Employment rose in the four largest counties in Iowa from June 2020 to June 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Polk County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 6.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 6.7 percent over the year, with 339 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 36.8 percent. Calcasieu, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.9 percent.

Among the four largest counties in Iowa, employment was highest in Polk County (298,596) in June 2021. Within Polk County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment (35,812) in June 2021. Together, the four largest Iowa counties accounted for 38.8 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.2 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 95 counties in Iowa with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of these smaller counties were below the national average of $1,241 in the second quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All four large Iowa counties reported average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) The four largest counties in Iowa had rates of wage gains that were below the national rate of 4.5 percent. Scott County had the largest gain (+3.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Iowa’s other three large counties ranged from 2.2 percent to 0.8 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 302 had over-the-year wage increases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+29.7 percent). Atlantic, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.4 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the four largest counties in Iowa were below the national average of $1,241 in the second quarter of 2021. Wages among Iowa’s four large counties ranged from $1,194 in Polk County to $969 in Scott County.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 90 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the second quarter of 2021. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,516. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 253 counties. At $728 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Iowa’s smaller counties

Among the 95 smaller counties in Iowa—those with employment below 75,000—Dallas ($1,166) reported the highest average weekly wage. Decatur County ($698) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 99 counties in Iowa were considered, 18 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 27 registered wages from $800 to $849, 29 had wages from $850 to $899, and 25 had average weekly wages of $900 or higher. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

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

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

The County Employment and Wages release for third quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for third quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Technical Note

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

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

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

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the four largest counties in Iowa, second quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, second quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Second quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	10,863.2	144,044.8	6.7	--	$1,241	--	4.5	--
Iowa	106.1	1,528.0	4.8	--	999	38	2.1	38
Johnson	4.6	80.2	4.1	267	1,104	178	0.8	281
Linn	7.3	126.8	3.6	293	1,118	169	2.2	219
Polk	18.7	298.6	6.4	142	1,194	112	1.4	261
Scott	5.8	87.5	4.5	242	969	287	3.7	155
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Iowa, second quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment June 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	10,863,217	144,044,799	$1,241
Iowa	106,110	1,528,025	999
Adair	320	2,992	853
Adams	152	1,239	803
Allamakee	459	5,004	752
Appanoose	379	4,628	800
Audubon	222	1,834	805
Benton	670	6,124	811
Black Hawk	3,812	71,500	972
Boone	744	9,009	861
Bremer	705	9,715	849
Buchanan	631	6,913	810
Buena Vista	666	10,932	911
Butler	438	3,748	795
Calhoun	320	2,870	824
Carroll	956	11,177	808
Cass	552	5,835	793
Cedar	580	5,157	850
Cerro Gordo	1,629	23,558	906
Cherokee	458	4,922	827
Chickasaw	437	4,976	893
Clarke	237	4,479	845
Clay	745	8,648	847
Clayton	626	6,608	823
Clinton	1,439	19,560	863
Crawford	512	6,606	860
Dallas	3,015	47,675	1,166
Davis	245	2,073	835
Decatur	226	2,353	698
Delaware	619	6,766	857
Des Moines	1,378	20,335	850
Dickinson	910	11,151	766
Dubuque	3,470	57,422	955
Emmet	329	3,512	804
Fayette	674	6,911	771
Floyd	473	5,618	891
Franklin	370	3,962	902
Fremont	289	2,369	914
Greene	322	3,325	860
Grundy	367	4,298	944
Guthrie	370	3,162	852
Hamilton	476	5,684	862
Hancock	369	6,205	925
Hardin	663	6,588	830
Harrison	457	4,061	804
Henry	623	8,917	901
Howard	333	4,269	836
Humboldt	354	3,867	884
Ida	303	3,805	889
Iowa	693	9,456	816
Jackson	684	5,992	749
Jasper	950	11,148	829
Jefferson	816	7,369	930
Johnson	4,635	80,221	1,104
Jones	642	6,133	820
Keokuk	322	2,300	794
Kossuth	635	6,602	873
Lee	1,068	14,487	931
Linn	7,274	126,841	1,118
Louisa	275	3,873	821
Lucas	251	3,650	822
Lyon	524	4,799	758
Madison	521	4,110	790
Mahaska	634	7,853	885
Marion	1,036	18,675	977
Marshall	1,024	15,948	930
Mills	411	3,661	878
Mitchell	385	3,970	878
Monona	301	2,698	740
Monroe	237	3,570	1,081
Montgomery	383	4,044	857
Muscatine	1,217	22,101	1,020
O'Brien	588	6,590	773
Osceola	267	2,510	840
Page	485	6,173	859
Palo Alto	346	3,665	781
Plymouth	844	11,688	996
Pocahontas	280	3,047	861
Polk	18,742	298,596	1,194
Pottawattamie	2,618	38,594	892
Poweshiek	704	9,677	937
Ringgold	185	1,415	774
Sac	394	3,085	835
Scott	5,811	87,512	969
Shelby	431	5,541	835
Sioux	1,536	21,907	888
Story	2,825	45,441	1,101
Tama	445	5,375	823
Taylor	199	1,960	798
Union	441	5,770	850
Van Buren	223	1,944	803
Wapello	886	15,255	878
Warren	1,234	12,714	869
Washington	807	8,342	760
Wayne	184	1,910	883
Webster	1,184	17,322	938
Winnebago	397	4,124	780
Winneshiek	750	10,331	855
Woodbury	3,243	50,064	887
Worth	232	2,264	777
Wright	496	5,817	948
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, second quarter 2021

