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

20-1095-ATL
Friday, June 12, 2020

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

County Employment and Wages in Georgia – Fourth Quarter 2019

Employment increased in each of Georgia’s 11 large counties from December 2018 to December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2018.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 2.2 percent in Gwinnett County to 0.3 percent in Bibb County. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment increased 1.2 percent over the year with 285 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting increases. Cleveland, OK, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 5.8 percent. Ector, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.2 percent.

Among the 11 largest counties in Georgia, employment was highest in Fulton County (914,100) in December 2019, while Forsyth County had the smallest employment level (78,400). Together, the 11 largest Georgia counties accounted for 59.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.7 percent of total U.S. employment.

Each of Georgia’s 11 large counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2019, with the largest gain in Chatham County, up 5.2 percent. Fulton County had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties ($1,517). Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.5 percent over the year to $1,185.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 148 counties in Georgia with employment below 75,000. Average weekly wages in these counties ranged from $1,725 to $573. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Among Georgia’s 11 largest counties, average weekly wage increases in Chatham (5.2 percent, 33rd), Forsyth (4.4 percent, 71st), and Clayton (4.1 percent, 98th) were in the top 100 of the national ranking in the fourth quarter of 2019. Average weekly wage growth in Georgia’s other eight large counties ranged from 3.9 percent to 1.6 percent.

Nationally, 341 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Santa Cruz, CA, had the largest over-the-year wage gain (20.7 percent). The remaining 14 large counties had wage declines during the period. Linn, IA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in three of Georgia’s large counties placed in the top third of the national ranking in the fourth quarter of 2019. Fulton County ($1,517, 19th) and Cobb County ($1,195, 88th) had average weekly wages above the U.S. average of $1,185. The average weekly wage in DeKalb County ($1,167) ranked 101st among the 355 largest U.S. counties

Nationally, 93 large counties reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2019. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $2,825. Average weekly wages were below the national average in 262 counties. At $701 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Georgia’s smaller counties

Among the 148 smaller counties in Georgia – those with employment below 75,000 – only Burke County ($1,725) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,185. Glascock County had the lowest average weekly wage in the state, averaging $573 per week in the fourth quarter of 2019.

When all 159 counties in Georgia were considered, 45 reported average weekly wages below $700, 60 had wages from $700 to $799, 30 had wages from $800 to $899, 16 had wages from $900 to $999, and 8 had wages of $1,000 or more. (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 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 this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2018 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2018/home.htm. The 2019 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2020.

The County Employment and Wages release for first quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2020 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.


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 11 largest counties in Georgia, fourth quarter 2019
AreaEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
December 2019 (thousands)Percent change, December 2018-19 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)Average weekly wageNational ranking by level (3)Percent change, fourth quarter 2018-19 (2)National ranking by percent change (3)

United States (4)

149,857.11.2--$1,185--3.5--

Georgia

4,576.11.7--1,090213.614

Bibb

83.60.32518893242.2272

Chatham

159.51.01759772565.233

Clayton

125.10.72041,0931574.198

Cobb

379.82.0731,195883.7133

DeKalb

306.91.51141,1671013.5149

Forsyth

78.40.91841,0461934.471

Fulton

914.11.51141,517193.1196

Gwinnett

367.62.2591,0881631.6310

Hall

91.31.51141,0312043.9117

Muscogee

95.60.52318573371.8296

Richmond

105.90.62209362953.2181

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. 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 Georgia, fourth quarter 2019
AreaEmployment December 2019Average weekly wage(1)

United States(2)

