Employment rose in Oklahoma’s three large counties from June 2018 to June 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.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that employment increased 1.7 percent over the year in Cleveland County, 1.1 percent in Tulsa County, and 0.9 percent in Oklahoma County. (See table 1.)

Employment nationwide advanced 1.1 percent during the 12-month period as 279 of the 355 largest U.S. counties registered increases. Adams, CO, had the largest percentage increase in the country, up 5.3 percent over the year. Bay, FL, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 6.4 percent.

Among the three largest counties in Oklahoma, employment was highest in Oklahoma County (463,800) in June 2019. The counties of Tulsa and Cleveland had employment levels of 362,600 and 82,100, respectively. Together, the three largest Oklahoma counties accounted for 56.1 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

All three large Oklahoma counties experienced average weekly wage gains from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019, with the fastest rates of increase in Cleveland and Oklahoma Counties, both up 3.0 percent. In Tulsa County, average weekly wages increased 2.4 percent. (See table 1.) Oklahoma County had the highest average weekly wage among the state’s largest counties at $1,000. Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.8 percent from a year ago to $1,095 in the second quarter of 2019.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 counties in Oklahoma with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of these smaller counties were below the national average in June 2019. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

The 3.0-percent annual average weekly wage gains in Cleveland and Oklahoma Counties tied for 220^th among the nation’s 355 largest counties in the second quarter of 2019. The 2.4-percent wage gain in Tulsa County ranked 272^nd. (See table 1.)

Nationally, 347 of the 355 largest counties had over-the-year wage increases. Benton, AR, had the largest percentage wage increase in the nation, up 16.3 percent. San Francisco, CA, had the second largest increase at 15.5 percent. 

Nationwide, eight large counties registered wage declines during the period. McLean, IL, had the largest percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 5.8 percent.

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the state’s three large counties were all below the national average of $1,095 in the second quarter of 2019. Average weekly wages in Oklahoma County ($1,000) and Tulsa County ($964) ranked 174^th and 195^th, respectively, near the middle of the national ranking. The average weekly wage in Cleveland County ($800) ranked 340^th, near the bottom of the 355 largest U.S. counties. (See table 1.)

More than 70 percent of the largest U.S. counties (260) reported average weekly wages below the national average in the second quarter of 2019. At $649 a week, Horry County, SC, had the lowest average weekly wage among the 355 large counties. The next three lowest-paying large counties were in Texas: Hidalgo ($657), Cameron ($659), and Webb ($697).

Nationwide, average weekly wages were higher than the U.S. average in 93 of the 355 largest counties. Santa Clara, CA, held the top position with an average weekly wage of $2,612. San Francisco, CA, was second with an average weekly wage of $2,430, followed by San Mateo, CA ($2,373) and New York, NY ($2,109). Average wages in the highest-ranked county, Santa Clara, CA, were more than four times the average wage in the lowest-ranked county, Horry, SC ($649).

Average weekly wages in Oklahoma's smaller counties

All 74 smaller counties in Oklahoma – those with employment below 75,000 – reported average weekly wages below the national average of $1,095. Among these smaller counties, Dewey posted the highest weekly wage, $1,010, followed by Grant ($985), Beckham ($958) and Woodward ($953). Haskell County reported the lowest average wage in the state at $590 per week, followed by Greer County at $609 per week. (See table 2.)

When all 77 counties in Oklahoma were considered, 21 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 24 registered wages from $700 to $799, 21 had wages from $800 to $899, and 11 had average weekly wages of $900 or more. (See chart 1.) The higher-paying counties were located in and around the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas, as well as the smaller areas of Elk City and Woodward. The lower-paying counties, those with weekly wages under $700, were concentrated in the in the southern and eastern portions 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 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 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/2018/home.htm.

The County Employment and Wages release for third quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 20, 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 (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 3 largest counties in Oklahoma, second quarter 2019

Area	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, second quarter 2018-19 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	149,089.2	1.1	--	$1,095	--	3.8	--
Oklahoma	1,618.5	0.5	--	900	41	3.1	39
Cleveland, OK	82.1	1.7	97	800	340	3.0	220
Oklahoma, OK	463.8	0.9	174	1,000	174	3.0	220
Tulsa, OK	362.6	1.1	150	964	195	2.4	272
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 Oklahoma, 2nd quarter 2019

