Of the 328 largest counties in the United States, as measured by 2006 annual average employment, 126 had over-the-year percentage growth in employment above the national average (0.8 percent) in December 2007; 182 large counties experienced changes below the national average. The percent change in average weekly wages was higher than the national average (4.2 percent) in 128 of the largest U.S. counties, but was below the national average in 186 counties.
Large County Employment
In December 2007, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program, was 137.0 million, up by 0.8 percent from December 2006. The 328 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 71.2 percent of total U.S. employment and 77.2 percent of total wages. These 328 counties had a net job gain of 666,400 over the year, accounting for 61.2 percent of the overall U.S. employment increase. Employment rose in 201 of the large counties from December 2006 to December 2007. Fort Bend County, Texas, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (7.4 percent). Monterey, Calif., had the next largest increase, 5.2 percent, followed by the counties of Williamson, Tenn. (4.5 percent), and Madison, Ala., and San Francisco, Calif. (4.0 percent each).
Employment declined in 98 counties from December 2006 to December 2007. The largest percentage decline in employment was in Trumbull County, Ohio (-5.7 percent). Lee, Fla., had the next largest employment decline (-5.5 percent), followed by the counties of Collier, Fla. (-5.1 percent), Sarasota, Fla. (-4.1 percent), and Manatee, Fla., and Saginaw, Mich. (-3.7 percent each).
The largest gains in the level of employment from December 2006 to December 2007 were recorded in the counties of Harris, Texas (73,200), New York, N.Y. (52,000), King, Wash. (35,200), Los Angeles, Calif. (32,900), and Dallas, Texas (31,300). The largest decline in employment levels occurred in Orange, Calif. (-25,300), followed by the counties of Wayne, Mich. (-19,900), Lee, Fla. (-12,700), Pinellas, Fla. (-11,500), and Oakland, Mich.(-9,100).
Large County Average Weekly Wages
The national average weekly wage in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $898. Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 106 of the largest 328 U.S. counties. New York, N.Y., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,862. Santa Clara, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,700, followed by Fairfield, Conn. ($1,575), Suffolk, Mass. ($1,546), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,529).
There were 222 counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the fourth quarter of 2007. The lowest average weekly wage was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($555), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($562), Horry, S.C. ($582), Webb, Texas ($590), and Yakima, Wash. ($596).
Over the year, the national average weekly wage rose by 4.2 percent. Among the largest counties, Pulaski County, Ark., led the nation in growth in average weekly wages, with an increase of 26.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2006. Williamson, Texas, was second with growth of 16.5 percent, followed by the counties of Lake, Ill. (15.6 percent), Douglas, Colo. (12.6 percent), and Westmoreland, Pa. (9.8 percent).
Eight large counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Among the five largest decreases in wages, Rockingham, N.H., had the greatest decline (-12.4 percent), followed by the counties of Trumbull, Ohio (-7.2 percent), Sedgwick, Kan. (-4.1 percent), Lake, Fla. (-3.9 percent), and Montgomery, Ohio (-2.4 percent).
Ten Largest U.S. Counties
Six of the 10 largest counties (based on 2006 annual average employment levels) experienced over-the-year percent increases in employment in December 2007. Harris, Texas, experienced the largest percent gain in employment among the 10 largest counties with a 3.7 percent increase. Within Harris County, the largest gains in employment were in construction (6.9 percent) and other services (4.7 percent). King, Wash., had the next largest increase in employment, 3.0 percent, followed by New York, N.Y. (2.2 percent). Orange, Calif., experienced the largest decline in employment among the 10 largest counties with a 1.6 percent decrease. Within Orange County, four industry groups experienced employment declines, with financial activities experiencing the largest drop, -12.4 percent. Maricopa, Ariz., and Cook, Ill., had the next largest decline in employment (-0.1 percent each).
Each of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw an over-the-year increase in average weekly wages. Harris, Texas, had the fastest growth in wages among the 10 largest counties, with a gain of 5.9 percent. Within Harris County, average weekly wages increased the most in the natural resources and mining industry (14.2 percent), followed by the manufacturing industry (12.5 percent). Cook, Ill., was second in wage growth with a gain of 4.8 percent, followed by San Diego, Calif. (4.4 percent). The smallest wage gain among the 10 largest counties occurred in Miami-Dade, Fla. (0.6 percent), followed by Maricopa, Ariz. (2.0 percent), and Orange, Calif. (2.8 percent).