149,857,130$1,185

Georgia

4,576,0901,090

Appling

6,775939

Atkinson

2,461908

Bacon

3,707739

Baker

457699

Baldwin

15,546693

Banks

4,720683

Barrow

20,839854

Bartow

41,256896

Ben Hill

5,449672

Berrien

3,649640

Bibb

83,574889

Bleckley

2,606653

Brantley

2,469711

Brooks

3,414740

Bryan

9,098749

Bulloch

26,218708

Burke

14,9131,725

Butts

7,358741

Calhoun

1,143684

Camden

14,710896

Candler

3,412594

Carroll

41,981895

Catoosa

15,666710

Charlton

1,953761

Chatham

159,483977

Chattahoochee

2,249900

Chattooga

5,736680

Cherokee

66,775884

Clarke

71,785993

Clay

675596

Clayton

125,0831,093

Clinch

2,321691

Cobb

379,8171,195

Coffee

17,851733

Colquitt

15,080733

Columbia

37,841796

Cook

4,512684

Coweta

41,485848

Crawford

1,266684

Crisp

8,326755

Dade

3,848699

Dawson

9,945654

Decatur

9,169676

De Kalb

306,9021,167

Dodge

5,008669

Dooly

3,751712

Dougherty

48,360870

Douglas

46,174818

Early

4,303953

Echols

617771

Effingham

11,073838

Elbert

5,780720

Emanuel

6,789699

Evans

4,578677

Fannin

6,544680

Fayette

46,808942

Floyd

39,829869

Forsyth

78,3641,046

Franklin

7,974735

Fulton

914,1401,517

Gilmer

7,087646

Glascock

417573

Glynn

39,205869

Gordon

23,784865

Grady

6,011762

Greene

6,447785

Gwinnett

367,6191,088

Habersham

14,365758

Hall

91,2761,031

Hancock

1,505722

Haralson

7,047844

Harris

5,715711

Hart

6,109721

Heard

2,025928

Henry

68,962784

Houston

63,647943

Irwin

1,974709

Jackson

29,323786

Jasper

2,331670

Jeff Davis

4,275722

Jefferson

4,857815

Jenkins

1,365677

Johnson

1,500626

Jones

4,351766

Lamar

3,777776

Lanier

1,406684

Laurens

18,701826

Lee

6,931737

Liberty

19,244821

Lincoln

1,260659

Long

1,068655

Lowndes

50,459789

Lumpkin

8,020746

McDuffie

6,888733

McIntosh

1,693659

Macon

2,757830

Madison

3,568711

Marion

1,129645

Meriwether

4,409753

Miller

1,723745

Mitchell

6,883695

Monroe

7,956803

Montgomery

1,509644

Morgan

7,474775

Murray

7,872736

Muscogee

95,632857

Newton

26,371875

Oconee

13,691831

Oglethorpe

1,791783

Paulding

25,695750

Peach

10,383843

Pickens

8,013916

Pierce

4,200714

Pike

2,940778

Polk

11,354786

Pulaski

2,818768

Putnam

5,788688

Quitman

345657

Rabun

5,516637

Randolph

1,930713

Richmond

105,868936

Rockdale

32,864960

Schley

995757

Screven

3,190670

Seminole

2,267753

Spalding

23,383761

Stephens

9,088823

Stewart

1,440937

Sumter

10,893763

Talbot

765676

Taliaferro

233673

Tattnall

5,938781

Taylor

1,541837

Telfair

2,348670

Terrell

2,154726

Thomas

19,900901

Tift

20,978822

Toombs

12,110696

Towns

3,379693

Treutlen

1,030642

Troup

40,761909

Turner

1,847695

Twiggs

2,577774

Union

7,045797

Upson

6,809747

Walker

13,590709

Walton

23,454909

Ware

15,738711

Warren

1,744823

Washington

6,455774

Wayne

8,114841

Webster

550738

Wheeler

1,079706

White

9,177690

Whitfield

56,253892

Wilcox

1,103672

Wilkes

2,693745

Wilkinson

3,659813

Worth

3,109741

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, fourth quarter 2019
StateEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
December 2019 (thousands)Percent change, December 2018-19Average weekly wageNational ranking by levelPercent change, fourth quarter 2018-19National ranking by percent change

United States (2)

149,857.11.2$1,185--3.5--

Alabama

2,007.91.0985362.639

Alaska

309.90.61,139163.227

Arizona

2,999.82.71,059234.17

Arkansas

1,232.90.5898503.227

California

17,836.31.51,45744.74

Colorado

2,772.62.21,22794.08

Connecticut

1,687.4-0.71,38353.811

Delaware

455.30.81,136172.639

District of Columbia

782.50.81,99212.542

Florida

9,085.52.01,044263.614

Georgia

4,576.11.71,090213.614

Hawaii

665.1-0.81,053243.517

Idaho

756.93.1918463.132

Illinois

6,043.50.21,221102.738

Indiana

3,106.00.6969383.034

Iowa

1,560.40.1984371.947

Kansas

1,410.70.6959403.517

Kentucky

1,928.30.8955413.227

Louisiana

1,927.7-0.5993342.542

Maine

620.20.7955415.32

Maryland

2,728.10.91,27183.517

Massachusetts

3,660.80.91,51123.811

Michigan

4,385.30.41,115183.422

Minnesota

2,912.80.41,177143.227

Mississippi

1,145.00.0818513.227

Missouri

2,846.20.91,010323.034

Montana

474.11.1918463.422

Nebraska

990.90.7969384.26

Nevada

1,435.52.71,030292.445

New Hampshire

671.30.81,192122.937

New Jersey

4,157.40.81,33272.542

New Mexico

844.01.5942444.08

New York

9,691.00.81,49933.713

North Carolina

4,546.91.91,036282.445

North Dakota

424.60.51,085222.639

Ohio

5,477.20.51,037273.132

Oklahoma

1,639.40.3945431.449

Oregon

1,969.31.61,100194.65

Pennsylvania

5,985.90.81,143153.614

Rhode Island

489.80.61,099201.150

South Carolina

2,144.81.2931454.08

South Dakota

430.70.6916483.517

Tennessee

3,085.41.61,047251.648

Texas

12,793.02.01,187133.422

Utah

1,547.82.51,022305.03

Vermont

314.0-0.4987353.517

Virginia

3,978.71.21,204113.422

Washington

3,457.72.21,37066.41

West Virginia

690.3-2.090449-1.451

Wisconsin

2,898.00.21,022303.326

Wyoming

276.31.41,007333.034

Puerto Rico

910.71.5575(3)-0.2(3)

Virgin Islands

39.210.81,065(3)13.5(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. Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, June 12, 2020