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Economic News Release
PRINT:Print
QCEW QCEW Program Links

County Employment and Wages News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Tuesday, October 19, 2010 USDL-10-1449 
 
Technical Information:  (202) 691-6567  *  QCEWInfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cew 
Media Contact:  (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov 
 
 
County Employment and Wages 
First Quarter 2010 
 
 
From March 2009 to March 2010, employment declined in 296 of the 326 
largest U.S. counties according to preliminary data, the U.S. Bureau 
of Labor Statistics reported today. Collier, Fla., posted the largest 
percentage decline, with a loss of 6.0 percent over the year, 
compared with a national job decrease of 2.1 percent. Forty-five 
percent of the employment decline in Collier occurred in natural 
resources and mining, which lost 3,282 jobs over the year (-41.2 
percent). Elkhart, Ind., experienced the largest over-the-year 
percentage increase in employment among the largest counties in the 
U.S. with a gain of 5.7 percent.  
 
The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 0.8 percent 
to $889 in the first quarter of 2010. Among the large counties in 
the U.S., New York, N.Y., had the largest over-the-year increase in 
average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2010, with a gain of 
11.9 percent. Within New York, financial activities had the largest 
over-the-year increase in average weekly wages with a gain of 22.7 
percent. San Mateo, Calif., experienced the largest decline in 
average weekly wages with a loss of 17.7 percent over the year. 
County employment and wage data are compiled under the Quarterly 
Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. 

Table A.  Top 10 large counties ranked by March 2010 employment, March 2009-10 employment 
decrease, and March 2009-10 percent decrease in employment  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Employment in large counties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       March 2010 employment      |      Decrease in employment,     |  Percent decrease in employment, 
            (thousands)           |           March 2009-10          |           March 2009-10
                                  |            (thousands)           |                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 United States           126,281.7| United States            -2,646.7| United States                -2.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 Los Angeles, Calif.       3,863.3| Los Angeles, Calif.        -133.9| Collier, Fla.                -6.0
 Cook, Ill.                2,311.0| Cook, Ill.                  -69.1| Sedgwick, Kan.               -5.8
 New York, N.Y.            2,255.5| Maricopa, Ariz.             -64.0| Marion, Fla.                 -5.2
 Harris, Texas             1,970.8| Orange, Calif.              -58.2| Clark, Nev.                  -5.1
 Maricopa, Ariz.           1,606.6| Harris, Texas               -49.8| San Bernardino, Calif.       -5.0
 Dallas, Texas             1,392.8| Clark, Nev.                 -42.5| McHenry, Ill.                -4.8
 Orange, Calif.            1,342.8| New York, N.Y.              -38.2| Contra Costa, Calif.         -4.7
 San Diego, Calif.         1,229.8| King, Wash.                 -35.5| Seminole, Fla.               -4.6
 King, Wash.               1,098.9| San Diego, Calif.           -35.2| Gloucester, N.J.             -4.6
 Miami-Dade, Fla.            947.4| San Bernardino, Calif.      -30.9| Tulsa, Okla.                 -4.6
                                  |                                  |                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Large County Employment 
 
In March 2010, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program, 
was 126.3 million, down by 2.1 percent from March 2009. The 326 U.S. 
counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 70.9 percent of 
total U.S. employment and 77.5 percent of total wages. These 326 
counties had a net job decline of 2,075,200 over the year, accounting 
for 78.4 percent of the overall U.S. employment decrease.  
 
Collier, Fla., had the largest percentage decline in employment among 
the largest U.S. counties. The top five counties with the greatest 
employment level declines (Los Angeles, Calif.; Cook, Ill.; Maricopa, 
Ariz.; Orange, Calif.; and Harris, Texas) had a combined over-the-
year loss of 375,000, or 14.2 percent of the employment decline for 
the U.S. as a whole. (See table A.) 

Employment rose in 22 of the large counties from March 2009 to March 
2010. Elkhart, Ind., had the largest over-the-year percentage 
increase in employment (5.7 percent) in the nation. Within Elkhart, 
manufacturing was the largest contributor to the increase in 
employment. Benton, Wash., experienced the second largest employment 
increase, followed by Arlington, Va.; Kings, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.; 
and Passaic, N.J. 

Table B.  Top 10 large counties ranked by first quarter 2010 average weekly wages, first quarter 2009-10 
increase in average weekly wages, and first quarter 2009-10 percent increase in average weekly wages 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Average weekly wage in large counties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Average weekly wage,      |    Increase in average weekly    |    Percent increase in average 
         first quarter 2010       |    wage, first quarter 2009-10   |        weekly wage, first 
                                  |                                  |          quarter 2009-10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 United States                $889| United States                  $7| United States                 0.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  |                                  |                                  
 New York, N.Y.             $2,404| New York, N.Y.               $255| New York, N.Y.               11.9
 Fairfield, Conn.            1,787| Hudson, N.J.                  147| Hudson, N.J.                 10.6
 Somerset, N.J.              1,745| Santa Clara, Calif.           133| Santa Clara, Calif.           8.7
 Santa Clara, Calif.         1,655| Mecklenburg, N.C.              89| Mecklenburg, N.C.             8.4
 San Francisco, Calif.       1,594| San Francisco, Calif.          82| San Francisco, Calif.         5.4
 Suffolk, Mass.              1,557| Arlington, Va.                 53| Winnebago, Wis.               4.8
 Hudson, N.J.                1,538| Fairfield, Conn.               51| Williamson, Tenn.             4.6
 Arlington, Va.              1,520| Mercer, N.J.                   50| Hamilton, Tenn.               4.4
 Washington, D.C.            1,505| Contra Costa, Calif.           46| Mercer, N.J.                  4.3
 San Mateo, Calif.           1,469| Durham, N.C.                   45| Washington, Ore.              4.3
                                  |                                  |                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Large County Average Weekly Wages 
 
Average weekly wages for the nation increased by 0.8 percent over the 
year in the first quarter of 2010. Among the 326 largest counties, 
147 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. New York, 
N.Y. had the largest wage gain among the largest U.S. counties. (See 
table B.) Of the 326 largest counties, 165 experienced declines in 
average weekly wages.  
 
San Mateo, Calif., led the nation in average weekly wage decline with 
a loss of 17.7 percent over the year. In the county, manufacturing 
had the largest over-the-year decline in average weekly wages (-58.2 
percent) due to a large payout related to an acquisition in first 
quarter of 2009. Solano, Calif., had the second largest overall 
decline among the counties, followed by Pulaski, Ark.; Peoria, Ill.; 
and Stark, Ohio. 
 
Ten Largest U.S. Counties 
 
All of the 10 largest counties experienced over-the-year percent 
declines in employment in March 2010. Orange, Calif., experienced the 
largest decline in employment among the 10 largest counties with a 
4.2 percent decrease. Within Orange, every private industry group 
except education and health services experienced an employment 
decline, with construction experiencing the largest decline (-15.2 
percent). (See table 2.) New York, N.Y., experienced the smallest 
decline in employment among the 10 largest counties.  
 
Five of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw an over-the-year increase in 
average weekly wages. New York, N.Y., experienced the largest 
increase in average weekly wages among the 10 largest counties and 
the nation with a gain of 11.9 percent. Miami-Dade, Fla., had the 
largest wage decline among the 10 largest counties. 
 
For More Information 
 
The tables included in this release contain data for the nation and 
for the 326 U.S. counties with annual average employment levels of 
75,000 or more in 2009. March 2010 employment and 2010 first quarter 
average weekly wages for all states are provided in table 3 of this 
release. 
                             
The employment and wage data by county are compiled under the 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 9.0 million employer reports cover 126.3 million full- 
and part- time workers. For additional information about the 
quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note. 
Data for the first quarter of 2010 will be available later at 
http://www.bls.gov/cew/. Additional information about the QCEW data 
may be obtained by calling (202) 691-6567. 
 
Several BLS regional offices are issuing QCEW news releases targeted 
to local data users. For links to these releases, see 
http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm. 
   
The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2010 is 
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 11, 2011. 

