Employment rose in the 14 largest counties in Ohio from March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Delaware County and Franklin County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 4.4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 5.0 percent over the year, with 349 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 12.5 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.8 percent.

Among the 14 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin County (751,300) in March 2022. Within Franklin County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 14 largest Ohio counties accounted for 65.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 counties in Ohio with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 73 of the 74 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 14 large Ohio counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Six counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Summit County had the largest gain (+9.4 percent), followed by Lucas County (+8.6 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Ohio’s other 12 large counties ranged from 8.2 percent to 4.2 percent.

Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Peoria, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+25.8 percent). San Francisco, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-9.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 2 of the 14 largest counties in Ohio were above the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022: Hamilton ($1,465) and Delaware ($1,378). However, neither of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2022. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,064. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. At $736 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Ohio’s smaller counties

Among the 74 smaller counties in Ohio—those with employment below 75,000—Union ($1,573) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Hocking County ($688) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 88 counties in Ohio were considered, 10 reported average weekly wages less than $800, 37 registered wages from $800 to $899, 20 had wages from $900 to $999, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,000 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 second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 14 largest counties in Ohio, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2022 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2021–22 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2022	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2021–22 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,299.0	147,648.4	5.0	--	$1,374	--	6.7	--
Ohio	320.5	5,299.0	3.1	--	1,179	24	7.5	29
Butler	8.5	152.4	2.5	276	1,139	190	8.2	104
Cuyahoga	38.2	693.0	2.8	254	1,368	89	8.1	108
Delaware	6.4	89.6	4.4	139	1,378	87	4.9	268
Franklin	37.3	751.3	3.7	195	1,330	96	6.1	218
Greene	3.9	75.3	1.0	337	1,207	155	4.2	292
Hamilton	26.1	502.1	3.0	237	1,465	62	6.9	174
Lake	6.5	91.0	2.2	294	997	305	5.4	246
Lorain	6.5	94.0	2.9	243	944	325	6.1	218
Lucas	10.6	194.2	1.1	333	1,133	195	8.6	87
Mahoning	6.0	92.3	2.5	276	884	342	7.9	119
Montgomery	12.6	244.4	2.1	298	1,074	240	6.4	207
Stark	9.0	151.9	0.8	342	941	328	5.6	238
Summit	15.2	250.6	0.9	341	1,178	175	9.4	58
Warren	5.9	95.8	2.6	267	1,217	147	4.9	268
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 Ohio, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2022	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,299,030	147,648,359	$1,374
Ohio	320,454	5,298,986	1,179
Adams	668	6,230	841
Allen	2,545	48,608	1,001
Ashland	1,178	18,870	837
Ashtabula	2,158	28,902	825
Athens	1,322	20,767	861
Auglaize	1,079	20,664	917
Belmont	1,644	20,539	821
Brown	695	7,763	724
Butler	8,484	152,443	1,139
Carroll	544	5,697	810
Champaign	711	10,029	903
Clark	2,563	46,183	923
Clermont	4,404	58,789	1,048
Clinton	916	18,264	1,145
Columbiana	2,200	27,781	813
Coshocton	712	9,305	863
Crawford	926	12,152	839
Cuyahoga	38,237	692,999	1,368
Darke	1,244	18,037	877
Defiance	895	14,993	940
Delaware	6,399	89,643	1,378
Erie	2,018	33,349	921
Fairfield	3,266	43,116	860
Fayette	637	10,691	877
Franklin	37,326	751,295	1,330
Fulton	1,100	17,524	905
Gallia	726	10,811	810
Geauga	3,043	33,539	941
Greene	3,926	75,252	1,207
Guernsey	960	14,018	868
Hamilton	26,079	502,050	1,465
Hancock	1,884	44,064	1,111
Hardin	528	8,000	768
Harrison	338	3,371	898
Henry	670	10,008	894
Highland	811	10,688	741
Hocking	574	6,658	688
Holmes	1,499	20,626	868
Huron	1,348	20,474	885
Jackson	721	9,694	759
Jefferson	1,386	20,330	842
Knox	1,249	19,596	865
Lake	6,487	90,963	997
Lawrence	980	14,158	787
Licking	3,704	82,604	897
Logan	973	18,228	938
Lorain	6,539	94,024	944
Lucas	10,637	194,227	1,133
Madison	942	20,585	866
Mahoning	6,047	92,278	884
Marion	1,234	23,294	931
Medina	4,858	58,610	1,032
Meigs	371	3,404	715
Mercer	1,195	19,402	814
Miami	2,443	40,306	950
Monroe	366	2,793	800
Montgomery	12,648	244,422	1,074
Morgan	218	2,696	824
Morrow	540	5,022	763
Muskingum	1,902	33,504	894
Noble	278	2,916	845
Ottawa	1,182	12,325	1,022
Paulding	414	4,747	824
Perry	585	5,903	799
Pickaway	1,037	14,597	988
Pike	557	9,994	1,000
Portage	3,570	53,209	982
Preble	777	11,433	987
Putnam	839	12,052	887
Richland	2,847	47,957	863
Ross	1,455	28,533	962
Sandusky	1,456	24,674	901
Scioto	1,450	23,676	870
Seneca	1,168	18,431	866
Shelby	1,077	26,843	1,001
Stark	8,991	151,901	941
Summit	15,157	250,619	1,178
Trumbull	4,338	61,015	861
Tuscarawas	2,371	35,835	858
Union	1,480	32,612	1,573
Van Wert	637	11,143	861
Vinton	209	2,179	734
Warren	5,911	95,827	1,217
Washington	1,621	24,377	1,015
Wayne	2,861	46,200	965
Williams	903	16,413	899
Wood	3,237	70,386	1,041
Wyandot	561	9,716	901
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, first quarter 2022

