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News Release Information

15-2025-ATL
Friday, October 16, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

County Employment And Wages In Kentucky – First Quarter 2015

Each of Kentucky’s three large counties reported employment gains from March 2014 to March 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. (Large counties are those with 2014 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Boone County had the largest increase, up 3.0 percent, followed by the counties of Fayette (2.7 percent) and Jefferson (2.5 percent). (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment advanced 2.1 percent from March 2014 to March 2015 as 323 of the 342 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Utah, Utah, recorded the largest percentage increase in the country, up 6.1 percent over the year. Atlantic, N.J., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 4.3 percent.

Among the three large counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson County (442,300) in March 2015, while Boone County had the smallest employment (79,100). Together, Kentucky’s large counties accounted for 39.0 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 342 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

All three large Kentucky counties experienced average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015. Jefferson County had the largest over-the-year wage gain at 2.3 percent. Jefferson County also had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $1,016.Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 2.1 percent over the year to $1,048 in the first quarter of 2015. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment levels below 75,000. Average weekly wages in these counties ranged from $1,265 to $487. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

As noted, average weekly wages increased in all three of Kentucky’s large counties from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015. At 2.3 percent, Jefferson County’s wage gain ranked 119th among the nation’s 342 large counties. Fayette County’s 1.6-percent increase ranked 185th. Boone County’s 1.3-percent advance ranked 223rd. (See table 1.)

Nationally, 297 of the 342 largest counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Olmsted, Minn., had the largest percentage wage increase among the largest U.S. counties (11.7 percent). Washington, Pa., was second with a wage increase of 10.7 percent, followed by the counties of Riverside, Calif. (10.1 percent); Lake, Ill. (9.2 percent); and Orange, Calif. (9.1 percent).

Of the 342 largest counties, 39 experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages. Snohomish, Wash., had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages, with a loss of 4.8 percent. Chester, Pa., had the second largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages, followed by Williamson, Texas; Saginaw, Mich.; and Palm Beach, Fla.

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in Kentucky’s three large counties were below the U.S. average of $1,048. Jefferson County ($1,016, 112th) placed in the top third of the national ranking among the 342 largest counties in the first quarter of 2015. Average weekly wages in Fayette ($883, 199th) and Boone ($833, 251st) placed in the bottom half of the national ranking.

Nationwide, 93 large counties registered average weekly wages above the U.S. average of $1,048 in the first quarter of 2015. New York, N.Y., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $2,847, followed by Santa Clara, Calif., at $2,203. Rounding out the top five were Somerset, N.J. ($2,080); San Francisco, Calif. ($2,070); and San Mateo, Calif. ($2,066).

Seventy-three percent of the largest U.S. counties (248) reported weekly wages below the national average. Horry County, S.C., reported the lowest wage ($583), followed by the Texas counties of Cameron and Hidalgo ($593 and $607); Lake, Fla.. ($649); and Yakima, Wash. ($658).

Average weekly wages in Kentucky’s smaller counties

Among the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment below 75,000, Hancock ($1,265), Ballard ($1,105), and Carroll ($1,063) were the only three to report an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,048. Robertson County reported the lowest wage in the state, averaging $487 in the first quarter of 2015. (See table 2.)

When all 120 counties in Kentucky were considered, 41 reported average weekly wages below $600, 41 reported average weekly wages from $600 to $699, 22 had wages from $700 to $799, 8 had wages from $800 to $899, and 8 had wages above $900. (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. The 2013 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2014 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2013 are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2013.home.htm. The 2014 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2015.

The County Employment and Wages release for 2nd quarter 2015 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 17, 2015.


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 9.5 million employer reports cover 137.4 million full- and part-time workers. 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 3 largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2015
Area Employment Average Weekly Wage (1)
March 2015 (thousands) Percent change, March 2014-15 (2) National ranking by percent change (3) Average weekly wage National ranking by level (3) Percent change, first quarter 2014-15 (2) National ranking by percent change (3)

United States (4)

137,412.4 2.1 -- $1,048 -- 2.1 --

Kentucky

1,810.3 1.5 -- 823 41 1.5 35

Boone, Ky.

79.1 3.0 90 833 251 1.3 223

Fayette, Ky.

184.9 2.7 112 883 199 1.6 185

Jefferson, Ky.

442.3 2.5 127 1,016 112 2.3 119

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 Kentucky, 1st quarter 2015
Area Employment March 2015 Average Weekly Wage (1)

United States (2)

