June 24, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Washington State reports biggest pay gain in 1997

Workers in Washington State were paid 6.5 percent more on average in 1997 than in 1996, the largest gain of any State. This year marked the first time since 1992 that any State reported annual pay growth exceeding 6 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

The top five gainers also included Connecticut (6.3 percent), New Hampshire (5.8 percent), Georgia (5.6 percent), and Texas (5.6 percent). In the U.S. overall, average annual pay rose by 4.8 percent from 1996 to 1997.

The average pay in Washington State in 1997 was $30,768, which was slightly higher the U.S. average of $30,336. Connecticut workers were paid $38,895 on average—their pay level was the highest of all the States. Pay was somewhat below the U.S. average in New Hampshire ($29,296), Georgia ($29,020), and Texas ($29,690).

The BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program produced these data. Pay data presented here are for all workers covered by State and Federal unemployment insurance programs. Find more information on pay in 1997 in "Average Annual Pay By State and Industry, 1997," news release USDL 99-171.