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News Release Information

23-1326-ATL
Wednesday, June 14, 2023

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

County Employment and Wages in North Carolina — Fourth Quarter 2022

Employment increased in 10 of the 12 largest counties in North Carolina from December 2021 to December 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2021.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that New Hanover County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 4.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 2.6 percent over the year, with 325 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 7.9 percent. Elkhart, IN, and Hendricks, IN, both experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 1.7 percent each.

Among the 12 largest counties in North Carolina, employment was highest in Mecklenburg County (768,800) in December 2022. Within Mecklenburg County’s private industry, finance and insurance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 12 largest North Carolina counties accounted for 59.3 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 72.9 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 88 counties in North Carolina with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 87 of the 88 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Ten of the 12 large North Carolina counties reported average weekly wage losses from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Three counties had rates of wage losses that were greater than the national rate of -2.3 percent. New Hanover County had the largest loss (-4.4 percent), followed by Cabarrus County (-3.2 percent), and Iredell County (-2.9 percent).


Nationwide, wages decreased by 2.3 percent over the year. Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 240 had over-the-year wage decreases. San Francisco, CA, had the largest percentage wage decrease (-22.6 percent). Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase (+6.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 3 of the 12 largest counties in North Carolina were above the national average of $1,385 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages in Durham County ($1,682, 26th), Mecklenburg County ($1,523, 53rd), and Wake County ($1,426, 71st) ranked among the top one-fourth nationwide.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 86 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2022. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,329. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 269 counties. At $827 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in North Carolina’s smaller counties

Among the 88 smaller counties in North Carolina—those with employment below 75,000—Orange ($1,445) had an average weekly wage above the national average. Pamlico County ($697) had the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 100 counties in North Carolina were considered, 14 reported average weekly wages of $849 or lower, 30 registered wages from $850 to $899, 17 had wages from $900 to $949, 17 had wages from $949 to $999, and 22 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See map 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 first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

County Changes for the 2022 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2021 are included in this release. Three counties have been added to the North Carolina publication tables: Cabarrus, NC; Iredell, NC; and Pitt, NC. No counties were dropped from the North Carolina publication tables.


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.

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in North Carolina, fourth quarter 2022

(U.S. average = $1,385)

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 12 largest counties in North Carolina, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 -- $1,385 -- -2.3 --

North Carolina

354.8 4,771.4 2.7 -- 1,235 26 -0.6 21

Buncombe

12.2 138.0 1.8 175 1,089 297 2.2 13

Cabarrus

6.3 84.3 1.5 208 990 335 -3.2 294

Catawba

5.1 90.9 2.3 136 1,054 316 -0.1 112

Cumberland

7.3 121.3 -0.2 332 990 335 -1.8 216

Durham

10.9 229.7 1.7 181 1,682 26 -1.2 174

Forsyth

10.9 193.5 1.6 194 1,214 188 -2.3 250

Guilford

16.9 289.1 0.8 287 1,131 257 -0.1 112

Iredell

6.7 80.5 0.0 326 1,181 220 -2.9 282

Mecklenburg

49.9 768.8 3.1 77 1,523 53 -2.2 242

New Hanover

10.6 126.3 4.7 14 1,160 233 -4.4 323

Pitt

4.4 80.1 1.7 181 1,102 280 1.7 28

Wake

47.5 627.5 3.8 37 1,426 71 -1.9 222

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) 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 establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in North Carolina, fourth quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment December 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,785,706 152,317,914 $1,385

