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

17-374-ATL
Thursday, March 23, 2017

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

County Employment and Wages in Florida – Third Quarter 2016

Employment increased in all 24 of Florida’s large counties from September 2015 to September 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with 2015 average annual employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 5.1 percent in Collier County to 0.9 percent in Bay County. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment advanced 1.7 percent from September 2015 to September 2016 as 307 of the 344 largest U.S. counties registered increases. York, S.C., had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 6.0 percent over the year. Midland, Texas, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a loss of 5.8 percent.

Among the 24 largest counties in Florida, employment was highest in Miami-Dade County (1,107,400) in September 2016, while Bay County had the smallest employment level (77,400). Together, Florida’s large counties accounted for about 87.0 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 344 largest counties made up 72.5 percent of total U.S. employment, which stood at 142.9 million in September 2016.

All of Florida’s 24 large counties posted over-the-year wage increases in September 2016. Hillsborough County had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $993, followed by Miami-Dade County ($983) and Palm Beach County ($973). Nationally, the average weekly wage rose 5.4 percent over the year to $1,027 in the third quarter of 2016. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 43 counties in Florida with employment below 75,000. All of these smaller counties had average weekly wages below the national average in the third quarter of 2016. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Average weekly wages increased in each of the 24 largest counties in Florida from the third quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2016. The wage gains in five of the state’s large counties placed in the top tenth of the national ranking—Manatee (10.7 percent, 2nd), Alachua (9.5 percent, 9th), Marion (9.3 percent, 12th), Hillsborough (8.4 percent, 21st), and Sarasota (7.9 percent, 27th). (See table 1.)

Nationally, 339 of the 344 largest counties registered over-the-year wage increases. Clark, Nev. had the largest wage gain, up 12.2 percent from the third quarter of 2015. Manatee, Fla., was second with a wage increase of 10.7 percent, followed by the counties of Hillsborough, N.H. (10.4 percent); Elkhart, Ind. and Boone, Ky. (10.3 percent each); and McLean, Ill. (10.2 percent).

Of the 344 largest counties, 5 experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages. Rockland, N.Y., had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages (-14.9 percent), followed by Lafayette, La. (-3.4 percent); Benton, Ark. (-2.0 percent); Lake, Ill. (-0.9 percent); and Midland, Texas (-0.3 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in five of Florida’s large counties placed in the top half of the national ranking in the third quarter of 2016. However, none of these counties had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,027. In contrast, the four large counties with the lowest average weekly wages in the state—Osceola ($707, 340th), Lake ($715, 337th), Pasco ($717, 336th), and Marion ($719, 335th) ranked among the 10 lowest in the United States.

Nationwide, average weekly wages were at or above the U.S. average ($1,027) in 103 of the 344 largest counties in the third quarter of 2016. Santa Clara, Calif., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $2,260, followed by San Mateo, Calif. ($2,098); San Francisco, Calif. ($1,892); New York, N.Y. ($1,879); and Washington, D.C. ($1,728).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 241 had weekly wages below the national average in the third quarter of 2016. Horry, S.C. ($632), reported the lowest wage, followed by Cameron, Texas ($636); Hidalgo, Texas ($654); Webb, Texas ($680); and Osceola, Fla. ($707).

Average weekly wages in Florida’s smaller counties

All 43 counties in Florida with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages lower than the national average of $1,027. Among these counties, Martin County had the highest average weekly wage at $781. Calhoun County reported the lowest weekly wage among all counties in the state, averaging $547 in the third quarter of 2016. (See table 2.)

When all 67 counties in Florida were considered, 5 had average weekly wages below $600, 24 had wages from $600-$699, 21 had wages from $700-$799, 9 had wages from $800 to $899, and 8 had wages at $900 or above. (See chart 1.)

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 2015 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 2016 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2015 are now available online at https://www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2015/home.htm. The 2016 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2017.

The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2016 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 7, 2017.


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 9.8 million employer reports cover 142.9 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 24 largest counties in Florida, third quarter 2016
AreaEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2016 (thousands)Percent change, September 2015-16 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)Average weekly wageNational ranking by level (3)Percent change, third quarter 2015-16 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)

United States (4)

142,940.51.7--$1,027--5.4--

Florida

8,320.23.7--905296.214

Alachua, Fla.

128.73.1588802389.59

Bay, Fla.

77.40.92507543305.0215

Brevard, Fla.

203.24.789321847.059

Broward, Fla.

781.22.51059511665.8152

Collier, Fla.

135.85.148692506.868

Duval, Fla.

490.33.4469671576.4100

Escambia, Fla.

131.43.8298093086.3108

Hillsborough, Fla.

666.33.7349931288.421

Lake, Fla.

93.94.2167153375.9139

Lee, Fla.

247.64.5128063125.4187

Leon, Fla.

147.93.1588412795.9139

Manatee, Fla.

116.12.78781629910.72

Marion, Fla.

100.03.8297193359.312

Miami-Dade, Fla.

1,107.42.6969831386.0130

Okaloosa, Fla.