   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  |                                                                      |
  | QCEW Beta Products                                                   |
  |                                                                      |
  | The QCEW State and County Map Application was released on June 30,   |
  | 2010 (http://beta.bls.gov/maps). This new feature of the BLS website |
  | provides users with supersector industry employment and wages at the |
  | national, state, and county levels. Data are presented in map,       |
  | tabular, and downloadable formats.                                   |
  |                                                                      |
  | QCEW flat files are available in a new format as of October 19,      |
  | 2010 on the BLS website at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/public/cew/beta. The    |
  | new format was developed to be easier to use than the existing       |
  | format. Files will be available in both formats for approximately    |
  | one year. Please direct comments on the new file format to           |
  | QCEWInfo@bls.gov. For more information, see the readme file          |
  | available on the ftp directory listed above.                         |                                
  |                                                                      |
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  |                                                                      |
  | Changes for the 2010 County Employment and Wages News Release        |
  |                                                                      |
  | Effective with this release, the "Covered establishments, employment,|
  | and wages in the largest county by state" table (formerly Table 3),  | 
  | along with the associated text on the largest county by state, has   |
  | been removed.                                                        |
  |                                                                      | 
  | Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2009    |
  | are included in this release and will be included in future 2010     |
  | releases. For 2010 data, two counties have been added to the         |
  | publication tables: St. Tammany Parish, La., and Benton, Wash. Ten   |
  | Counties will be excluded from 2010 releases: Shelby, Ala.; Butte,   |
  | Calif.; Tippecanoe, Ind.; Johnson, Iowa; Saratoga, N.Y.; Trumbull,   | 
  | Ohio; Warren, Ohio; Kent, R.I.; Gregg, Texas; and Racine, Wis.       |
  |                                                                      |
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   
   
   

Technical Note 
 
 
These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program, 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 summaries are a result 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. QCEW data in this 
release are based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System. Data 
for 2010 are preliminary and subject to revision. 

For purposes of this release, large counties are defined as having employment le-
vels of 75,000 or greater. In addition, data for San Juan, Puerto Rico, are pro-
vided, but not used in calculating U.S. averages, rankings, or in the analysis in 
the text. Each year, these large counties are selected on the basis of the prelimi-
nary annual average of employment for the previous year. The 327 counties presented 
in this release were derived using 2009 preliminary annual averages of employment. 
For 2010 data, two counties have been added to the publication tables: St. Tammany
Parish, La., and Benton, Wash. These counties will be included in all 2010 quarter-
ly releases. Ten counties, Shelby, Ala.; Butte, Calif.; Tippecanoe, Ind.; Johnson, 
Iowa; Saratoga, N.Y.; Trumbull, Ohio; Warren, Ohio; Kent, R.I.; Gregg, Texas; and 
Racine, Wis., which were published in the 2009 releases, will be excluded from this 
and future 2010 releases because their 2009 annual average employment levels were 
less than 75,000. The counties in table 2 are selected and sorted each year based 
on the annual average employment from the preceding year. 

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released 
by the individual states. These potential differences result from the states' con-
tinuing receipt of UI data over time and ongoing review and editing. The individual 
states determine their data release timetables. 
 
Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES employment measures 

The Bureau publishes three different establishment-based employment measures for 
any given quarter. Each of these measures--QCEW, Business Employment Dynamics (BED), 
and Current Employment Statistics (CES)--makes use of the quarterly UI employment 
reports in producing data; however, each measure has a somewhat different universe 
coverage, estimation procedure, and publication product. 

Differences in coverage and estimation methods can result in somewhat different 
measures of employment change over time. It is important to understand program dif-
ferences and the intended uses of the program products. (See table.) Additional in-
formation on each program can be obtained from the program Web sites shown in the 
table. 

Summary of Major Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES Employment Measures

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                     
            |         QCEW        |         BED          |         CES
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Source     |--Count of UI admini-|--Count of longitudi- |--Sample survey:
            |  strative records   |  nally-linked UI ad- |  400,000 establish-
            |  submitted by 9.0   |  ministrative records|  ments
            |  million establish- |  submitted by 6.8    |
            |  ments in first     |  million private-sec-|
            |  quarter of 2010    |  tor employers       |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Coverage   |--UI and UCFE cover- |--UI coverage, exclud-|Nonfarm wage and sal-
            |  age, including all |  ing government, pri-|  ary jobs:
            |  employers subject  |  vate households, and|--UI coverage, exclud-
            |  to state and fed-  |  establishments with |  ing agriculture, pri-
            |  eral UI laws       |  zero employment     |  vate households, and
            |                     |                      |  self-employed workers
            |                     |                      |--Other employment, in-
            |                     |                      |  cluding railroads, 
            |                     |                      |  religious organiza-
            |                     |                      |  tions, and other non-
            |                     |                      |  UI-covered jobs
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Publication|--Quarterly          |--Quarterly           |--Monthly 
 frequency  |  -7 months after the|  -8 months after the |  -Usually first Friday
            |   end of each quar- |   end of each quarter|   of following month
            |   ter               |                      |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Use of UI  |--Directly summarizes|--Links each new UI   |--Uses UI file as a sam-
 file       |  and publishes each |  quarter to longitu- |  pling frame and annu-
            |  new quarter of UI  |  dinal database and  |  ally realigns (bench-
            |  data               |  directly summarizes |  marks) sample esti-
            |                     |  gross job gains and |  mates to first quar-
            |                     |  losses              |  ter UI levels
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Principal  |--Provides a quarter-|--Provides quarterly  |--Provides current month-
 products   |  ly and annual uni- |  employer dynamics   |  ly estimates of employ-
            |  verse count of es- |  data on establish-  |  ment, hours, and earn-
            |  tablishments, em-  |  ment openings, clos-|  ings at the MSA, state,
            |  ployment, and wages|  ings, expansions,   |  and national level by
            |  at the county, MSA,|  and contractions at |  industry
            |  state, and national|  the national level  |
            |  levels by detailed |  by NAICS supersec-  |
            |  industry           |  tors and by size of |
            |                     |  firm, and at the    |
            |                     |  state private-sector|
            |                     |  total level         |
            |                     |--Future expansions   |
            |                     |  will include data   |
            |                     |  with greater indus- |
            |                     |  try detail and data |
            |                     |  at the county and   |  
            |                     |  MSA level           |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Principal  |--Major uses include:|--Major uses include: |--Major uses include:
 uses       |  -Detailed locality |  -Business cycle     |  -Principal national
            |   data              |   analysis           |   economic indicator
            |  -Periodic universe |  -Analysis of employ-|  -Official time series 
            |   counts for bench- |   er dynamics under- |   for employment change
            |   marking sample    |   lying economic ex- |   measures
            |   survey estimates  |   pansions and con-  |  -Input into other ma-
            |  -Sample frame for  |   tractions          |   jor economic indi-
            |   BLS establishment |  -Analysis of employ-|   cators
            |   surveys           |   ment expansion and |
            |                     |   contraction by size|   
            |                     |   of firm            |
            |                     |                      |
 -----------|---------------------|----------------------|------------------------
 Program    |--www.bls.gov/cew/   |--www.bls.gov/bdm/    |--www.bls.gov/ces/
 Web sites  |                     |                      |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
 
Coverage 

Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws are compiled from 
quarterly contribution reports submitted to the SWAs by employers. For federal ci-
vilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees 
(UCFE) program, employment and wage data are compiled from quarterly reports sub-
mitted by four major federal payroll processing centers on behalf of all federal 
agencies, with the exception of a few agencies which still report directly to the 
individual SWA. 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. QCEW employment and wage data are derived 
from microdata summaries of 9.0 million employer reports of employment and wages 
submitted by states to the BLS in 2009. These reports are based on place of employ-
ment rather than place of residence. 

UI and UCFE coverage is broad and has been basically comparable from state to state 
since 1978, when the 1976 amendments to the Federal Unemployment Tax Act became ef-
fective, expanding coverage to include most State and local government employees. 
In 2009, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 128.6 million jobs. The estimated 
123.6 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment for multiple jobholders) 
represented 95.1 percent of civilian wage and salary employment. Covered workers 
received $5.859 trillion in pay, representing 93.4 percent of the wage and salary 
component of personal income and 41.5 percent of the gross domestic product. 

Major exclusions from UI coverage include self-employed workers, 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. 

State and federal UI laws change periodically. These changes may have an impact on 
the employment and wages reported by employers covered under the UI program. Cover-
age changes may affect the over-the-year comparisons presented in this news re-
lease. 
 
Concepts and methodology 

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 vacations and part-time workers also are included. 