State	Establishments, second quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		June 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2020–21	Second quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	10,863.2	144,044.8	6.7	$1,241	--	4.5	--
Alabama	137.8	1,952.0	4.4	1,010	35	4.8	15
Alaska	23.7	315.5	6.7	1,181	17	-1.2	51
Arizona	180.2	2,857.8	5.3	1,154	20	5.9	6
Arkansas	96.1	1,205.3	4.4	974	45	5.2	12
California	1,662.9	16,992.1	7.0	1,579	3	7.5	5
Colorado	228.9	2,723.9	7.1	1,283	10	4.4	19
Connecticut	130.1	1,604.1	7.9	1,411	6	0.6	47
Delaware	35.1	440.1	5.1	1,165	19	1.7	41
District of Columbia	44.0	724.6	3.3	2,096	1	5.4	8
Florida	782.5	8,654.0	6.7	1,113	24	7.7	3
Georgia	337.0	4,453.5	6.5	1,139	22	5.9	6
Hawaii	48.7	590.5	12.7	1,117	23	0.7	46
Idaho	76.4	801.8	7.3	930	50	5.3	10
Illinois	394.6	5,743.5	6.5	1,260	11	3.5	25
Indiana	178.2	3,011.8	5.2	1,013	34	5.4	8
Iowa	106.1	1,528.0	4.8	999	38	2.1	38
Kansas	90.5	1,356.0	4.0	995	41	2.7	30
Kentucky	132.4	1,851.2	5.6	999	38	2.9	28
Louisiana	142.7	1,806.6	5.4	1,005	36	2.0	39
Maine	57.0	623.0	8.7	1,005	36	2.4	33
Maryland	175.6	2,599.7	6.8	1,319	9	1.0	44
Massachusetts	277.4	3,497.0	10.1	1,591	2	1.1	43
Michigan	270.2	4,175.6	8.4	1,143	21	2.5	32
Minnesota	192.8	2,814.5	6.4	1,240	13	3.3	26
Mississippi	75.7	1,107.1	4.1	843	51	3.8	22
Missouri	221.6	2,759.3	5.3	1,052	32	3.6	23
Montana	55.1	490.7	7.0	959	47	4.5	18
Nebraska	74.4	976.6	4.8	997	40	3.9	21
Nevada	93.9	1,353.9	14.0	1,106	25	5.3	10
New Hampshire	58.5	657.4	8.7	1,345	8	10.6	1
New Jersey	300.4	3,993.8	12.0	1,387	7	0.8	45
New Mexico	63.0	790.6	4.3	987	42	2.9	28
New York	667.9	8,885.4	9.2	1,540	5	1.3	42
North Carolina	311.1	4,511.3	7.2	1,092	27	5.1	14
North Dakota	32.6	407.4	4.3	1,067	29	0.6	47
Ohio	312.4	5,266.7	4.3	1,068	28	3.6	23
Oklahoma	114.6	1,568.7	3.1	963	46	2.4	33
Oregon	169.2	1,899.6	5.6	1,196	15	4.8	15
Pennsylvania	370.9	5,674.7	6.9	1,193	16	2.0	39
Rhode Island	42.1	472.2	10.0	1,168	18	-0.3	50
South Carolina	150.1	2,091.9	4.9	977	44	5.2	12
South Dakota	36.3	442.3	6.4	936	49	2.6	31
Tennessee	182.3	3,012.4	5.9	1,094	26	7.6	4
Texas	758.0	12,466.7	5.7	1,210	14	4.7	17
Utah	119.9	1,586.0	7.6	1,060	30	4.2	20
Vermont	27.8	292.4	7.5	1,053	31	-0.2	49
Virginia	293.6	3,854.3	6.1	1,257	12	3.2	27
Washington	263.6	3,376.7	5.7	1,547	4	8.3	2
West Virginia	52.7	663.8	4.8	955	48	2.2	37
Wisconsin	186.5	2,845.7	5.7	1,037	33	2.3	35
Wyoming	28.2	275.1	5.6	987	42	2.3	35
Puerto Rico	47.6	867.2	8.6	567	(3)	2.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.5	35.7	0.0	923	(3)	-8.4	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.