137,412,381 $1,048

Kentucky

1,810,284 823

Adair

4,712 524

Allen

4,077 645

Anderson

4,446 640

Ballard

2,134 1,105

Barren

16,385 638

Bath

1,770 626

Bell

8,515 587

Boone

79,057 833

Bourbon

6,768 711

Boyd

25,033 821

Boyle

13,335 722

Bracken

1,318 612

Breathitt

3,181 631

Breckinridge

3,455 581

Bullitt

21,966 633

Butler

2,814 606

Caldwell

4,098 587

Calloway

16,201 590

Campbell

28,269 761

Carlisle

990 521

Carroll

6,381 1,063

Carter

5,679 566

Casey

3,767 559

Christian

32,170 726

Clark

13,713 743

Clay

4,037 634

Clinton

3,746 536

Crittenden

1,897 496

Cumberland

1,655 574

Daviess

44,433 719

Edmonson

1,496 589

Elliott

897 528

Estill

2,366 591

Fayette

184,932 883

Fleming

3,035 560

Floyd

11,006 685

Franklin

30,579 778

Fulton

2,159 652

Gallatin

2,605 930

Garrard

2,268 602

Grant

4,771 697

Graves

10,890 648

Grayson

7,497 590

Green

1,765 498

Greenup

7,666 685

Hancock

4,425 1,265

Hardin

45,785 751

Harlan

6,448 666

Harrison

4,759 768

Hart

4,846 620

Henderson

19,649 740

Henry

2,637 663

Hickman

1,067 516

Hopkins

17,143 773

Jackson

1,765 573

Jefferson

442,316 1,016

Jessamine

15,784 681

Johnson

5,576 618

Kenton

63,579 936

Knott

2,455 646

Knox

7,730 579

Larue

2,631 540

Laurel

25,274 623

Lawrence

3,251 676

Lee

1,678 581

Leslie

1,715 615

Letcher

4,606 657

Lewis

1,922 529

Lincoln

4,163 585

Livingston

2,613 742

Logan

8,167 728

Lyon

2,169 524

McCracken

37,293 763

McCreary

2,662 630

McLean

1,987 603

Madison

33,687 686

Magoffin

1,945 516

Marion

8,042 712

Marshall

10,903 875

Martin

2,602 836

Mason

9,115 755

Meade

4,163 644

Menifee

868 569

Mercer

6,154 909

Metcalfe

1,775 608

Monroe

3,084 534

Montgomery

10,726 661

Morgan

2,827 566

Muhlenberg

9,395 786

Nelson

14,630 686

Nicholas

807 524

Ohio

7,303 589

Oldham

14,701 742

Owen

1,702 693

Owsley

648 497

Pendleton

2,283 770

Perry

11,952 692

Pike

21,791 778

Powell

2,471 556

Pulaski

25,076 629

Robertson

281 487

Rockcastle

3,505 569

Rowan

10,111 597

Russell

5,249 545

Scott

25,281 882

Shelby

15,448 690

Simpson

8,576 651

Spencer

1,846 600

Taylor

10,808 601

Todd

2,230 541

Trigg

3,111 564

Trimble

1,026 839

Union

5,054 882

Warren

59,656 775

Washington

3,319 667

Wayne

5,172 536

Webster

3,493 1,021

Whitley

11,506 647

Wolfe

1,201 518

Woodford

8,936 729

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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, first quarter 2015
State Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2015 (thousands) Percent change, March 2014-15 Average weekly wage National ranking by level Percent change, first quarter 2014-15 National ranking by percent change

United States (2)

137,412.4 2.1 $1,048 -- 2.1 --

Alabama

1,873.5 1.3 844 39 2.2 19

Alaska

322.2 1.0 1,051 15 2.6 10

Arizona

2,605.6 2.5 926 23 1.0 45

Arkansas

1,166.6 1.3 790 47 0.8 47

California

16,029.5 3.0 1,207 6 3.7 3

Colorado

2,458.0 3.7 1,071 13 2.4 16

Connecticut

1,640.5 0.8 1,382 3 1.5 35

Delaware

422.8 2.5 1,105 9 -0.5 51

District of Columbia

732.6 1.4 1,764 1 3.2 4

Florida

8,018.0 3.6 885 28 1.8 27

Georgia

4,107.0 3.5 989 18 1.7 31

Hawaii

633.7 1.3 881 31 2.8 9

Idaho

650.3 3.1 736 50 2.2 19

Illinois

5,724.6 1.2 1,130 7 2.4 16

Indiana

2,894.8 1.8 857 35 1.4 38

Iowa

1,504.3 1.3 848 37 2.9 7

Kansas

1,357.1 1.0 851 36 1.4 38

Kentucky

1,810.3 1.5 823 41 1.5 35

Louisiana

1,927.1 1.0 885 28 2.0 21

Maine

571.4 0.9 793 45 0.9 46

Maryland

2,540.8 1.2 1,113 8 2.5 12

Massachusetts

3,338.6 1.7 1,341 4 3.2 4

Michigan

4,079.5 1.8 969 21 1.9 24

Minnesota

2,709.2 1.8 1,079 12 4.3 1

Mississippi

1,102.3 0.6 711 51 0.7 48

Missouri

2,678.0 1.7 882 30 1.8 27

Montana

441.0 2.7 750 49 2.6 10

Nebraska

943.1 1.4 818 42 2.5 12

Nevada

1,227.7 3.7 865 34 -0.2 50

New Hampshire

623.5 1.5 982 20 1.2 43

New Jersey

3,834.6 1.4 1,288 5 1.9 24

New Mexico

798.7 1.4 805 43 1.5 35

New York

8,865.0 1.9 1,463 2 0.2 49

North Carolina

4,099.4 2.5 930 22 1.9 24

North Dakota

436.0 1.6 984 19 4.2 2

Ohio

5,144.5 1.4 922 24 1.4 38

Oklahoma

1,592.7 1.3 869 33 2.0 21

Oregon

1,748.7 3.5 919 25 2.9 7

Pennsylvania

5,606.9 0.9 1,031 16 2.4 16

Rhode Island

456.1 1.4 1,008 17 1.2 43

South Carolina

1,919.1 2.5 801 44 1.8 27

South Dakota

406.5 1.5 763 48 3.0 6

Tennessee

2,772.7 2.1 886 27 1.4 38

Texas

11,557.0 2.9 1,089 10 2.5 12

Utah

1,318.8 3.7 845 38 1.7 31

Vermont

303.9 0.9 824 40 2.0 21

Virginia

3,649.3 1.1 1,068 14 1.7 31

Washington

3,064.4 3.2 1,087 11 1.8 27

West Virginia

692.4 -0.3 792 46 1.4 38

Wisconsin

2,734.3 1.5 877 32 2.5 12

Wyoming

277.8 0.8 892 26 1.7 31

Puerto Rico

904.9 -1.1 524 (3) 1.0 (3)

Virgin Islands

38.5 0.0 738 (3) -0.7 (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.


 Chart 1. Average weekly wages in Kentucky, first quarter 2015

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, October 16, 2015