Average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the 
average of the three monthly employment levels (all employees, as described above) 
and dividing the result by 13, for the 13 weeks in the quarter. These calculations 
are made using unrounded employment and wage values. The average wage values that 
can be calculated using rounded data from the BLS database may differ from the av-
erages reported. Included in the quarterly wage data are non-wage cash payments 
such as bonuses, the cash value of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other 
gratuities, and, in some states, employer contributions to certain deferred compen-
sation plans such as 401(k) plans and stock options. Over-the-year comparisons of 
average weekly wages may reflect fluctuations in average monthly employment and/or 
total quarterly wages between the current quarter and prior year levels. 

Average weekly wages are 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 and the 
incidence of pay periods within a quarter. For instance, the average weekly wage of 
the work force could increase significantly when there is a large decline in the 
number of employees that had been receiving below-average wages. Wages may include 
payments to workers not present in the employment counts because they did not work 
during the pay period including the 12th of the month. When comparing average week-
ly wage levels between industries, states, or quarters, these factors should be 
taken into consideration. 

Federal government pay levels are subject to periodic, sometimes large, fluctua-
tions due to a calendar effect that consists of some quarters having more pay pe-
riods than others. Most federal employees are paid on a biweekly pay schedule. As a 
result of this schedule, in some quarters, federal wages contain payments for six 
pay periods, while in other quarters their wages include payments for seven pay pe-
riods. Over-the-year comparisons of average weekly wages may reflect this calendar 
effect. Higher growth in average weekly wages may be attributed, in part, to a com-
parison of quarterly wages for the current year, which include seven pay periods, 
with year-ago wages that reflect only six pay periods. An opposite effect will oc-
cur when wages in the current period, which contain six pay periods, are compared 
with year-ago wages that include seven pay periods. The effect on over-the-year pay 
comparisons can be pronounced in federal government due to the uniform nature of 
federal payroll processing. This pattern may exist in private sector pay; however, 
because there are more pay period types (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly) it 
is less pronounced. The effect is most visible in counties with large concentra-
tions of federal employment. 

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, states verify with employ-
ers and update, if necessary, the industry, location, and ownership classification 
of all establishments on a 4-year cycle. Changes in establishment classification 
codes resulting from this 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. 

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of indi-
vidual establishment records and reflect 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. For example, economic change would come from a 
firm relocating into the county; administrative change would come from a company 
correcting its county designation. 

The over-the-year changes of employment and wages presented in this release have 
been adjusted to account for most of the administrative corrections made to the un-
derlying establishment reports. This is done by modifying the prior-year levels 
used to calculate the over-the-year changes. Percent changes are calculated using 
an adjusted version of the final 2009 quarterly data as the base data. The adjusted 
prior-year levels used to calculate the over-the-year percent change in employment 
and wages are not published. These adjusted prior-year levels do not match the un-
adjusted data maintained on the BLS Web site. Over-the-year change calculations 
based on data from the Web site, or from data published in prior BLS news releases, 
may differ substantially from the over-the-year changes presented in this news re-
lease. 

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change measures presented in 
this release account for most of the administrative changes--those occurring when 
employers update the industry, location, and ownership information of their estab-
lishments. The most common adjustments for administrative change are the result of 
updated information about the county location of individual establishments. In-
cluded in these adjustments are administrative changes involving the classification 
of establishments that were previously reported in the unknown or statewide county 
or unknown industry categories. Beginning with the first quarter of 2008, adjusted 
data account for administrative changes caused by multi-unit employers who start 
reporting for each individual establishment rather than as a single entity. 

The adjusted data used to calculate the over-the-year change measures presented in 
any County Employment and Wages news release are valid for comparisons between the 
starting and ending points (a 12-month period) used in that particular release. 
Comparisons may not be valid for any time period other than the one featured in a 
release even if the changes were calculated using adjusted data.
 
County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information Processing Stan-
dards Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of 
the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security 
Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106. Areas shown as counties include those designated 
as independent cities in some jurisdictions and, in Alaska, those designated as 
census areas where counties have not been created. County data also are presented 
for the New England states for comparative purposes even though townships are the 
more common designation used in New England (and New Jersey). The regions referred 
to in this release are defined as census regions. 
 
Additional statistics and other information 

An annual bulletin, Employment and Wages, features comprehensive information by de-
tailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all 
states. The 2008 edition of this bulletin contains selected data produced by Busi-
ness Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data 
from the first quarter 2009 version of this news release. Tables and additional 
content from the 2008 Employment and Wages Annual Bulletin are now available online 
at http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn08.htm. These tables present final 2008 annual 
averages. The tables are included on the CD which accompanies the hardcopy version 
of the Annual Bulletin. Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2008 is available 
for sale as a chartbook from the United States Government Printing Office, Superin-
tendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250, telephone (866) 512-
1800, outside Washington, D.C. Within Washington, D.C., the telephone number is 
(202) 512-1800. The fax number is (202) 512-2104. 

News releases on quarterly measures of gross job flows also are available upon re-
quest from the Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover (Business 
Employment Dynamics), telephone (202) 691-6467; (http://www.bls.gov/bdm/); (e-mail: 
BDMInfo@bls.gov). 

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. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the 327 largest counties,
first quarter 2010(2)
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
                                                     Employment               Average weekly wage(4)   
                                                                                                       
                          Establishments,                                                              
        County(3)          first quarter                Percent   Ranking            Percent   Ranking 
                                2010         March      change,      by    Average   change,      by   
                            (thousands)       2010       March    percent   weekly    first    percent 
                                          (thousands) 2009-10(5)   change    wage    quarter    change 
                                                                                   2009-10(5)          
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
United States(6).........       9,043.6     126,281.7      -2.1         -     $889       0.8         - 
                                                                                                       
Jefferson, AL............          18.0         331.3      -2.6       210      880      -1.2       228 
Madison, AL..............           8.8         177.1      -0.7        45      938       0.6       117 
Mobile, AL...............           9.9         164.0      -2.5       202      707      -0.8       204 
Montgomery, AL...........           6.4         129.7      -1.4        92      741       1.9        47 
Tuscaloosa, AL...........           4.3          82.2      -1.2        76      746       2.1        42 
Anchorage Borough, AK....           8.1         144.8      -0.2        29      933       0.0       148 
Maricopa, AZ.............          95.1       1,606.6      -3.8       289      848      -0.8       204 
Pima, AZ.................          19.6         345.5      -3.0       242      739      -0.9       214 
Benton, AR...............           5.5          91.3      -2.1       161    1,038       1.8        54 
Pulaski, AR..............          15.1         240.7      -2.0       153      779     -11.3       318 
                                                                                                       
Washington, AR...........           5.6          89.4       1.1         7      691       0.7       105 
Alameda, CA..............          54.3         629.9      -3.4       269    1,142       2.2        36 
Contra Costa, CA.........          29.8         310.3      -4.7       313    1,140       4.2        11 
Fresno, CA...............          30.7         316.1      -3.6       282      686      -0.1       156 
Kern, CA.................          18.2         253.1      -2.1       161      760      -0.7       196 
Los Angeles, CA..........         431.4       3,863.3      -3.4       269      978       1.0        93 
Marin, CA................          11.6          99.2      -3.2       257    1,040      -0.7       196 
Monterey, CA.............          12.8         148.1      -2.2       174      797       1.0        93 
Orange, CA...............         101.6       1,342.8      -4.2       303    1,001       1.2        85 
Placer, CA...............          10.7         124.4      -3.1       248      843      -0.6       188 
                                                                                                       
Riverside, CA............          48.2         553.4      -4.4       308      728      -1.2       228 
Sacramento, CA...........          54.4         583.8      -3.5       275      974       0.5       124 
San Bernardino, CA.......          50.5         588.9      -5.0       315      732       0.0       148 
San Diego, CA............          98.5       1,229.8      -2.8       224      930      -0.6       188 
San Francisco, CA........          52.9         537.7      -3.1       248    1,594       5.4         5 
San Joaquin, CA..........          17.6         200.8      -3.7       286      721       0.1       141 
San Luis Obispo, CA......           9.6          97.6      -4.0       296      729      -2.8       291 
San Mateo, CA............          23.8         313.8      -3.2       257    1,469     -17.7       320 
Santa Barbara, CA........          14.3         171.1      -3.5       275      830       0.5       124 
Santa Clara, CA..........          60.9         832.2      -3.4       269    1,655       8.7         3 
                                                                                                       