82.22.9748552684.8233

Orange, Fla.

797.13.2549042116.0130

Osceola, Fla.

89.13.8297073405.5177

Palm Beach, Fla.

579.83.6409731495.0215

Pasco, Fla.

114.24.1187173366.2117

Pinellas, Fla.

418.62.6969002146.3108

Polk, Fla.

210.03.2547833245.7160

Sarasota, Fla.

162.62.9748382817.927

Seminole, Fla.

184.74.878522706.0130

Volusia, Fla.

169.24.787273344.3269

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 Florida, 3rd quarter 2016
AreaEmployment September 2016Average Weekly Wage(1)

United States(2)

142,940,452$1,027

Florida

8,320,165905

Alachua

128,711880

Baker

7,659614

Bay

77,437754

Bradford

6,689685

Brevard

203,172932

Broward

781,211951

Calhoun

2,829547

Charlotte

45,935702

Citrus

32,130689

Clay

50,580702

Collier

135,810869

Columbia

24,810704

De Soto

8,408656

Dixie

2,634660

Duval

490,278967

Escambia

131,432809

Flagler

22,841643

Franklin

3,340589

Gadsden

12,841672

Gilchrist

3,465638

Glades

1,412758

Gulf

3,810663

Hamilton

3,190718

Hardee

6,378643

Hendry

10,770705

Hernando

41,421656

Highlands

27,288634

Hillsborough

666,256993

Holmes

3,307570

Indian River

49,215756

Jackson

14,428666

Jefferson

2,485641

Lafayette

1,369599

Lake

93,870715

Lee

247,553806

Leon

147,865841

Levy

8,759585

Liberty

1,904648

Madison

4,188618

Manatee

116,087816

Marion

99,957719

Martin

65,183781

Miami-Dade

1,107,441983

Monroe

40,827767

Nassau

21,165743

Okaloosa

82,241855

Okeechobee

11,083678

Orange

797,116904

Osceola

89,072707

Palm Beach

579,823973

Pasco

114,182717

Pinellas

418,648900

Polk

209,961783

Putnam

16,418697

St. Johns

70,580776

St. Lucie

72,719753

Santa Rosa

36,169679

Sarasota

162,582838

Seminole

184,694852

Sumter

27,001746

Suwannee

11,575633

Taylor

6,677743

Union

3,729697

Volusia

169,215727

Wakulla

5,561662

Walton

25,067697

Washington

5,836653

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


Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, third quarter 2016
StateEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2016 (thousands)Percent change, September 2015-16Average weekly wageNational ranking by levelPercent change, third quarter 2015-16National ranking by percent change

United States (2)

142,940.51.7$1,027--5.4--

Alabama

1,923.81.5870364.938

Alaska

337.4-2.61,055121.249

Arizona

2,695.53.1950246.95

Arkansas

1,205.41.0794485.232

California

16,871.12.41,21046.78

Colorado

2,576.52.61,062105.623

Connecticut

1,674.20.31,20455.034

Delaware

440.70.81,022165.623

District of Columbia

759.21.71,72813.845

Florida

8,320.23.7905296.214

Georgia

4,290.42.9969215.918

Hawaii

648.41.8956236.78

Idaho

703.73.5782506.312

Illinois

5,933.60.61,062104.440

Indiana

3,025.91.8866375.918

Iowa

1,548.60.8873356.214

Kansas

1,377.20.5857395.918

Kentucky

1,880.21.5857396.510

Louisiana

1,908.8-0.9883322.948

Maine

616.20.9825455.918

Maryland

2,648.11.41,12485.330

Massachusetts

3,522.92.01,27726.87

Michigan

4,292.22.1976195.918

Minnesota

2,849.51.61,053136.411

Mississippi

1,126.90.7739514.739

Missouri

2,782.11.6888305.034

Montana

464.51.5792494.341

Nebraska

973.90.9857395.526

Nevada

1,300.73.89492510.11

New Hampshire

655.01.81,027157.92

New Jersey

4,000.01.81,17375.034

New Mexico

811.50.2830444.043

New York

9,216.61.61,22233.546

North Carolina

4,290.32.3909285.330

North Dakota

423.2-3.4964220.750

Ohio

5,347.31.1924265.427

Oklahoma

1,578.7-1.3854423.546

Oregon

1,866.52.6970205.232

Pennsylvania

5,776.71.01,013175.427

Rhode Island

481.10.8990187.63

South Carolina

2,008.62.5832435.623

South Dakota

424.21.1809477.04

Tennessee

2,918.82.5912275.427

Texas

11,830.71.31,042144.341

Utah

1,407.43.8881336.312

Vermont

309.90.5880346.214

Virginia

3,801.01.01,06395.034

Washington

3,278.93.01,18866.95

West Virginia

691.5-1.6816463.944

Wisconsin

2,850.11.0885316.214

Wyoming

274.8-4.7865380.051

Puerto Rico

888.2-0.4524(3)2.3(3)

Virgin Islands

37.41.4778(3)5.9(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, March 23, 2017