.1 3.6 42 1,163 230 -5.5 340

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Arkansas, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment December 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,785,706 152,317,914 $1,385

Arkansas

101,038 1,272,913 1,065

Arkansas

999 10,397 975

Ashley

505 5,639 961

Baxter

1,277 15,642 858

Benton

7,858 138,039 1,259

Boone

960 14,710 902

Bradley

334 3,477 889

Calhoun

109 1,976 1,216

Carroll

826 10,732 795

Chicot

414 2,793 842

Clark

668 8,571 813

Clay

361 3,096 797

Cleburne

632 6,343 790

Cleveland

117 1,026 825

Columbia

648 8,051 947

Conway

517 6,846 928

Craighead

2,972 54,256 994

Crawford

1,271 19,314 952

Crittenden

1,127 16,111 922

Cross

460 4,570 787

Dallas

230 2,596 802

Desha

472 4,417 943

Drew

534 6,370 834

Faulkner

3,173 43,595 924

Franklin

393 4,884 825

Fulton

208 2,157 801

Garland

3,236 38,218 859

Grant

358 4,221 955

Greene

918 15,786 906

Hempstead

526 7,956 902

Hot Spring

617 8,277 885

Howard

361 6,343 826

Independence

937 17,263 936

Izard

254 2,863 783

Jackson

421 5,063 904

Jefferson

1,864 26,241 1,003

Johnson

488 8,670 789

Lafayette

161 1,096 768

Lawrence

396 4,050 816

Lee

237 1,790 855

Lincoln

251 2,677 886

Little River

239 3,097 1,034

Logan

483 5,196 777

Lonoke

1,379 15,100 829

Madison

290 3,530 837

Marion

292 3,582 778

Miller

908 12,378 954

Mississippi

1,026 17,827 1,261

Monroe

246 1,845 773

Montgomery

167 1,158 693

Nevada

197 2,139 890

Newton

122 989 730

Ouachita

611 8,366 990

Perry

146 1,069 1,125

Phillips

636 4,746 825

Pike

276 2,556 829

Poinsett

467 5,380 942

Polk

497 5,986 771

Pope

1,818 25,836 983

Prairie

238 1,545 829

Pulaski

14,433 256,519 1,197

Randolph

399 5,980 796

St. Francis

615 6,915 917

Saline

2,339 27,064 890

Scott

187 3,140 741

Searcy

176 1,420 727

Sebastian

3,738 65,561 1,018

Sevier

319 4,946 815

Sharp

387 3,793 724

Stone

293 2,560 733

Union

1,193 16,828 1,251

Van Buren

333 3,900 798

Washington

6,755 119,098 1,163

White

1,811 25,532 863

Woodruff

186 1,970 903

Yell

431 6,490 813

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2022
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 $1,385 -- -2.3 --

Alabama

152.6 2,057.5 2.2 1,158 35 0.4 8

Alaska

24.9 303.9 1.5 1,299 18 -0.8 26

Arizona

211.7 3,157.8 3.1 1,272 22 -0.8 26

Arkansas

101.0 1,272.9 2.9 1,065 50 -0.1 13

California

1,768.8 18,051.3 2.3 1,679 4 -6.9 51

Colorado

254.3 2,857.0 2.9 1,472 9 -0.9 31

Connecticut

142.8 1,667.9 1.6 1,593 6 -0.9 31

Delaware

40.5 464.6 2.4 1,346 15 0.4 8

District of Columbia

49.7 757.7 0.9 2,291 1 -1.1 35

Florida

882.6 9,616.3 3.9 1,284 20 -0.8 26

Georgia

397.5 4,794.5 3.7 1,289 19 -0.3 18

Hawaii

54.0 638.1 3.7 1,227 28 -0.2 16

Idaho

89.5 827.0 3.1 1,114 44 0.3 10

Illinois

409.8 5,997.3 2.0 1,432 11 -2.8 46

Indiana

189.5 3,154.4 2.1 1,131 40 -1.9 40

Iowa

110.8 1,543.9 0.9 1,153 37 -0.3 18

Kansas

96.4 1,416.2 2.6 1,125 41 -0.7 25

Kentucky

146.0 1,967.4 2.5 1,099 46 -0.9 31

Louisiana

151.5 1,880.4 1.1 1,134 39 -0.8 26

Maine

63.1 626.7 2.0 1,165 34 0.0 12

Maryland

190.0 2,668.5 0.3 1,462 10 -2.4 43

Massachusetts

293.6 3,620.2 1.8 1,790 2 -2.5 45

Michigan

302.6 4,350.0 2.3 1,274 21 -1.2 37

Minnesota

205.6 2,870.0 1.6 1,357 14 -1.5 38

Mississippi

83.3 1,161.6 1.2 947 51 0.2 11

Missouri

239.9 2,860.4 2.0 1,172 33 -0.6 21

Montana

62.6 500.6 2.4 1,118 42 0.9 5

Nebraska

79.1 995.5 1.7 1,154 36 1.2 4

Nevada

105.3 1,503.3 4.7 1,244 25 -0.1 13

New Hampshire

64.7 678.9 2.4 1,484 8 -6.1 50

New Jersey

331.2 4,235.5 2.7 1,534 7 -1.9 40

New Mexico

67.5 844.1 2.7 1,115 43 1.6 1

New York

683.5 9,449.3 2.7 1,736 3 -5.1 49

North Carolina

354.8 4,771.4 2.7 1,235 26 -0.6 21

North Dakota

34.8 416.0 2.0 1,204 30 0.9 5

Ohio

333.8 5,439.4 1.6 1,203 31 -1.6 39

Oklahoma

125.9 1,662.2 3.0 1,073 48 -0.6 21

Oregon

188.0 1,960.1 2.1 1,302 17 -2.2 42

Pennsylvania

391.9 5,944.5 2.1 1,320 16 -2.4 43

Rhode Island

47.0 485.8 2.2 1,261 23 -4.3 48

South Carolina

171.0 2,218.6 3.2 1,111 45 0.9 5

South Dakota

39.7 444.6 2.1 1,096 47 -1.0 34

Tennessee

207.8 3,221.9 3.8 1,254 24 -0.8 26

Texas

811.6 13,576.6 4.2 1,372 13 -0.2 16

Utah

137.3 1,675.6 3.2 1,230 27 -0.1 13

Vermont

31.6 304.6 1.7 1,207 29 1.4 3

Virginia

337.4 4,010.6 2.2 1,416 12 -0.6 21

Washington

236.8 3,540.6 3.2 1,631 5 -3.0 47

West Virginia

56.6 682.6 1.1 1,067 49 1.5 2

Wisconsin

204.0 2,899.1 2.1 1,188 32 -1.1 35

Wyoming

30.1 272.7 1.9 1,137 38 -0.5 20

Puerto Rico

50.8 976.7 4.3 665 (3) 2.9 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 35.7 1.6 1,021 (3) 3.8 (3)

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Chart 3. Average weekly wages by county in Arkansas, fourth quarter 2022

(U.S. average = $1,385)

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, June 23, 2023