Santa Cruz, CA...........           9.1          85.6      -4.1       300      791      -2.8       291 
Solano, CA...............          10.2         119.9      -1.0        57      888     -12.0       319 
Sonoma, CA...............          18.6         171.2      -3.8       289      820       1.5        73 
Stanislaus, CA...........          15.1         156.5      -2.0       153      735       2.2        36 
Tulare, CA...............           9.4         133.2      -2.8       224      604       0.3       135 
Ventura, CA..............          23.7         295.2      -3.8       289      923       1.7        60 
Yolo, CA.................           6.0          92.9      -4.0       296      820       1.5        73 
Adams, CO................           9.0         145.2      -3.2       257      771      -3.6       306 
Arapahoe, CO.............          18.9         266.6      -1.6       112    1,088       0.6       117 
Boulder, CO..............          12.8         150.2      -2.1       161    1,011      -0.5       182 
                                                                                                       
Denver, CO...............          25.2         413.6      -2.1       161    1,158       1.8        54 
Douglas, CO..............           9.4          87.5      -2.1       161    1,003       1.2        85 
El Paso, CO..............          16.8         229.1      -2.2       174      790      -0.8       204 
Jefferson, CO............          18.0         200.0      -2.2       174      899       0.7       105 
Larimer, CO..............          10.0         123.0      -1.6       112      755      -1.0       219 
Weld, CO.................           5.8          77.7      -3.7       286      722      -0.1       156 
Fairfield, CT............          32.7         387.7      -3.3       262    1,787       2.9        20 
Hartford, CT.............          25.2         475.0      -2.8       224    1,162       1.8        54 
New Haven, CT............          22.4         341.7      -2.6       210      911      -0.2       165 
New London, CT...........           6.9         121.7      -3.4       269      918      -2.3       282 
                                                                                                       
New Castle, DE...........          17.7         257.4      -4.1       300    1,123       0.8       100 
Washington, DC...........          34.3         685.2       1.2         5    1,505       2.8        25 
Alachua, FL..............           6.7         114.9      -2.3       186      709      -4.1       311 
Brevard, FL..............          14.6         188.7      -2.1       161      793       0.4       127 
Broward, FL..............          63.0         680.6      -3.1       248      807      -0.7       196 
Collier, FL..............          11.8         114.8      -6.0       319      739       1.9        47 
Duval, FL................          26.7         430.4      -2.9       234      861       1.4        76 
Escambia, FL.............           7.9         120.1      -0.1        24      659      -2.7       290 
Hillsborough, FL.........          37.0         570.3      -3.1       248      842      -1.9       266 
Lake, FL.................           7.3          79.2      -4.0       296      572      -1.0       219 
                                                                                                       
Lee, FL..................          18.7         197.7      -3.1       248      682      -1.6       252 
Leon, FL.................           8.2         138.4      -1.3        83      713      -1.7       256 
Manatee, FL..............           9.2         110.7      -1.6       112      632      -2.6       289 
Marion, FL...............           8.0          89.7      -5.2       317      600      -1.2       228 
Miami-Dade, FL...........          84.8         947.4      -2.0       153      845      -1.3       237 
Okaloosa, FL.............           6.0          75.6      -1.8       129      706       1.3        79 
Orange, FL...............          35.1         641.7      -2.2       174      774      -0.9       214 
Palm Beach, FL...........          49.0         494.6      -3.1       248      855       1.4        76 
Pasco, FL................           9.8          95.9      -2.5       202      579      -2.2       279 
Pinellas, FL.............          30.5         390.7      -1.8       129      738      -0.3       169 
                                                                                                       
Polk, FL.................          12.3         192.0      -3.9       293      643      -1.4       242 
Sarasota, FL.............          14.6         133.9      -4.0       296      706      -1.8       261 
Seminole, FL.............          13.9         154.7      -4.6       310      714      -3.1       298 
Volusia, FL..............          13.4         152.3      -2.9       234      614       1.3        79 
Bibb, GA.................           4.6          78.9      -2.7       218      682      -0.7       196 
Chatham, GA..............           7.6         127.6      -1.8       129      726      -1.5       246 
Clayton, GA..............           4.3         101.6       (7)         -      756       (7)         - 
Cobb, GA.................          20.5         283.4      -3.1       248      923      -1.1       225 
De Kalb, GA..............          17.4         274.8      -2.6       210      943       0.0       148 
Fulton, GA...............          39.2         696.4      -2.9       234    1,262       2.9        20 
                                                                                                       
Gwinnett, GA.............          23.3         292.3      -2.8       224      844      -1.2       228 
Muscogee, GA.............           4.7          91.7      -1.3        83      705       1.9        47 
Richmond, GA.............           4.7          98.1      -0.9        51      718      -1.6       252 
Honolulu, HI.............          24.9         429.6      -2.3       186      797      -0.4       176 
Ada, ID..................          14.3         189.4      -1.7       121      739      -1.6       252 
Champaign, IL............           4.2          87.0      -1.3        83      732       0.4       127 
Cook, IL.................         142.9       2,311.0      -2.9       234    1,083      -0.1       156 
Du Page, IL..............          36.3         535.6      -2.9       234    1,043       1.3        79 
Kane, IL.................          13.0         186.7      -4.2       303      750      -0.4       176 
Lake, IL.................          21.4         300.6      -3.4       269    1,154       3.2        18 
                                                                                                       
McHenry, IL..............           8.6          90.1      -4.8       314      699      -0.9       214 
McLean, IL...............           3.7          84.2      -0.8        47      885      -1.1       225 
Madison, IL..............           6.0          91.8      -0.9        51      724       2.1        42 
Peoria, IL...............           4.7          97.3      -3.5       275      794     -11.0       317 
Rock Island, IL..........           3.5          73.3      -3.0       242      868      -2.1       275 
St. Clair, IL............           5.5          92.7      -1.9       144      697      -0.3       169 
Sangamon, IL.............           5.3         124.7      -1.0        57      877       1.7        60 
Will, IL.................          14.4         187.0      -2.6       210      754       0.4       127 
Winnebago, IL............           6.9         122.3      -3.5       275      714      -3.8       309 
Allen, IN................           9.0         166.2      -1.1        67      718       0.1       141 
                                                                                                       
Elkhart, IN..............           4.9          97.6       5.7         1      664       3.6        14 
Hamilton, IN.............           8.0         104.7      -3.5       275      866       2.9        20 
Lake, IN.................          10.4         179.8      -2.4       190      746      -1.5       246 
Marion, IN...............          24.0         540.4      -1.1        67      951       1.8        54 
St. Joseph, IN...........           6.1         113.0      -2.2       174      696      -2.5       285 
Vanderburgh, IN..........           4.8         103.6       0.1        19      690      -3.0       296 
Linn, IA.................           6.3         121.6      -1.9       144      813      -1.2       228 
Polk, IA.................          14.6         262.3      -1.5        98      898       0.7       105 
Scott, IA................           5.2          83.2      -1.8       129      683      -1.7       256 
Johnson, KS..............          20.9         291.9      -3.2       257      932       2.9        20 
                                                                                                       
Sedgwick, KS.............          12.4         237.1      -5.8       318      762      -3.4       303 
Shawnee, KS..............           4.9          93.1      -1.2        76      725      -2.8       291 
Wyandotte, KS............           3.2          78.3      -0.6        42      787       1.7        60 
Fayette, KY..............           9.4         165.6      -1.8       129      767      -0.5       182 
Jefferson, KY............          22.2         402.6      -1.3        83      845       0.2       138 
Caddo, LA................           7.6         120.1      -1.5        98      695      -0.4       176 
Calcasieu, LA............           5.0          83.1      -3.6       282      728      -4.2       312 
East Baton Rouge, LA.....          14.9         256.6      -2.3       186      802      -3.5       304 
Jefferson, LA............          14.3         191.7      -1.8       129      800       0.1       141 
Lafayette, LA............           9.3         129.2      -3.6       282      808      -2.2       279 
                                                                                                       
Orleans, LA..............          11.0         171.3       1.0         8      957      -0.3       169 
St. Tammany, LA..........           7.5          74.6      -0.8        47      679      -2.9       295 
Cumberland, ME...........          12.1         163.7      -1.5        98      803       0.8       100 
Anne Arundel, MD.........          14.3         222.6      -0.8        47      944       1.7        60 
Baltimore, MD............          21.2         359.5      -1.7       121      899       0.9        98 
Frederick, MD............           5.9          89.9      -2.4       190      853      -3.5       304 
Harford, MD..............           5.6          79.6       0.0        23      809      -0.6       188 
Howard, MD...............           8.7         142.5      -0.5        37    1,068       2.6        28 
Montgomery, MD...........          32.2         436.3      -1.6       112    1,260       2.4        31 
Prince Georges, MD.......          15.5         295.4      -3.5       275      918      -0.1       156 
                                                                                                       