North Carolina

354,823 4,771,361 1,235

Alamance

4,160 64,281 989

Alexander

694 9,405 855

Alleghany

347 3,325 783

Anson

496 6,727 844

Ashe

738 7,271 901

Avery

697 6,859 860

Beaufort

1,336 15,684 905

Bertie

340 5,355 811

Bladen

681 12,445 892

Brunswick

3,936 37,008 965

Buncombe

12,226 137,973 1,089

Burke

1,697 29,929 914

Cabarrus

6,255 84,278 990

Caldwell

1,560 25,617 975

Camden

214 1,248 997

Carteret

2,598 23,819 887

Caswell

296 2,826 894

Catawba

5,072 90,920 1,054

Chatham

1,998 17,090 980

Cherokee

842 8,161 849

Chowan

409 5,151 1,050

Clay

327 2,117 858

Cleveland

2,281 35,945 956

Columbus

1,199 17,223 811

Craven

2,686 40,452 999

Cumberland

7,316 121,309 990

Currituck

929 7,234 844

Dare

2,273 17,745 919

Davidson

3,263 46,029 995

Davie

1,055 13,773 963

Duplin

1,182 18,827 879

Durham

10,917 229,729 1,682

Edgecombe

1,021 15,571 902

Forsyth

10,890 193,482 1,214

Franklin

1,503 13,182 1,015

Gaston

5,381 77,135 992

Gates

187 1,441 952

Graham

207 1,800 916

Granville

1,092 20,778 1,075

Greene

379 4,547 876

Guilford

16,922 289,082 1,131

Halifax

1,063 15,150 847

Harnett

2,197 27,248 876

Haywood

1,905 18,011 899

Henderson

3,859 41,459 1,036

Hertford

495 8,826 892

Hoke

703 8,995 868

Hyde

199 1,496 784

Iredell

6,695 80,503 1,181

Jackson

1,277 14,391 895

Johnston

4,737 57,997 998

Jones

208 1,653 884

Lee

1,711 26,457 1,023

Lenoir

1,431 28,760 977

Lincoln

2,334 26,856 1,020

McDowell

934 15,310 855

Macon

1,401 11,969 882

Madison

517 3,908 861

Martin

492 6,226 725

Mecklenburg

49,897 768,763 1,523

Mitchell

423 4,827 890

Montgomery

596 9,093 937

Moore

3,212 37,773 1,039

Nash

2,391 39,554 1,016

New Hanover

10,640 126,253 1,160

Northampton

361 5,022 942

Onslow

4,103 52,989 853

Orange

5,200 76,069 1,445

Pamlico

343 3,709 697

Pasquotank

1,087 15,700 927

Pender

1,775 13,940 908

Perquimans

278 2,439 808

Person

791 9,566 924

Pitt

4,354 80,134 1,102

Polk

665 5,367 862

Randolph

2,843 43,069 908

Richmond

954 14,457 870

Robeson

2,154 38,072 855

Rockingham

1,835 24,626 862

Rowan

3,185 50,654 1,033

Rutherford

1,439 18,471 872

Sampson

1,293 17,376 953

Scotland

673 11,841 905

Stanly

1,628 22,042 852

Stokes

814 7,692 770

Surry

1,953 27,541 925

Swain

522 10,986 969

Transylvania

1,191 9,248 925

Tyrrell

101 957 815

Union

7,208 69,554 1,129

Vance

948 14,278 897

Wake

47,483 627,454 1,426

Warren

337 2,881 762

Washington

272 3,120 894

Watauga

1,949 25,213 898

Wayne

2,518 40,937 913

Wilkes

1,384 20,053 909

Wilson

2,131 35,716 1,017

Yadkin

767 10,084 856

Yancey

472 4,417 853

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, fourth quarter 2022
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2021–22
Fourth quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,785.7 152,317.9 2.6 $1,385 -- -2.3 --

Alabama

152.6 2,057.5 2.2 1,158 35 0.4 8

Alaska

24.9 303.9 1.5 1,299 18 -0.8 26

Arizona

211.7 3,157.8 3.1 1,272 22 -0.8 26

Arkansas

101.0 1,272.9 2.9 1,065 50 -0.1 13

California

1,768.8 18,051.3 2.3 1,679 4 -6.9 51

Colorado

254.3 2,857.0 2.9 1,472 9 -0.9 31

Connecticut

142.8 1,667.9 1.6 1,593 6 -0.9 31

Delaware

40.5 464.6 2.4 1,346 15 0.4 8

District of Columbia

49.7 757.7 0.9 2,291 1 -1.1 35

Florida

882.6 9,616.3 3.9 1,284 20 -0.8 26

Georgia

397.5 4,794.5 3.7 1,289 19 -0.3 18

Hawaii

54.0 638.1 3.7 1,227 28 -0.2 16

Idaho

89.5 827.0 3.1 1,114 44 0.3 10

Illinois

409.8 5,997.3 2.0 1,432 11 -2.8 46

Indiana

189.5 3,154.4 2.1 1,131 40 -1.9 40

Iowa

110.8 1,543.9 0.9 1,153 37 -0.3 18

Kansas

96.4 1,416.2 2.6 1,125 41 -0.7 25

Kentucky

146.0 1,967.4 2.5 1,099 46 -0.9 31

Louisiana

151.5 1,880.4 1.1 1,134 39 -0.8 26

Maine

63.1 626.7 2.0 1,165 34 0.0 12

Maryland

190.0 2,668.5 0.3 1,462 10 -2.4 43

Massachusetts

293.6 3,620.2 1.8 1,790 2 -2.5 45

Michigan

302.6 4,350.0 2.3 1,274 21 -1.2 37

Minnesota

205.6 2,870.0 1.6 1,357 14 -1.5 38

Mississippi

83.3 1,161.6 1.2 947 51 0.2 11

Missouri

239.9 2,860.4 2.0 1,172 33 -0.6 21

Montana

62.6 500.6 2.4 1,118 42 0.9 5

Nebraska

79.1 995.5 1.7 1,154 36 1.2 4

Nevada

105.3 1,503.3 4.7 1,244 25 -0.1 13

New Hampshire

64.7 678.9 2.4 1,484 8 -6.1 50

New Jersey

331.2 4,235.5 2.7 1,534 7 -1.9 40

New Mexico

67.5 844.1 2.7 1,115 43 1.6 1

New York

683.5 9,449.3 2.7 1,736 3 -5.1 49

North Carolina

354.8 4,771.4 2.7 1,235 26 -0.6 21

North Dakota

34.8 416.0 2.0 1,204 30 0.9 5

Ohio

333.8 5,439.4 1.6 1,203 31 -1.6 39

Oklahoma

125.9 1,662.2 3.0 1,073 48 -0.6 21

Oregon

188.0 1,960.1 2.1 1,302 17 -2.2 42

Pennsylvania

391.9 5,944.5 2.1 1,320 16 -2.4 43

Rhode Island

47.0 485.8 2.2 1,261 23 -4.3 48

South Carolina

171.0 2,218.6 3.2 1,111 45 0.9 5

South Dakota

39.7 444.6 2.1 1,096 47 -1.0 34

Tennessee

207.8 3,221.9 3.8 1,254 24 -0.8 26

Texas

811.6 13,576.6 4.2 1,372 13 -0.2 16

Utah

137.3 1,675.6 3.2 1,230 27 -0.1 13

Vermont

31.6 304.6 1.7 1,207 29 1.4 3

Virginia

337.4 4,010.6 2.2 1,416 12 -0.6 21

Washington

236.8 3,540.6 3.2 1,631 5 -3.0 47

West Virginia

56.6 682.6 1.1 1,067 49 1.5 2

Wisconsin

204.0 2,899.1 2.1 1,188 32 -1.1 35

Wyoming

30.1 272.7 1.9 1,137 38 -0.5 20

Puerto Rico

50.8 976.7 4.3 665 (3) 2.9 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.7 35.7 1.6 1,021 (3) 3.8 (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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2023