State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		March 2022 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2021–22	First quarter 2022	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2021–22	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,299.0	147,648.4	5.0	$1,374	--	6.7	--
Alabama	143.7	1,990.4	2.5	1,072	39	8.2	21
Alaska	24.2	303.9	2.8	1,178	25	4.9	45
Arizona	195.8	3,048.2	5.0	1,234	21	7.5	29
Arkansas	98.3	1,232.7	3.1	1,060	40	10.9	2
California	1,667.6	17,720.8	7.7	1,644	5	1.0	51
Colorado	238.0	2,767.9	5.1	1,455	9	8.8	11
Connecticut	135.7	1,618.6	4.3	1,716	4	9.2	6
Delaware	38.1	447.8	3.9	1,362	14	7.5	29
District of Columbia	46.9	749.1	5.8	2,221	1	2.6	49
Florida	844.0	9,249.2	6.1	1,222	23	10.8	3
Georgia	359.6	4,615.2	5.0	1,301	17	8.8	11
Hawaii	50.4	612.1	7.9	1,135	30	4.2	47
Idaho	83.6	806.4	4.7	982	49	8.5	18
Illinois	403.8	5,808.8	4.5	1,487	8	7.3	33
Indiana	183.0	3,071.1	3.7	1,127	32	9.8	5
Iowa	108.2	1,511.6	2.5	1,080	36	7.6	27
Kansas	93.1	1,369.8	2.5	1,073	38	9.0	10
Kentucky	137.5	1,911.5	4.0	1,038	44	7.6	27
Louisiana	147.6	1,820.6	1.3	1,058	42	8.6	16
Maine	60.4	604.1	2.8	1,103	35	10.3	4
Maryland	179.9	2,623.1	3.9	1,410	10	2.0	50
Massachusetts	286.6	3,516.0	5.3	1,827	3	5.9	43
Michigan	282.2	4,212.5	4.6	1,225	22	6.2	41
Minnesota	194.1	2,772.6	2.7	1,374	11	6.8	37
Mississippi	77.9	1,134.2	2.9	879	51	8.5	18
Missouri	227.1	2,788.2	3.0	1,128	31	7.0	34
Montana	57.5	479.9	3.1	991	48	8.3	20
Nebraska	78.7	965.4	1.5	1,079	37	9.2	6
Nevada	102.7	1,441.3	11.6	1,164	27	8.0	23
New Hampshire	61.1	659.9	4.3	1,361	15	7.8	25
New Jersey	317.9	4,085.1	7.2	1,606	6	4.6	46
New Mexico	68.0	817.4	5.1	1,018	45	6.5	40
New York	681.3	9,107.2	6.0	1,972	2	5.6	44
North Carolina	335.8	4,638.3	4.8	1,241	20	9.2	6
North Dakota	33.3	400.5	2.7	1,106	34	6.9	35
Ohio	320.5	5,299.0	3.1	1,179	24	7.5	29
Oklahoma	120.7	1,601.8	2.9	1,012	46	8.0	23
Oregon	175.1	1,921.9	4.0	1,259	18	7.4	32
Pennsylvania	384.0	5,778.2	4.3	1,309	16	6.9	35
Rhode Island	45.0	469.3	4.7	1,249	19	6.8	37
South Carolina	164.1	2,142.9	3.9	1,043	43	9.2	6
South Dakota	37.8	432.0	3.5	1,012	46	8.6	16
Tennessee	198.1	3,104.1	4.6	1,172	26	8.8	11
Texas	788.4	12,985.4	6.1	1,369	12	8.7	14
Utah	126.5	1,625.6	4.5	1,152	28	8.2	21
Vermont	29.3	295.8	3.9	1,107	33	7.7	26
Virginia	310.8	3,889.4	3.1	1,366	13	6.6	39
Washington	277.3	3,453.4	6.0	1,596	7	3.8	48
West Virginia	55.2	668.1	2.9	968	50	6.1	42
Wisconsin	193.9	2,816.5	2.9	1,137	29	8.7	14
Wyoming	28.9	263.6	2.6	1,059	41	11.2	1
Puerto Rico	48.7	917.1	6.8	579	(3)	2.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.5	34.8	-0.3	947	(3)	-3.7	(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.