Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

22-767-NEW
Thursday, May 05, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Municipio Employment and Wages in Puerto Rico — Third Quarter 2021

Employment in Puerto Rico’s only large municipio, San Juan, increased 6.4 percent from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and municipios are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that in September 2021, San Juan’s employment level of 237,400 accounted for 26.7 percent of total employment in the commonwealth. (See table 1.)

National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

The average weekly wage in San Juan was $689 in the third quarter of 2021, a 3.5-percent increase over the year. In the United States, the average weekly wage increased 6.7 percent to $1,251. Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent).  Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 77 municipios in Puerto Rico with employment below 75,000. All 77 municipios had wages below the U.S. average of $1,251. (See table 2.) Juncos, located on the eastern part of the island, had the highest average weekly wage at $893. Guaynabo, located in the northern part of the island, had an average weekly wage of $726. Twenty municipios had average weekly wages below $400, with the lowest wages reported in Las Marías ($320). See chart 1.)

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 fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 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 largest municipio in Puerto Rico, third quarter 2021
AreaEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21 (2)
Third quarter
2021
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21 (2)

United States (3)

11,021.4144,863.94.4$1,2516.7

Puerto Rico

47.9887.96.55684.0

San Juan

11.3237.46.46893.5

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) 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 municipios in Puerto Rico, third quarter 2021
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment September 2021Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,021,414144,863,915$1,251

Puerto Rico

47,872887,941568

Adjuntas

2271,755355

Aguada

5574,621393

Aguadilla

92818,575642

Aguas Buenas

1471,716414

Aibonito

3305,948540

Añasco

2685,316559

Arecibo

1,11821,044516

Arroyo

1052,531516

Barceloneta

28410,352583

Barranquitas

3342,998432

Bayamón

2,94153,841534

Cabo Rojo

5906,750346

Caguas

2,27645,176516

Camuy

3633,784367

Canóvanas

3595,334474

Carolina

1,97145,680525

Cataño

31310,336629

Cayey

4789,495531

Ceiba

1041,456434

Ciales

1491,641406

Cidra

3916,058501

Coamo

2963,548412

Comerío

1361,684418

Corozal

3263,675389

Culebra

58439418

Dorado

6239,995558

Fajardo

5159,646524

Florida

591,044386

Guánica

1092,720347

Guayama

46610,254519

Guayanilla

1292,343400

Guaynabo

2,52552,181726

Gurabo

3867,583566

Hatillo

5799,275409

Hormigueros

1892,766395

Humacao

76616,069541

Isabela

4795,856436

Jayuya

1612,744478

Juana Diaz

3426,433509

Juncos

2708,074893

Lajas

2293,400355

Lares

2894,136379

Las Marías

881,116320

Las Piedras

2886,749579

Loíza

921,773408

Luquillo

1471,983463

Manatí

62713,812612

Maricao

651,289451

Maunabo

611,260602

Mayagüez

1,54229,487499

Moca

4224,900392

Morovis

1922,326397

Naguabo

1792,251408

Naranjito

3223,526457

Orocovis

2103,390372

Patillas

1081,513451

Peñuelas

1772,518439

Ponce

2,22446,212484

Quebradillas

2342,260372

Rincón

2192,086391

Río Grande

3635,187512

Sabana Grande

2073,347379

Salinas

2103,632472

San German

3797,524428

San Juan

11,336237,405689

San Lorenzo

2794,461562

San Sebastián

5825,513340

Santa Isabel

2295,739455

Toa Alta

4003,898429

Toa Baja

72313,024483

Trujillo Alto

58210,171387

Utuado

2793,533415

Vega Alta

3294,114483

Vega Baja

4998,019515

Vieques

1241,348487

Villalba

1543,342590

Yabucoa

2042,643391

Yauco

4276,302423

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, third quarter 2021
StateEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21
Third quarter
2021
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,021.4144,863.94.4$1,251--6.7--

Alabama

139.81,955.32.61,030365.337

Alaska

24.0316.94.61,205163.450

Arizona

184.52,926.34.61,167197.013

Arkansas

97.41,212.92.9963477.86

California

1,679.617,208.76.61,57647.78

Colorado

231.82,723.44.81,32297.013

Connecticut

132.01,605.12.91,40165.731

Delaware

35.9439.72.11,198184.445

District of Columbia

45.4736.13.12,04214.146

Florida

808.48,910.97.01,120258.73

Georgia

343.94,491.44.91,158206.817

Hawaii

49.2592.816.61,150223.351

Idaho

79.2804.05.3953507.86

Illinois

398.45,751.23.31,274116.322

Indiana

178.93,020.62.61,032347.410

Iowa

106.81,509.62.21,015394.943

Kansas

92.11,349.31.7997404.744

Kentucky

134.31,869.03.4989435.828

Louisiana

144.21,772.71.71,021375.436

Maine

58.5619.93.61,031356.718

Maryland

178.12,604.63.91,314103.549

Massachusetts

281.43,501.05.51,59327.013

Michigan

271.34,181.43.61,154215.337

Minnesota

186.92,780.52.71,249136.124

Mississippi

77.31,122.22.6859516.322

Missouri

223.92,760.32.91,055316.026

Montana

57.0487.54.4963476.521

Nebraska

75.6964.61.41,017385.535

Nevada

96.01,389.510.81,135238.35

New Hampshire

60.0654.63.31,349815.01

New Jersey

304.13,977.25.11,38474.146

New Mexico

64.8806.24.2997405.632

New York

671.28,922.44.41,53456.124

North Carolina

318.44,516.44.51,112267.111

North Dakota

33.0407.22.21,076305.140

Ohio

315.75,248.02.21,098285.632

Oklahoma

116.41,576.61.8966455.632

Oregon

171.21,909.53.71,220159.62

Pennsylvania

375.45,685.43.21,205165.828

Rhode Island

43.2474.14.81,131243.648

South Carolina

152.92,086.02.8988446.916

South Dakota

37.0435.63.1965465.140

Tennessee

187.73,044.14.21,111278.73

Texas

770.012,613.15.61,227146.718

Utah

123.11,594.75.01,087297.111

Vermont

28.1293.52.71,055315.828

Virginia

299.23,845.32.91,264125.337

Washington

266.63,415.24.41,57836.620

West Virginia

53.6664.22.7960495.042

Wisconsin

189.52,815.92.31,049337.59

Wyoming

28.7271.12.5995426.026

Puerto Rico

47.9887.96.5568(3)4.0(3)

Virgin Islands

3.634.51.9956(3)-5.4(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, May 05, 2022