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News Release Information

18-1377-DAL
Friday, September 14, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Parish Employment and Wages in Louisiana – First Quarter 2018

Employment rose in 4 of the 7 largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2017 to March 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties/parishes are those with 2017 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that the rate of job growth in Calcasieu Parish, 5.0 percent, ranked fifth highest among the 349 large U.S. counties. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment advanced 1.6 percent from March 2017 to March 2018 as 314 of the 349 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Midland, Texas, had the largest percentage increase, up 12.6 percent over the year. Kanawha, W.Va., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a loss of 1.4 percent.

Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge (267,800) in March 2018, followed by Orleans (194,800) and Jefferson (188,300). Together, Louisiana's seven large parishes accounted for 56.6 percent of the state’s total employment. Nationwide, the 349 largest counties made up 73.1 percent of total U.S. employment.

From the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, Calcasieu recorded the biggest increase in average weekly wages among the large Louisiana parishes, with a gain of 4.1 percent. (See table 1.) Orleans had the highest average wage among the largest parishes at $1,059 per week. Nationally, average weekly wages increased 3.7 percent over the year to $1,152.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 57 parishes in Louisiana with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in six of these smaller parishes were above the national average. (See table 2.)

Large parish wage changes

Average weekly wages rose in all seven large Louisiana parishes from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018. Calcasieu Parish’s 4.1-percent rise in average weekly wages ranked 78th among the nation’s 349 largest counties. (See table 1.) Orleans Parish’s 4.0-percent weekly wage increase ranked 85th in the nation. The smallest increase among the large Louisiana parishes was in Jefferson (1.0 percent, 319th). Over-the-year wage gains in the remaining four large parishes ranged from 2.9 percent to 2.2 percent.

Among the 349 largest U.S. counties, 336 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. Peoria, Ill., had the largest percentage wage increase, up 23.8 percent from the first quarter of 2017. Over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages occurred in 13 large U.S. counties. Forsyth, N.C., had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages (-4.8 percent).

Large parish average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the seven large parishes were below the national average of $1,152 in the first quarter of 2018. However, average weekly wage levels in two of these Louisiana parishes placed in the top half of the national ranking. Orleans ($1,059) had the highest average weekly wage among the state's large parishes and ranked 137th in the country, followed by East Baton Rouge ($1,024, 161st). Average weekly wages in the five remaining large parishes ranged from $969 to $833 and placed in bottom half of the national ranking.

In the first quarter of 2018, nearly three-fourths of the largest U.S. counties (259) reported wages below the national weekly average of $1,152. Cameron, Texas, reported the lowest wage ($628), followed by Horry County, S.C. ($631), and the Texas counties of Hidalgo ($657) and Webb ($690).

Among the nation’s 349 largest counties, 90 registered weekly wages at or above the U.S. average. New York, N.Y., held the top position with an average weekly wage of $3,087. Santa Clara, Calif., was second at $2,651, followed by San Mateo, Calif. ($2,606), and San Francisco, Calif. ($2,485). Average wages in the highest-ranked county, New York, N.Y., were nearly five times the average wage in the lowest-ranked county, Cameron, Texas ($628).

Average weekly wages in Louisiana's smaller parishes

For smaller parishes in Louisiana – those with employment below 75,000 – 51 of 57 reported weekly wages below the national average ($1,152) in the first quarter of 2018. In the six remaining smaller parishes, wages not only exceeded the national average, but were also the highest in the state, ranging from $1,796 in Cameron to $1,218 in St. John the Baptist. Catahoula Parish had the lowest weekly wages in the state at $570. (See table 2.)

When all 64 parishes were considered, 3 reported average weekly wages of $599 or less, 27 registered wages from $600 to $749, 14 had wages from $750 to $899, 11 had wages from $900 to $1,049, and 9 had wages of $1,050 or more. (See chart 1.) The higher-paying parishes were concentrated in the southern half of the state around the metropolitan areas of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. The lowest-paid parishes, those with weekly wages under $600, were located in the northeastern quadrant of the state.

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 2017 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 2018 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online are now available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2017/home.htm.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.


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 10.0 million employer reports cover 144.6 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 (see Technical Note below) 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 7 largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2018
AreaEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2018
(thousands)
Percent change,
March 2017-18 (2)
National
ranking by
percent change (3)
Average
weekly
wage
National
ranking by
level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2017-18 (2)
National
ranking by
percent change (3)

United States (4)

144,562.91.6--$1,152--3.7--

Louisiana

1,914.70.5--932343.030

Caddo, La.

111.6-0.93448333122.2253

Calcasieu, La.

101.95.059692024.178

East Baton Rouge, La.

267.80.42821,0241612.4228

Jefferson, La.

188.3-0.83429352291.0319

Lafayette, La.

129.30.03158892732.2253

Orleans, La.