Baltimore City, MD.......          13.4         319.3      -2.7       218    1,049       3.1        19 
Barnstable, MA...........           9.1          77.9      -1.0        57      726      -1.9       266 
Bristol, MA..............          15.7         201.3      -1.9       144      749       0.1       141 
Essex, MA................          21.0         284.9      -0.6        42      903       1.0        93 
Hampden, MA..............          14.8         189.0      -1.4        92      803       1.4        76 
Middlesex, MA............          48.0         790.0      -1.1        67    1,274       0.2       138 
Norfolk, MA..............          23.8         306.1      -1.0        57    1,026       0.8       100 
Plymouth, MA.............          13.8         164.7      -1.8       129      780      -0.9       214 
Suffolk, MA..............          22.3         565.0      -1.1        67    1,557      -0.9       214 
Worcester, MA............          20.9         303.3      -1.5        98      849      -1.2       228 
                                                                                                       
Genesee, MI..............           7.6         124.7      -3.0       242      691      -3.1       298 
Ingham, MI...............           6.6         150.5      -1.2        76      833       2.6        28 
Kalamazoo, MI............           5.5         105.2      -3.3       262      778      -0.5       182 
Kent, MI.................          14.0         297.7      -1.5        98      769      -1.5       246 
Macomb, MI...............          17.3         267.4      -1.9       144      847      -0.2       165 
Oakland, MI..............          38.0         595.9      -3.8       289      952      -2.4       284 
Ottawa, MI...............           5.6          96.1       0.3        17      674      -3.3       302 
Saginaw, MI..............           4.3          77.2      -0.4        35      692      -1.0       219 
Washtenaw, MI............           8.1         183.7       0.1        19      915      -1.8       261 
Wayne, MI................          31.4         645.5      -3.9       293      922      -1.7       256 
                                                                                                       
Anoka, MN................           7.4         102.7      -3.3       262      773      -3.1       298 
Dakota, MN...............          10.0         164.0      -1.3        83      867       1.2        85 
Hennepin, MN.............          43.5         791.1      -1.4        92    1,106      -0.1       156 
Olmsted, MN..............           3.4          85.3      -2.8       224      937       0.5       124 
Ramsey, MN...............          14.4         308.6      -2.4       190    1,031       1.9        47 
St. Louis, MN............           5.8          90.9      -1.1        67      680      -3.7       307 
Stearns, MN..............           4.3          75.2      -1.8       129      693      -0.6       188 
Harrison, MS.............           4.5          82.4      -1.0        57      676      -0.1       156 
Hinds, MS................           6.2         122.9      -2.2       174      754      -0.4       176 
Boone, MO................           4.4          81.2       0.9        10      670       1.7        60 
                                                                                                       
Clay, MO.................           5.0          88.6      -2.7       218      829       3.6        14 
Greene, MO...............           8.0         147.9      -1.5        98      632      -2.0       272 
Jackson, MO..............          18.1         338.9      -3.6       282      878      -1.7       256 
St. Charles, MO..........           8.2         115.7      -3.3       262      733       1.9        47 
St. Louis, MO............          31.6         562.1      -3.3       262      938      -3.0       296 
St. Louis City, MO.......           8.6         210.6       (7)         -      978      -0.3       169 
Yellowstone, MT..........           5.8          74.5      -0.6        42      688      -1.3       237 
Douglas, NE..............          15.6         304.3      -1.7       121      827      -3.2       301 
Lancaster, NE............           8.0         150.8      -1.8       129      686       0.4       127 
Clark, NV................          48.8         793.0      -5.1       316      775      -4.8       314 
                                                                                                       
Washoe, NV...............          14.1         180.7      -3.5       275      768      -2.3       282 
Hillsborough, NH.........          11.9         181.7      -2.7       218      921      -0.5       182 
Rockingham, NH...........          10.6         128.2      -0.1        24      815      -1.0       219 
Atlantic, NJ.............           7.0         130.3      -2.4       190      752       0.7       105 
Bergen, NJ...............          34.3         419.7      -2.2       174    1,119       1.0        93 
Burlington, NJ...........          11.3         189.8      -3.3       262      931       1.7        60 
Camden, NJ...............          12.9         194.0      -1.3        83      859      -1.2       228 
Essex, NJ................          21.4         339.8      -1.6       112    1,173       2.4        31 
Gloucester, NJ...........           6.3          96.4      -4.6       310      760      -1.8       261 
Hudson, NJ...............          14.0         228.0      -2.2       174    1,538      10.6         2 
                                                                                                       
Mercer, NJ...............          11.2         222.5      -1.5        98    1,208       4.3         9 
Middlesex, NJ............          22.1         375.1      -1.6       112    1,146       0.4       127 
Monmouth, NJ.............          20.7         239.5      -1.9       144      922       0.7       105 
Morris, NJ...............          18.0         266.0      -2.9       234    1,421       2.0        45 
Ocean, NJ................          12.4         140.5      -0.5        37      725       0.7       105 
Passaic, NJ..............          12.4         168.8       1.2         5      889      -1.8       261 
Somerset, NJ.............          10.2         163.7      -1.8       129    1,745      -0.6       188 
Union, NJ................          14.9         216.9       (7)         -    1,177       (7)         - 
Bernalillo, NM...........          17.4         309.5      -2.1       161      760      -1.3       237 
Albany, NY...............           9.9         217.1      -2.0       153      907       2.8        25 
                                                                                                       
Bronx, NY................          16.5         231.4       0.7        13      791      -1.5       246 
Broome, NY...............           4.5          90.6      -2.4       190      672      -2.5       285 
Dutchess, NY.............           8.1         110.3      -1.9       144      897      -0.7       196 
Erie, NY.................          23.4         441.7      -0.5        37      757      -0.1       156 
Kings, NY................          48.6         483.9       1.4         4      718      -1.0       219 
Monroe, NY...............          17.8         364.1      -1.3        83      820      -0.8       204 
Nassau, NY...............          52.1         576.2      -1.5        98      985       2.0        45 
New York, NY.............         118.3       2,255.5      -1.7       121    2,404      11.9         1 
Oneida, NY...............           5.3         106.0      -0.9        51      679       0.4       127 
Onondaga, NY.............          12.7         237.1      -2.2       174      795      -0.4       176 
                                                                                                       
Orange, NY...............           9.9         125.7      -1.0        57      743       2.2        36 
Queens, NY...............          44.3         485.1      -0.3        32      812      -1.0       219 
Richmond, NY.............           8.8          90.9      -1.1        67      728      -0.3       169 
Rockland, NY.............           9.8         110.0      -1.8       129      966       0.7       105 
Suffolk, NY..............          50.0         591.4      -1.5        98      929       0.8       100 
Westchester, NY..........          35.8         393.1      -2.3       186    1,319       (7)         - 
Buncombe, NC.............           7.8         108.3      -1.6       112      654      -0.2       165 
Catawba, NC..............           4.4          76.4      -2.4       190      643       2.9        20 
Cumberland, NC...........           6.2         117.6      -0.7        45      672       2.4        31 
Durham, NC...............           7.1         175.1      -4.1       300    1,272       3.7        13 
                                                                                                       
Forsyth, NC..............           8.9         172.1      -3.0       242      827       2.2        36 
Guilford, NC.............          14.1         255.6      -2.5       202      767       1.5        73 
Mecklenburg, NC..........          31.9         532.1      -2.1       161    1,150       8.4         4 
New Hanover, NC..........           7.2          94.5      -2.6       210      714       1.1        90 
Wake, NC.................          28.2         423.6      -1.9       144      902       2.7        27 
Cass, ND.................           5.8          97.3       0.5        15      718       0.0       148 
Butler, OH...............           7.3         135.3      -1.5        98      775       0.6       117 
Cuyahoga, OH.............          36.0         673.1      -2.7       218      885      -0.8       204 
Franklin, OH.............          29.0         638.1      -1.8       129      884      -1.1       225 
Hamilton, OH.............          23.3         476.2      -2.8       224      953       0.4       127 
                                                                                                       
