Average weekly wages in all 18 large counties in New York increased from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2018.) Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that Bronx County had the largest growth in average weekly wages, 5.7 percent, followed by Oneida County, 4.8 percent, and Westchester County, 4.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Six of New York’s large counties reported average weekly wages above the $1,095 national average in the second quarter of 2019. Average weekly wages in New York and Westchester Counties exceeded $1,400.

Eleven of the 18 large counties in New York had employment gains from June 2018 to June 2019. Richmond County had the largest gain, up 3.9 percent, followed by Rockland County, 2.2 percent. Nationally, employment grew 1.1 percent from June 2018 to June 2019 as 279 of the 355 largest U.S. counties added jobs. (See chart 2.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 44 counties in New York with employment levels below 75,000. Average wages in all but two of these smaller counties were below the national average in the second quarter of 2019. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Seven of New York’s large counties had average weekly wage growth above the national average of 3.8 percent from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019. (See table 1.) Bronx County’s 5.7-percent wage growth ranked 15^th among the nation’s 355 largest counties. Oneida County ranked 48^th and Westchester County ranked 53^rd in the nation with over-the-year wage increases of 4.8 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. Three other New York counties had annual wage gains of at least 4.0 percent and placed in the top third of the national ranking: New York, Kings, and Saratoga.

Nationally, 347 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Benton, AR, had the largest second quarter over-the-year wage gain at 16.3 percent, followed by San Francisco, at 15.5 percent.

In contrast, eight of the largest U.S. counties had wage declines over the year. McLean, IL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 5.8 percent.

Large county average weekly wages

New York County had the highest average weekly wage in the state at $2,109 and ranked fourth among the 355 largest U.S. counties. Westchester County ($1,417) ranked 19^th. Five additional counties (Albany, Bronx, Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk) had average weekly wages that placed in the top 100 nationwide. Broome ($894) and Oneida ($870) reported the lowest average weekly wages among the state’s large counties and ranked 274^th and 300^th, respectively.

Nationally, average weekly wages were higher than average in 93 of the largest 355 counties. Santa Clara, CA, held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $2,612. San Francisco, CA, was second at $2,430, followed by San Mateo, CA ($2,373), and New York, NY ($2,109).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 260 had average weekly wages below the national average in the second quarter of 2019. Horry, SC ($649) had the lowest weekly wage.

Large county employment

Employment rose in 11 of the 18 largest counties in New York from June 2018 to June 2019. Five counties (Richmond, Rockland, Queens, Onondaga, and Orange) had employment growth above the national rate of 1.1 percent.

Nationally, employment grew in 279 of the 355 largest counties nationwide. Adams, CO, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (5.3 percent), and Richmond, NY, Utah, UT, and Williamson, TX, tied for the second largest increase (3.9 percent each). Bay, FL, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment, with a loss of 6.4 percent.

In New York, employment was highest in New York County (2,532,100) followed by Kings (794,600), Queens (720,600), Suffolk (688,500), and Nassau (642,200). Altogether, New York’s large counties accounted for 85.9 percent of total state employment. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

Average weekly wages in New York’s smaller counties

Forty-two of New York’s 44 counties with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,095. Steuben ($1,127) and Schenectady ($1,115) were the exceptions. (See table 2.) Yates and Hamilton Counties reported the lowest average weekly wages at $690 and $691, respectively.

When all 62 counties in New York were considered, all but 19 had wages below $1,000. Twenty counties reported average weekly wages less than $850, and 23 had wages from $850 to $999. Those with the lowest average weekly wages, under $825, were small upstate counties, primarily located in the northern and western parts of the state. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

Quarterly 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. The 2018 edition of this publication, which was published in September 2019, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2019 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm.

The County Employment and Wages release for third quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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 sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 18 largest counties in New York, second quarter 2019

Area	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	149,089.2	1.1	--	$1,095	--	3.8	--
New York	9,682.8	1.0	--	1,347	3	3.9	11
Albany, NY	234.8	-0.9	336	1,181	60	3.5	166
Bronx, NY	325.0	0.8	184	1,117	86	5.7	15
Broome, NY	87.6	-0.5	317	894	274	3.5	166
Dutchess, NY	114.7	0.1	269	1,076	106	3.2	200
Erie, NY	476.7	-0.2	298	986	185	3.9	123
Kings, NY	794.6	0.5	224	955	202	4.5	71
Monroe, NY	396.0	0.6	209	1,009	165	2.1	297
Nassau, NY	642.2	-0.6	327	1,216	52	3.4	176
New York, NY	2,532.1	1.1	150	2,109	4	4.3	87
Oneida, NY	107.3	0.2	261	870	300	4.8	48
Onondaga, NY	253.7	1.4	120	1,003	169	2.3	280
Orange, NY	150.7	1.3	131	963	197	2.6	258
Queens, NY	720.6	1.6	102	1,088	97	2.4	272
Richmond, NY	128.6	3.9	2	1,034	150	3.7	148
Rockland, NY	132.0	2.2	60	1,038	148	1.8	321
Saratoga, NY	92.3	-1.2	341	1,040	143	4.0	110
Suffolk, NY	688.5	-0.4	313	1,157	73	2.0	303
Westchester, NY	440.4	-0.1	291	1,417	19	4.7	53
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly 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 employment and wages in the United States and all counties in New York, second quarter 2019