Area	Employment June 2019	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	149,089,158	$1,095
Oklahoma	1,618,477	900
Adair	4,404	653
Alfalfa	1,491	832
Atoka	3,207	651
Beaver	1,643	905
Beckham	9,739	958
Blaine	3,419	848
Bryan	19,614	761
Caddo	7,222	794
Canadian	36,587	904
Carter	23,840	814
Cherokee	15,667	689
Choctaw	4,023	657
Cimarron	725	687
Cleveland	82,098	800
Coal	1,340	879
Comanche	42,085	768
Cotton	1,616	675
Craig	5,481	723
Creek	19,540	877
Custer	13,153	819
Delaware	9,296	650
Dewey	1,911	1,010
Ellis	1,220	787
Garfield	24,414	830
Garvin	9,767	907
Grady	12,793	790
Grant	1,357	985
Greer	1,002	609
Harmon	665	653
Harper	995	728
Haskell	3,393	590
Hughes	2,949	662
Jackson	9,592	809
Jefferson	1,082	633
Johnston	2,948	689
Kay	17,789	797
Kingfisher	7,385	948
Kiowa	1,806	676
Latimer	2,396	792
LeFlore	12,287	755
Lincoln	6,836	773
Logan	7,658	700
Love	5,905	642
Major	2,480	817
Marshall	4,574	753
Mayes	12,819	857
McClain	9,376	748
McCurtain	10,836	707
McIntosh	4,236	675
Murray	5,784	686
Muskogee	30,151	828
Noble	4,779	895
Nowata	1,843	703
Okfuskee	2,532	721
Oklahoma	463,766	1,000
Okmulgee	9,194	762
Osage	6,704	732
Ottawa	12,348	673
Pawnee	3,454	740
Payne	33,060	811
Pittsburg	16,124	893
Pontotoc	18,920	806
Pottawatomie	22,184	710
Pushmataha	2,311	657
Roger Mills	871	798
Rogers	27,655	879
Seminole	7,312	752
Sequoyah	9,945	630
Stephens	14,646	863
Texas	9,686	789
Tillman	1,707	699
Tulsa	362,567	964
Wagoner	9,520	833
Washington	19,111	941
Washita	2,043	811
Woods	3,349	846
Woodward	8,705	953
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, second quarter 2019

State	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
	June 2019 (thousands)	Percent change, June 2018-19	Average weekly wage	National ranking by level	Percent change, second quarter 2018-19	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	149,089.2	1.1	$1,095	--	3.8	--
Alabama	1,993.7	1.1	911	36	3.4	28
Alaska	338.9	0.7	1,078	15	3.6	26
Arizona	2,843.3	2.6	1,010	23	3.8	16
Arkansas	1,222.5	0.6	862	47	4.6	4
California	17,717.4	1.5	1,325	4	4.7	3
Colorado	2,765.7	2.2	1,128	9	4.9	2
Connecticut	1,690.8	-0.8	1,266	6	3.9	11
Delaware	458.0	0.8	1,057	17	3.4	28
District of Columbia	780.4	0.5	1,778	1	3.8	16
Florida	8,722.9	1.8	968	26	3.9	11
Georgia	4,507.1	1.7	1,016	22	3.9	11
Hawaii	652.2	-1.2	992	24	3.7	22
Idaho	765.1	2.6	820	50	3.3	33
Illinois	6,074.7	0.3	1,122	10	2.4	47
Indiana	3,089.8	0.5	910	38	3.1	39
Iowa	1,584.7	0.1	902	40	2.5	45
Kansas	1,403.0	0.6	905	39	2.8	42
Kentucky	1,909.7	0.3	911	36	3.3	33
Louisiana	1,920.2	-0.2	923	35	2.4	47
Maine	639.6	0.4	874	45	3.7	22
Maryland	2,733.6	0.7	1,178	8	3.3	33
Massachusetts	3,690.1	0.9	1,377	2	4.3	5
Michigan	4,419.7	0.1	1,018	21	2.4	47
Minnesota	2,952.6	0.8	1,101	13	2.6	44
Mississippi	1,135.9	0.4	767	51	2.0	51
Missouri	2,836.7	0.3	948	30	2.5	45
Montana	483.1	1.0	843	48	3.3	33
Nebraska	991.5	0.1	889	42	3.5	27
Nevada	1,408.8	2.6	961	29	3.2	38
New Hampshire	676.1	0.8	1,090	14	4.0	10
New Jersey	4,182.5	0.7	1,236	7	3.0	41
New Mexico	834.0	1.0	888	44	4.3	5
New York	9,682.8	1.0	1,347	3	3.9	11
North Carolina	4,527.3	2.0	970	25	3.9	11
North Dakota	431.8	1.3	1,026	20	4.1	7
Ohio	5,486.7	0.4	965	27	3.4	28
Oklahoma	1,618.5	0.5	900	41	3.1	39
Oregon	1,976.5	1.3	1,036	18	3.8	16
Pennsylvania	5,972.1	0.8	1,070	16	3.8	16
Rhode Island	494.5	0.7	1,034	19	3.4	28
South Carolina	2,144.2	1.3	867	46	3.7	22
South Dakota	441.8	0.4	838	49	3.8	16
Tennessee	3,047.8	1.8	964	28	3.3	33
Texas	12,585.6	2.0	1,102	12	3.8	16
Utah	1,526.1	3.0	936	32	4.1	7
Vermont	314.0	0.0	929	34	2.7	43
Virginia	3,981.6	1.0	1,113	11	3.7	22
Washington	3,500.6	1.8	1,288	5	5.9	1
West Virginia	700.4	-0.6	889	42	2.4	47
Wisconsin	2,945.3	0.3	940	31	4.1	7
Wyoming	287.6	1.7	932	33	3.4	28
Puerto Rico	867.7	1.5	531	(3)	-1.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	37.0	10.0	919	(3)	8.8	(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.