Lake, OH.................           6.5          90.5      -4.3       305      747       3.8        12 
Lorain, OH...............           6.1          88.9      -4.4       308      697      -2.0       272 
Lucas, OH................          10.4         194.1      -2.2       174      752      -2.5       285 
Mahoning, OH.............           6.1          93.3      -2.4       190      609      -1.9       266 
Montgomery, OH...........          12.3         236.5      -2.9       234      753      -2.8       291 
Stark, OH................           8.7         145.7      -3.7       286      641      -5.6       316 
Summit, OH...............          14.4         248.7      -2.8       224      823       1.6        69 
Oklahoma, OK.............          24.2         403.7      -2.8       224      800       1.1        90 
Tulsa, OK................          20.2         324.6      -4.6       310      788      -2.1       275 
Clackamas, OR............          12.5         134.6      -3.4       269      775       0.0       148 
                                                                                                       
Jackson, OR..............           6.5          73.9      -2.0       153      625      -0.5       182 
Lane, OR.................          10.8         133.4      -1.7       121      650      -0.8       204 
Marion, OR...............           9.3         129.2      -1.4        92      687      -0.4       176 
Multnomah, OR............          28.3         415.7      -2.1       161      874       0.0       148 
Washington, OR...........          16.0         230.1      -2.0       153    1,048       4.3         9 
Allegheny, PA............          34.8         656.0      -1.2        76      951       0.1       141 
Berks, PA................           9.0         159.1      -1.1        67      750      -2.1       275 
Bucks, PA................          19.6         244.5      -1.8       129      831      -1.7       256 
Butler, PA...............           4.8          76.8      -0.1        24      734      -0.3       169 
Chester, PA..............          14.9         231.4      -2.0       153    1,132       1.3        79 
                                                                                                       
Cumberland, PA...........           6.0         118.5      -2.7       218      787      -1.3       237 
Dauphin, PA..............           7.4         173.0      -2.1       161      849       0.0       148 
Delaware, PA.............          13.5         201.2      -1.0        57      965       2.4        31 
Erie, PA.................           7.5         117.9      -3.0       242      654      -4.8       314 
Lackawanna, PA...........           5.8          96.6      -2.0       153      648       0.6       117 
Lancaster, PA............          12.5         213.2      -2.2       174      702      -2.2       279 
Lehigh, PA...............           8.7         166.9      -1.0        57      848      -1.2       228 
Luzerne, PA..............           7.7         134.6      -1.0        57      661      -1.3       237 
Montgomery, PA...........          27.2         454.0      -2.6       210    1,174       1.2        85 
Northampton, PA..........           6.5          96.5      -0.4        35      755      -2.1       275 
                                                                                                       
Philadelphia, PA.........          31.9         619.4      -0.9        51    1,035      -1.4       242 
Washington, PA...........           5.4          76.5      -1.7       121      796       0.1       141 
Westmoreland, PA.........           9.3         127.3      -2.5       202      676      -1.9       266 
York, PA.................           9.0         165.5      -2.4       190      761       0.7       105 
Providence, RI...........          17.4         262.3      -1.5        98      876       1.3        79 
Charleston, SC...........          11.6         201.2      -1.4        92      737      -0.7       196 
Greenville, SC...........          12.0         222.9      -1.2        76      732       0.0       148 
Horry, SC................           7.6         101.2      -2.1       161      519      -1.5       246 
Lexington, SC............           5.6          92.5      -2.8       224      624      -0.8       204 
Richland, SC.............           9.1         202.8      -1.5        98      774      -1.8       261 
                                                                                                       
Spartanburg, SC..........           6.0         109.1      -2.5       202      748      -0.1       156 
Minnehaha, SD............           6.4         110.3      -2.4       190      713      -0.8       204 
Davidson, TN.............          18.2         412.4      -1.5        98      901       2.6        28 
Hamilton, TN.............           8.4         177.1      -1.7       121      785       4.4         8 
Knox, TN.................          10.8         212.4      -2.1       161      725       1.1        90 
Rutherford, TN...........           4.3          93.4      -0.2        29      761       3.4        17 
Shelby, TN...............          19.2         462.1      -3.3       262      870       0.7       105 
Williamson, TN...........           6.0          85.6       (7)         -    1,002       4.6         7 
Bell, TX.................           4.6         104.6       (7)         -      708       (7)         - 
Bexar, TX................          33.2         719.5       0.1        19      786       1.8        54 
                                                                                                       
Brazoria, TX.............           4.8          85.0      -1.7       121      838      -1.4       242 
Brazos, TX...............           3.8          87.2       0.5        15      640      -0.6       188 
Cameron, TX..............           6.4         124.1       0.9        10      531       0.6       117 
Collin, TX...............          17.7         281.8      -0.3        32    1,017      -0.7       196 
Dallas, TX...............          67.7       1,392.8      -1.9       144    1,093       0.7       105 
Denton, TX...............          10.8         168.8      -0.1        24      746      -2.5       285 
El Paso, TX..............          13.5         269.7       1.0         8      608       0.8       100 
Fort Bend, TX............           8.9         129.2      -1.6       112      909      -4.6       313 
Galveston, TX............           5.2          93.4       (7)         -      815       (7)         - 
Harris, TX...............          99.5       1,970.8      -2.5       202    1,168       2.2        36 
                                                                                                       
Hidalgo, TX..............          10.8         219.8       0.6        14      540       0.2       138 
Jefferson, TX............           5.9         118.8      -2.9       234      852      -1.2       228 
Lubbock, TX..............           6.9         121.6      -0.9        51      637       1.0        93 
McLennan, TX.............           4.8          99.6       (7)         -      708       1.7        60 
Montgomery, TX...........           8.5         125.7      -1.3        83      799       0.4       127 
Nueces, TX...............           7.9         153.1      -1.1        67      704      -3.7       307 
Potter, TX...............           3.8          73.0      -2.4       190      731       (7)         - 
Smith, TX................           5.3          90.5      -1.4        92      712      -1.4       242 
Tarrant, TX..............          37.3         740.9      -1.3        83      875       1.7        60 
Travis, TX...............          29.7         565.3       0.1        19      972       2.1        42 
                                                                                                       
Webb, TX.................           4.7          85.1      -1.5        98      561       1.6        69 
Williamson, TX...........           7.4         120.0      -0.1        24      867       1.9        47 
Davis, UT................           7.0          97.2      -0.3        32      688       0.9        98 
Salt Lake, UT............          36.2         551.1      -1.8       129      827       0.6       117 
Utah, UT.................          12.5         160.5      -2.4       190      657      -0.2       165 
Weber, UT................           5.5          87.9      -3.1       248      626       0.3       135 
Chittenden, VT...........           5.9          90.6      -0.5        37      852      -2.0       272 
Arlington, VA............           8.0         160.4       1.6         3    1,520       3.6        14 
Chesterfield, VA.........           7.6         112.0      -2.5       202      798       1.9        47 
Fairfax, VA..............          34.1         563.1      -1.0        57    1,419       2.2        36 
                                                                                                       
Henrico, VA..............           9.7         168.8      -3.0       242      967       1.8        54 
Loudoun, VA..............           9.2         128.7       0.2        18    1,071       1.6        69 
Prince William, VA.......           7.4         101.2       0.8        12      773      -0.1       156 
Alexandria City, VA......           6.1          96.0      -0.8        47    1,223       2.3        35 
Chesapeake City, VA......           5.7          93.2      -1.8       129      702       1.2        85 
Newport News City, VA....           3.9          95.0      -1.2        76      791       0.1       141 
Norfolk City, VA.........           5.7         136.3      -2.6       210      834      -1.9       266 
Richmond City, VA........           7.2         147.5      -2.5       202    1,025      -0.8       204 
Virginia Beach City, VA..          11.3         161.3      -1.2        76      677      -1.9       266 
Benton, WA...............           5.4          77.4       5.0         2      915       1.6        69 
                                                                                                       
Clark, WA................          12.7         125.4      -0.9        51      763      -0.5       182 
King, WA.................          79.0       1,098.9      -3.1       248    1,120      -0.6       188 
Kitsap, WA...............           6.5          80.1      -1.9       144      783       1.7        60 
Pierce, WA...............          21.0         258.2      -2.6       210      794       0.3       135 
Snohomish, WA............          18.3         235.9      -3.2       257      890       0.7       105 
Spokane, WA..............          15.6         195.3      -2.4       190      716      -0.7       196 
Thurston, WA.............           7.1          96.1      -2.1       161      794       0.6       117 
Whatcom, WA..............           6.8          76.4      -3.9       293      697      -0.6       188 
Yakima, WA...............           8.7          94.0      -0.2        29      592      -0.8       204 
Kanawha, WV..............           6.0         103.8      -2.2       174      757      -3.8       309 
                                                                                                       
Brown, WI................           6.5         141.3      -1.1        67      772      -0.3       169 
Dane, WI.................          13.7         288.5      -1.6       112      826      -1.5       246 
Milwaukee, WI............          20.8         458.5      -2.8       224      867      -1.6       252 
Outagamie, WI............           5.0          96.0      -4.3       305      723       1.3        79 
Waukesha, WI.............          12.7         211.9      -4.3       305      871       0.7       105 
Winnebago, WI............           3.7          86.2      -0.5        37      815       4.8         6 
San Juan, PR.............          11.6         265.7      -3.6       (8)      600       0.8       (8) 

(1) Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees (UCFE) programs. These 326 U.S. counties comprise 70.9 percent of the total covered workers
in the U.S.
(2) Data are preliminary.
(3) Includes areas not officially designated as counties. See Technical Note.
(4) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(5) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
county reclassifications. See Technical Note.
(6) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(7) Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
(8) This county was not included in the U.S. rankings.