Area	Employment June 2019	Average weekly wage(1)
United States(2)	149,089,158	$1,095
New York	9,682,791	1,347
Albany	234,814	1,181
Allegany	13,058	818
Bronx	324,982	1,117
Broome	87,602	894
Cattaraugus	29,019	809
Cayuga	26,198	886
Chautauqua	49,663	810
Chemung	35,332	933
Chenango	17,675	908
Clinton	35,068	912
Columbia	22,751	824
Cortland	18,011	827
Delaware	15,072	916
Dutchess	114,662	1,076
Erie	476,728	986
Essex	15,199	839
Franklin	18,430	922
Fulton	17,284	821
Genesee	24,740	821
Greene	14,863	891
Hamilton	1,983	691
Herkimer	17,131	798
Jefferson	42,294	843
Kings	794,608	955
Lewis	6,866	840
Livingston	20,972	849
Madison	21,509	842
Monroe	396,042	1,009
Montgomery	19,775	818
Nassau	642,243	1,216
New York	2,532,130	2,109
Niagara	75,097	838
Oneida	107,274	870
Onondaga	253,673	1,003
Ontario	54,293	939
Orange	150,678	963
Orleans	12,544	891
Oswego	33,889	951
Otsego	24,633	861
Putnam	27,498	1,064
Queens	720,640	1,088
Rensselaer	55,692	1,010
Richmond	128,553	1,034
Rockland	132,031	1,038
Saratoga	92,321	1,040
Schenectady	63,717	1,115
Schoharie	9,398	822
Schuyler	5,293	784
Seneca	12,940	926
St. Lawrence	36,135	909
Steuben	38,251	1,127
Suffolk	688,474	1,157
Sullivan	30,381	871
Tioga	13,937	1,029
Tompkins	49,962	1,071
Ulster	61,748	904
Warren	40,623	849
Washington	15,920	900
Wayne	29,301	851
Westchester	440,409	1,417
Wyoming	14,255	885
Yates	7,143	690
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 employment and wages by state, second quarter 2019

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2018-19	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2018-19	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	149,089.2	1.1	$1,095	--	3.8	--
Alabama	1,993.7	1.1	911	36	3.4	28
Alaska	338.9	0.7	1,078	15	3.6	26
Arizona	2,843.3	2.6	1,010	23	3.8	16
Arkansas	1,222.5	0.6	862	47	4.6	4
California	17,717.4	1.5	1,325	4	4.7	3
Colorado	2,765.7	2.2	1,128	9	4.9	2
Connecticut	1,690.8	-0.8	1,266	6	3.9	11
Delaware	458.0	0.8	1,057	17	3.4	28
District of Columbia	780.4	0.5	1,778	1	3.8	16
Florida	8,722.9	1.8	968	26	3.9	11
Georgia	4,507.1	1.7	1,016	22	3.9	11
Hawaii	652.2	-1.2	992	24	3.7	22
Idaho	765.1	2.6	820	50	3.3	33
Illinois	6,074.7	0.3	1,122	10	2.4	47
Indiana	3,089.8	0.5	910	38	3.1	39
Iowa	1,584.7	0.1	902	40	2.5	45
Kansas	1,403.0	0.6	905	39	2.8	42
Kentucky	1,909.7	0.3	911	36	3.3	33
Louisiana	1,920.2	-0.2	923	35	2.4	47
Maine	639.6	0.4	874	45	3.7	22
Maryland	2,733.6	0.7	1,178	8	3.3	33
Massachusetts	3,690.1	0.9	1,377	2	4.3	5
Michigan	4,419.7	0.1	1,018	21	2.4	47
Minnesota	2,952.6	0.8	1,101	13	2.6	44
Mississippi	1,135.9	0.4	767	51	2.0	51
Missouri	2,836.7	0.3	948	30	2.5	45
Montana	483.1	1.0	843	48	3.3	33
Nebraska	991.5	0.1	889	42	3.5	27
Nevada	1,408.8	2.6	961	29	3.2	38
New Hampshire	676.1	0.8	1,090	14	4.0	10
New Jersey	4,182.5	0.7	1,236	7	3.0	41
New Mexico	834.0	1.0	888	44	4.3	5
New York	9,682.8	1.0	1,347	3	3.9	11
North Carolina	4,527.3	2.0	970	25	3.9	11
North Dakota	431.8	1.3	1,026	20	4.1	7
Ohio	5,486.7	0.4	965	27	3.4	28
Oklahoma	1,618.5	0.5	900	41	3.1	39
Oregon	1,976.5	1.3	1,036	18	3.8	16
Pennsylvania	5,972.1	0.8	1,070	16	3.8	16
Rhode Island	494.5	0.7	1,034	19	3.4	28
South Carolina	2,144.2	1.3	867	46	3.7	22
South Dakota	441.8	0.4	838	49	3.8	16
Tennessee	3,047.8	1.8	964	28	3.3	33
Texas	12,585.6	2.0	1,102	12	3.8	16
Utah	1,526.1	3.0	936	32	4.1	7
Vermont	314.0	0.0	929	34	2.7	43
Virginia	3,981.6	1.0	1,113	11	3.7	22
Washington	3,500.6	1.8	1,288	5	5.9	1
West Virginia	700.4	-0.6	889	42	2.4	47
Wisconsin	2,945.3	0.3	940	31	4.1	7
Wyoming	287.6	1.7	932	33	3.4	28
Puerto Rico	867.7	1.5	531	(3)	-1.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	37.0	10.0	919	(3)	8.8	(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.