194.80.72471,0591374.085

St. Tammany, La.

87.31.12009012662.9180

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 parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2018
AreaEmployment
March 2018
Average
weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

144,562,926$1,152

  Louisiana

1,914,709932

    Acadia

14,786673

    Allen

7,693755

    Ascension

45,9611,114

    Assumption

3,939810

    Avoyelles

10,619602

    Beauregard

7,871838

    Bienville

4,423761

    Bossier

44,218771

    Caddo

111,569833

    Calcasieu

101,874969

    Caldwell

2,355617

    Cameron

12,1181,796

    Catahoula

1,979570

    Claiborne

3,360694

    Concordia

5,180646

    De Soto

6,8391,038

    East Baton Rouge

267,8221,024

    East Carroll

1,728616

    East Feliciana

4,973816

    Evangeline

7,786670

    Franklin

4,692571

    Grant

3,325741

    Iberia

26,214901

    Iberville

18,0511,423

    Jackson

3,458725

    Jefferson

188,333935

    Jefferson Davis

8,296686

    La Salle

4,266713

    Lafayette

129,298889

    Lafourche

34,299960

    Lincoln

19,124700

    Livingston

27,634720

    Madison

3,213579

    Morehouse

6,631634

    Natchitoches

13,148684

    Orleans

194,7801,059

    Ouachita

71,089795

    Plaquemines

12,2821,354

    Pointe Coupee

5,303818

    Rapides

56,654776

    Red River

2,733771

    Richland

6,392615

    Sabine

5,216681

    St. Bernard

10,2101,009

    St. Charles

23,4151,494

    St. Helena

1,459708

    St. James

8,2271,443

    St. John the Baptist

15,0331,218

    St. Landry

23,591685

    St. Martin

12,071777

    St. Mary

21,184946

    St. Tammany

87,346901

    Tangipahoa

43,205667

    Tensas

896616

    Terrebonne

49,472954

    Union

5,103608

    Vermilion

12,740785

    Vernon

12,648722

    Washington

10,354660

    Webster

11,556741

    West Baton Rouge

12,1701,018

    West Carroll

2,252719

    West Feliciana

5,4081,118

    Winn

4,590687

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: Covered employment and wages 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, first quarter 2018
StateEmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
March 2018 (thousands)Percent change, March 2017-18Average weekly wageNational ranking by levelPercent change, first quarter 2017-18National ranking by percent change

United States (2)

144,562.91.6$1,152--3.7--

Alabama

1,948.91.1919362.934

Alaska

311.2-0.51,074202.344

Arizona

2,822.52.81,025223.519

Arkansas

1,211.40.9879442.440

California

17,152.52.11,35264.46

Colorado

2,639.52.51,175113.422

Connecticut

1,651.90.11,44742.440

Delaware

438.71.21,202101.351

District of Columbia

770.21.21,91711.949

Florida

8,716.82.2988254.19

Georgia

4,409.12.31,095172.344

Hawaii

658.40.3974292.344

Idaho

712.63.5809504.37

Illinois

5,909.31.01,24183.910

Indiana

3,018.81.2954323.910

Iowa

1,525.80.5921352.440

Kansas

1,370.60.2912402.738

Kentucky

1,873.70.5901412.539

Louisiana

1,914.70.5932343.030

Maine

592.10.9891433.616

Maryland

2,646.90.91,20993.226

Massachusetts

3,509.91.11,51035.62

Michigan

4,289.01.41,078193.422

Minnesota

2,823.60.71,175112.147

Mississippi

1,125.90.1765512.147

Missouri

2,777.60.5960313.128

Montana

455.51.0819492.440

Nebraska

966.00.4898423.616

Nevada

1,351.63.0977284.85

New Hampshire

648.20.81,122154.93

New Jersey

3,997.61.31,37353.030

New Mexico

813.31.0862472.934

New York

9,318.91.81,59723.422

North Carolina

4,370.61.81,022233.030

North Dakota

408.20.6988253.715

Ohio

5,328.50.91,005242.934

Oklahoma

1,600.91.8914383.519

Oregon

1,894.32.01,026214.37

Pennsylvania

5,787.21.41,115163.422

Rhode Island

469.91.11,086183.226

South Carolina

2,067.42.2877451.750

South Dakota

417.51.0842482.837

Tennessee

2,950.01.6978273.519

Texas

12,179.22.01,168133.910

Utah

1,458.83.3949334.93

Vermont

307.10.4917373.128

Virginia

3,854.41.51,162143.030

Washington

3,316.12.81,30677.71

West Virginia

684.80.6868463.616

Wisconsin

2,831.71.0968303.814

Wyoming

263.70.3914383.910

Puerto Rico

856.7-3.8563(3)7.0(3)

Virgin Islands

33.3-15.5969(3)24.4(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: Friday, September 14, 2018