Large County Employment
In June 2008, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program, was 136.6 million, down by 0.3 percent from June 2007. The 334 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees accounted for 71.3 percent of total U.S. employment and 76.8 percent of total wages. These 334 counties had a net job decline of 407,700 over the year, which exceeds the overall U.S. employment decline by 3 percent, or 11,000 jobs.
Employment declined in 188 counties from June 2007 to June 2008. The largest percentage decline in employment was in Lee, Fla. (-8.8 percent). Collier, Fla., had the next largest percentage decline (-6.8 percent), followed by the counties of Sarasota, Fla., and Elkhart, Ind. (-6.5 percent each), and Marion, Fla. (-6.0 percent). The largest decline in employment levels occurred in Maricopa, Ariz. (-55,100), followed by the counties of Riverside, Calif. (-29,400), Hillsborough, Fla. (-27,100), Orange, Calif. (-26,100), and Palm Beach, Fla. (-25,700). Combined employment losses in these five counties over the year totaled 163,400, or 41 percent of the employment decline for the U.S. as a whole.
Employment rose in 125 of the large counties from June 2007 to June 2008. Orleans County, La., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (5.6 percent). Williamson, Texas, had the next largest increase, 4.3 percent, followed by the counties of Fort Bend, Texas (4.2 percent), Tulare, Calif. (4.0 percent), and Montgomery, Texas (3.8 percent). The largest gains in the level of employment from June 2007 to June 2008 were recorded in the counties of Harris, Texas (56,100), New York, N.Y. (24,000), King, Wash. (20,000), Dallas, Texas (17,100), and Bexar, Texas (15,000).
Large County Average Weekly Wages
The national average weekly wage in the second quarter of 2008 was $841. Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 109 of the largest 334 U.S. counties. New York, N.Y., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties with an average weekly wage of $1,569. Santa Clara, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,529, followed by Washington, D.C. ($1,433), Arlington, Va. ($1,376), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,334).
There were 224 counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the second quarter of 2008. The lowest average weekly wage was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($535), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($538), Horry, S.C. ($539), Webb, Texas ($562), and Yakima, Wash. ($580).
Over the year, the national average weekly wage rose by 2.6 percent. Among the largest counties, Rock Island, Ill., led the nation in growth in average weekly wages, with an increase of 10.5 percent from the second quarter of 2007. Weld, Colo., was second with growth of 10.4 percent, followed by the counties of Utah, Utah (9.4 percent), Whatcom, Wash. (8.3 percent), and East Baton Rouge, La. (7.8 percent).
Twenty-six large counties experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Clayton, Ga., had the largest decrease (-43.7 percent), followed by the counties of Boone, Ky. (-10.0 percent), Ventura, Calif., and Trumbull, Ohio (-4.8 percent each), and Queens, N.Y. (-4.3 percent).
Ten Largest U.S. Counties
Four of the 10 largest counties (based on 2007 annual average employment levels) experienced over-the-year percent increases in employment in June 2008. Harris, Texas, experienced the largest percent gain in employment (2.8 percent) among the 10 largest counties. Within Harris County, the largest gains in employment were in natural resources and mining (6.0 percent) and construction (4.9 percent). King, Wash., had the next largest increase in employment, 1.7 percent, followed by Dallas, Texas (1.2 percent). Maricopa, Ariz., experienced the largest decline in employment among the 10 largest counties with a 3.1 percent decrease. Within Maricopa, nine industry groups experienced employment declines, with construction experiencing the largest decline, -18.8 percent. Miami-Dade, Fla., had the next largest decline in employment, -2.1 percent, followed by Orange, Calif. (-1.7 percent).
Nine of the 10 largest U.S. counties saw an over-the-year increase in average weekly wages. San Diego, Calif., had the fastest growth in wages among the 10 largest counties, with a gain of 4.2 percent. Within San Diego County, average weekly wages increased the most in the information industry (22.9 percent), followed by government (6.4 percent). Harris, Texas, was second in wage growth with a gain of 3.9 percent, followed by Miami-Dade, Fla. (3.1 percent). The smallest wage gain occurred in Orange, Calif. (0.2 percent), followed by Cook, Ill. (1.9 percent). The only wage decline among the 10 largest counties occurred in Dallas, Texas (-0.2 percent).