Table 2. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,
first quarter 2010(2)
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
                                                                    Employment         Average weekly  
                                                                                           wage(3)     
                                              Establishments,                                          
                                               first quarter                                           
         County by NAICS supersector                2010                    Percent            Percent 
                                                (thousands)      March      change,  Average   change, 
                                                                  2010       March    weekly    first  
                                                              (thousands) 2009-10(4)   wage    quarter 
                                                                                             2009-10(4)
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                       
United States(5).............................       9,043.6     126,281.7      -2.1     $889       0.8 
  Private industry...........................       8,746.4     104,193.4      -2.5      890       1.0 
    Natural resources and mining.............         125.9       1,615.4      -3.3    1,019       2.7 
    Construction.............................         806.6       5,192.5     -12.4      894      -1.3 
    Manufacturing............................         345.6      11,343.0      -6.2    1,081       1.7 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....       1,875.7      23,997.7      -2.4      727      -0.7 
    Information..............................         144.0       2,707.0      -5.2    1,468       2.1 
    Financial activities.....................         824.9       7,380.6      -3.4    1,711       7.2 
    Professional and business services.......       1,528.2      16,314.2      -1.2    1,153       2.0 
    Education and health services............         880.9      18,587.8       1.7      770      -0.8 
    Leisure and hospitality..................         740.1      12,534.9      -1.5      353       0.6 
    Other services...........................       1,267.8       4,296.4      -1.5      540      -0.4 
  Government.................................         297.2      22,088.3      -0.1      883      -0.2 
                                                                                                       
Los Angeles, CA..............................         431.4       3,863.3      -3.4      978       1.0 
  Private industry...........................         425.9       3,280.3      -3.4      958       1.2 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5          10.1      -5.0    1,635      10.3 
    Construction.............................          13.1         104.6     -16.0      966      -0.5 
    Manufacturing............................          13.6         373.5      -6.6    1,080       1.8 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          51.6         720.9      -2.8      764      -1.0 
    Information..............................           8.4         190.6      -2.9    1,805       2.0 
    Financial activities.....................          22.5         208.0      -4.3    1,736       9.4 
    Professional and business services.......          41.2         524.0      -3.6    1,178       1.1 
    Education and health services............          28.4         510.9       0.7      859      -0.8 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          26.7         374.8      -2.9      520       0.6 
    Other services...........................         205.5         248.6      -4.0      421      -0.7 
  Government.................................           5.5         583.0      -3.1    1,093       0.3 
                                                                                                       
Cook, IL.....................................         142.9       2,311.0      -2.9    1,083      -0.1 
  Private industry...........................         141.5       2,002.3      -3.1    1,088      -0.5 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.1           0.8      -7.1      840       5.7 
    Construction.............................          12.1          58.6     -15.8    1,289      -1.1 
    Manufacturing............................           6.7         192.0      -6.4    1,028       1.5 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          27.5         420.1      -3.5      777      -2.0 
    Information..............................           2.6          51.1      -5.4    1,676       2.5 
    Financial activities.....................          15.4         189.0      -4.5    2,465       2.2 
    Professional and business services.......          29.7         389.6      -2.8    1,417       0.9 
    Education and health services............          14.6         389.0       0.6      815      -2.7 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          12.2         215.0      -1.3      402      -0.5 
    Other services...........................          15.2          92.3      -3.7      720      -1.5 
  Government.................................           1.4         308.7      -1.3    1,045       2.2 
                                                                                                       
New York, NY.................................         118.3       2,255.5      -1.7    2,404      11.9 
  Private industry...........................         118.0       1,806.6      -1.9    2,743      13.1 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.0           0.1     -15.7    2,233      -0.7 
    Construction.............................           2.2          30.2     -13.2    1,532       3.7 
    Manufacturing............................           2.6          26.4     -10.5    1,503       9.9 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          20.9         225.6      -2.2    1,175       3.8 
    Information..............................           4.3         127.6      -4.5    2,504       2.4 
    Financial activities.....................          18.7         341.6      -3.7    7,709      22.7 
    Professional and business services.......          24.7         446.9      -3.2    2,422      10.9 
    Education and health services............           8.9         300.2       2.1    1,013       1.1 
    Leisure and hospitality..................          11.9         215.6       1.9      707      -1.9 
    Other services...........................          18.2          85.6      -3.2    1,174      18.1 
  Government.................................           0.3         448.9      -0.8    1,045       2.8 
                                                                                                       
Harris, TX...................................          99.5       1,970.8      -2.5    1,168       2.2 
  Private industry...........................          98.9       1,704.4      -3.1    1,204       2.6 
    Natural resources and mining.............           1.6          71.7      -3.6    3,911      12.9 
    Construction.............................           6.5         133.4     -10.4    1,039      -1.1 
    Manufacturing............................           4.5         167.1      -7.4    1,490       7.3 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          22.5         410.7      -2.9    1,084       1.4 
    Information..............................           1.3          28.7      -6.3    1,284      -2.1 
    Financial activities.....................          10.5         112.0      -3.5    1,645       7.7 
    Professional and business services.......          19.8         310.1      -4.0    1,333       0.2 
    Education and health services............          10.9         233.9       4.4      841      -1.4 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.9         176.6      -1.6      381       1.9 
    Other services...........................          13.0          59.0       0.2      617      -2.5 
  Government.................................           0.5         266.3       2.0      937       0.9 
                                                                                                       
Maricopa, AZ.................................          95.1       1,606.6      -3.8      848      -0.8 
  Private industry...........................          94.4       1,386.6      -4.0      854       0.2 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5           7.6     -11.6      971      13.7 
    Construction.............................           9.1          80.2     -20.7      866      -1.8 
    Manufacturing............................           3.3         105.6      -9.1    1,272       3.3 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          21.8         331.0      -3.0      796       0.0 
    Information..............................           1.5          27.0      -2.3    1,156      -2.4 
    Financial activities.....................          11.4         133.2      -3.1    1,176       2.5 
    Professional and business services.......          21.6         258.1      -4.4      893       0.0 
    Education and health services............          10.2         224.7       3.7      862      -1.3 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.8         172.1      -3.6      403       1.3 
    Other services...........................           6.8          46.1      -0.8      549      -2.3 
  Government.................................           0.7         219.9      -2.7      811      -6.5 
                                                                                                       
Dallas, TX...................................          67.7       1,392.8      -1.9    1,093       0.7 
  Private industry...........................          67.2       1,223.5      -2.3    1,113       0.9 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.6           7.8       0.6    3,466      14.2 
    Construction.............................           4.2          66.6     -12.6      955       1.0 
    Manufacturing............................           3.0         113.2      -8.2    1,271       0.9 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.8         276.3      -2.7      954       0.1 
    Information..............................           1.6          45.1      -3.9    1,852       1.2 
    Financial activities.....................           8.5         135.6      -3.1    1,729       5.9 
    Professional and business services.......          14.8         253.2      -0.6    1,228      -0.5 
    Education and health services............           6.9         161.5       4.4      919      -0.4 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           5.5         125.3      -0.8      487      -2.2 
    Other services...........................           7.0          38.0       0.1      607      -2.7 
  Government.................................           0.5         169.3       0.8      952       0.1 
                                                                                                       
