December 2, 1998 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Few of the Nation's largest counties recorded pay declines in 1996

Average annual pay declined in just 3 of the largest 290 counties in the United States during 1996. Kern County, California (part of the Bakersfield metropolitan area), reported a decrease in average annual pay of 1.4 percent, followed by Anchorage County, Alaska (part of the Anchorage metropolitan area), down 0.4 percent, and Genesee County, Michigan (part of the Flint metropolitan area), down 0.3 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

Average annual pay was unchanged over the year in Ada County, Idaho; Sacramento County, California, had the slowest positive growth rate at 0.8 percent.

Overall, 175 counties had average annual pay levels below the national average of $28,945. The lowest level of average annual pay was reported in Horry County, South Carolina ($18,551). Horry County was followed by Hidalgo County, Texas ($18,928), Cameron County, Texas ($19,056), Tulare County, California ($19,768), and Yakima County, Washington ($19,780). These 5 counties were the only ones to have average annual pay levels below $20,000.

These data are a product of the BLS Covered Employed and Wages (ES-202) program. Additional information is available from news release USDL 98-443, "Employment and Average Annual Pay for Large Counties, 1996."