Orange, CA...................................         101.6       1,342.8      -4.2    1,001       1.2 
  Private industry...........................         100.2       1,194.0      -4.2      976       1.1 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.2           5.0      -2.3      524      -6.9 
    Construction.............................           6.5          66.4     -15.2    1,038      -3.3 
    Manufacturing............................           5.0         149.3      -7.3    1,209       5.9 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          16.3         239.9      -3.7      896      -0.7 
    Information..............................           1.3          25.1     -10.4    1,814      15.2 
    Financial activities.....................           9.9         103.3      -3.8    1,579       5.5 
    Professional and business services.......          18.5         235.4      -4.4    1,132       0.5 
    Education and health services............          10.1         154.5       1.2      852      -1.4 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.0         162.4      -2.9      391       3.2 
    Other services...........................          20.5          47.5      -1.2      502      -2.3 
  Government.................................           1.4         148.8      -3.8    1,197       0.8 
                                                                                                       
San Diego, CA................................          98.5       1,229.8      -2.8      930      -0.6 
  Private industry...........................          97.2       1,004.0      -3.3      912      -0.8 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.7           9.8      -2.5      530      -2.6 
    Construction.............................           6.5          55.1     -14.3      982       0.6 
    Manufacturing............................           3.0          92.6      -6.2    1,354       3.3 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          13.7         192.9      -2.9      740      -1.7 
    Information..............................           1.2          25.3      -5.9    1,423       1.9 
    Financial activities.....................           8.7          67.1      -4.0    1,233      -2.1 
    Professional and business services.......          15.9         204.0      -4.0    1,260       0.2 
    Education and health services............           8.3         146.2       1.5      844      -0.6 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           7.0         149.7      -1.6      381      -2.8 
    Other services...........................          27.9          57.0      -1.2      479       0.4 
  Government.................................           1.3         225.8      -0.6    1,010      -0.7 
                                                                                                       
King, WA.....................................          79.0       1,098.9      -3.1    1,120      -0.6 
  Private industry...........................          78.5         941.8      -3.7    1,129      -0.5 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.4           2.8       2.9    1,491      -5.0 
    Construction.............................           5.8          45.7     -19.4    1,112      -1.8 
    Manufacturing............................           2.3          96.9      -6.8    1,383       1.2 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          14.4         199.1      -3.2      961      -0.4 
    Information..............................           1.7          78.4      -3.2    2,136       0.2 
    Financial activities.....................           6.5          64.6      -7.5    1,542      -2.3 
    Professional and business services.......          13.5         170.1      -3.5    1,350       2.4 
    Education and health services............           6.7         130.2      -0.2      857      -0.1 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.2         104.0      -1.4      434       2.6 
    Other services...........................          21.0          50.0       8.3      574      -4.5 
  Government.................................           0.5         157.1       0.6    1,066      -0.8 
                                                                                                       
Miami-Dade, FL...............................          84.8         947.4      -2.0      845      -1.3 
  Private industry...........................          84.4         801.0      -1.9      819       0.4 
    Natural resources and mining.............           0.5           9.7      -5.7      379      -5.3 
    Construction.............................           5.5          31.7     -17.1      831      -2.7 
    Manufacturing............................           2.6          34.6     -10.8      827       5.9 
    Trade, transportation, and utilities.....          23.6         234.6      -1.3      763      -0.3 
    Information..............................           1.5          17.7      -4.7    1,370       3.3 
    Financial activities.....................           9.2          60.6      -4.0    1,439       6.2 
    Professional and business services.......          17.7         122.9      -1.8      988       0.3 
    Education and health services............           9.6         148.2       2.1      792      -0.9 
    Leisure and hospitality..................           6.2         105.5       1.3      466      -1.7 
    Other services...........................           7.6          34.8      -1.4      519      -1.9 
  Government.................................           0.4         146.4      -2.8      988      -7.9 

(1) Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees (UCFE) programs.
(2) Data are preliminary.
(3) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(4) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
county reclassifications. See Technical Note.
(5) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.





Table 3. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages by state, 
first quarter 2010(2)
                                                                                 
                                                                                 
                                                Employment        Average weekly 
                                                                      wage(3)    
                          Establishments,                                        
                           first quarter                                         
          State                 2010                    Percent           Percent
                            (thousands)      March      change,  Average  change,
                                              2010       March    weekly   first 
                                          (thousands)   2009-10    wage   quarter
                                                                          2009-10
                                                                                 
                                                                                 
United States(4).........       9,043.6     126,281.7      -2.1     $889      0.8
                                                                                 
Alabama..................         117.0       1,803.7      -2.1      737      0.0
Alaska...................          21.2         304.4       0.2      878     -0.9
Arizona..................         148.9       2,373.3      -3.5      800     -0.9
Arkansas.................          86.0       1,133.6      -1.0      674     -2.9
California...............       1,367.1      14,280.4      -3.0    1,003      0.9
Colorado.................         171.7       2,151.3      -2.7      912     -0.1
Connecticut..............         111.6       1,566.7      -3.2    1,206      1.3
Delaware.................          28.5         388.4      -2.9      971     -0.5
District of Columbia.....          34.3         685.2       1.2    1,505      2.8
Florida..................         595.5       7,162.0      -2.6      766     -0.5
                                                                                 
Georgia..................         269.0       3,728.2      -2.6      837      0.6
Hawaii...................          39.3         585.6      -2.4      767     -0.9
Idaho....................          55.3         591.8      -1.6      634     -0.6
Illinois.................         376.9       5,406.6      -2.6      946     -0.4
Indiana..................         160.2       2,666.1      -1.3      739      0.0
Iowa.....................          94.0       1,410.0      -1.6      707     -0.1
Kansas...................          87.8       1,286.4      -2.9      718     -0.1
Kentucky.................         109.2       1,690.8      -1.1      712      0.0
Louisiana................         128.6       1,827.6      -2.1      762     -1.4
Maine....................          48.9         557.7      -0.9      691      0.4
                                                                                 
Maryland.................         162.1       2,414.4      -1.6      977      1.5
Massachusetts............         216.7       3,071.0      -1.2    1,098     -0.2
Michigan.................         250.9       3,677.2      -2.3      815     -1.2
Minnesota................         168.8       2,493.9      -1.8      883      0.2
Mississippi..............          69.9       1,068.6      -1.8      633      0.0
Missouri.................         173.1       2,554.7      -2.4      762     -0.9
Montana..................          42.2         411.0      -0.6      634      1.0
Nebraska.................          59.4         880.4      -1.7      694     -0.7
Nevada...................          73.9       1,097.8      -4.6      780     -3.7
New Hampshire............          47.7         589.9      -1.7      833     -0.6
                                                                                 
New Jersey...............         269.6       3,710.7      -1.5    1,121      1.8
New Mexico...............          54.2         777.3      -2.0      716     -0.8
New York.................         586.1       8,239.4      -1.1    1,281      6.1
North Carolina...........         250.8       3,752.2      -2.5      791      3.1
North Dakota.............          25.8         347.2       1.5      684      2.5
Ohio.....................         285.3       4,806.4      -2.7      783     -0.8
Oklahoma.................         102.7       1,474.2      -3.0      705     -0.4
Oregon...................         130.3       1,570.1      -1.9      776      0.5
Pennsylvania.............         341.3       5,376.6      -1.3      858     -0.3
Rhode Island.............          35.1         437.1      -1.1      836      0.7
                                                                                 
South Carolina...........         111.9       1,742.0      -1.9      692     -0.1
South Dakota.............          30.8         377.2      -1.4      634      0.6
Tennessee................         139.9       2,535.5      -1.7      764      1.6
Texas....................         569.5      10,101.3      -1.3      893      0.8
Utah.....................          82.7       1,135.8      -2.2      729      0.3
Vermont..................          24.3         288.6      -1.0      716     -0.4
Virginia.................         231.6       3,489.1      -1.3      932      1.3
Washington...............         226.0       2,752.4      -2.2      899     -0.4
West Virginia............          48.5         682.3      -1.1      693     -1.6
Wisconsin................         156.8       2,565.5      -2.1      741     -0.8
                                                                                 
Wyoming..................          25.0         262.2      -3.8      775     -0.4
                                                                                 
Puerto Rico..............          49.2         943.4      -2.6      497      0.0
Virgin Islands...........           3.6          44.9       0.5      720      5.1

(1) Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
(2) Data are preliminary.
(3) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the
Virgin Islands.





Last Modified Date: October 19, 2010