Table 2. Covered(1) establishments, employment, and wages in the 10 largest counties,
fourth quarter 2008(2)
Employment Average weekly
wage(3)
Establishments,
fourth quarter
County by NAICS supersector 2008 Percent Percent
(thousands) December change, Average change,
2008 December weekly fourth
(thousands) 2007-08(4) wage quarter
2007-08(4)
United States(5)............................. 9,177.5 133,870.4 -2.3 $918 2.2
Private industry........................... 8,884.3 111,752.9 -2.9 919 2.0
Natural resources and mining............. 127.0 1,802.7 2.0 996 5.1
Construction............................. 881.7 6,636.1 -10.2 1,052 4.9
Manufacturing............................ 360.0 12,891.3 -6.2 1,094 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 1,925.3 26,316.1 -3.5 766 1.1
Information.............................. 147.4 2,948.2 -3.4 1,360 0.1
Financial activities..................... 862.8 7,853.7 -3.2 1,390 -0.4
Professional and business services....... 1,537.6 17,366.1 -4.1 1,201 3.7
Education and health services............ 857.4 18,304.3 2.9 872 3.7
Leisure and hospitality.................. 742.2 12,957.7 -1.7 390 1.8
Other services........................... 1,229.1 4,445.7 -0.7 581 2.8
Government................................. 293.2 22,117.5 0.9 914 4.0
Los Angeles, CA.............................. 433.9 4,152.9 -3.4 1,075 1.8
Private industry........................... 430.0 3,552.8 -3.8 1,064 1.1
Natural resources and mining............. 0.5 10.5 -2.7 1,261 5.4
Construction............................. 14.0 136.7 -12.3 1,138 4.8
Manufacturing............................ 14.5 417.6 -5.9 1,107 3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 53.6 802.4 -5.4 833 -0.8
Information.............................. 8.8 207.5 (6) 1,889 (6)
Financial activities..................... 24.1 231.8 -5.7 1,462 -3.8
Professional and business services....... 42.6 574.2 (6) 1,306 (6)
Education and health services............ 28.1 500.0 1.8 979 3.8
Leisure and hospitality.................. 27.2 396.1 -1.6 927 5.9
Other services........................... 201.1 258.8 0.5 454 1.1
Government................................. 4.0 600.1 (6) 1,141 5.6
Cook, IL..................................... 141.0 2,480.0 -2.8 1,118 1.5
Private industry........................... 139.6 2,169.2 -3.3 1,126 1.3
Natural resources and mining............. 0.1 1.1 -5.6 998 -5.0
Construction............................. 12.4 82.8 -10.5 1,478 6.9
Manufacturing............................ 7.0 219.9 -6.5 1,119 3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 27.6 467.7 -4.9 840 -0.4
Information.............................. 2.6 56.1 -3.2 1,487 -4.3
Financial activities..................... 15.7 203.7 -4.3 2,007 0.7
Professional and business services....... 29.1 423.4 -4.8 1,525 3.5
Education and health services............ 14.0 386.1 3.1 930 1.3
Leisure and hospitality.................. 11.7 227.5 -2.2 440 0.0
Other services........................... 14.6 96.1 -0.1 783 3.2
Government................................. 1.4 310.8 0.8 1,058 2.9
New York, NY................................. 118.9 2,386.4 -1.3 1,856 -0.6
Private industry........................... 118.6 1,934.3 -1.6 2,041 -0.7
Natural resources and mining............. 0.0 0.2 -3.6 1,594 4.7
Construction............................. 2.4 36.3 0.6 1,939 0.6
Manufacturing............................ 3.0 33.7 -8.3 1,565 0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 22.0 255.2 -3.3 1,294 -1.5
Information.............................. 4.6 134.5 -1.5 2,055 -0.3
Financial activities..................... 19.2 369.0 -3.9 4,085 -1.3
Professional and business services....... 25.5 489.1 -2.4 2,173 0.6
Education and health services............ 8.9 297.7 1.6 1,133 6.0
Leisure and hospitality.................. 11.8 224.3 0.8 889 -0.7
Other services........................... 18.0 90.2 0.7 1,102 7.1
Government................................. 0.3 452.1 0.0 1,062 1.6
Harris, TX................................... 98.1 2,078.1 1.0 1,187 2.6
Private industry........................... 97.6 1,820.6 0.9 1,215 2.3
Natural resources and mining............. 1.6 85.8 7.1 2,872 (6)
Construction............................. 6.7 156.9 (6) 1,217 (6)
Manufacturing............................ 4.6 187.7 2.4 1,468 -3.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 22.5 443.1 0.6 1,035 4.0
Information.............................. 1.4 32.0 -2.4 1,393 8.2
Financial activities..................... 10.6 117.9 (6) 1,517 4.7
Professional and business services....... 19.6 336.9 (6) 1,448 3.7
Education and health services............ 10.4 224.3 3.1 958 3.2
Leisure and hospitality.................. 7.6 175.2 -0.6 404 4.7
Other services........................... 11.9 59.6 0.4 673 3.2
Government................................. 0.5 257.5 1.8 988 5.2
Maricopa, AZ................................. 103.6 1,741.0 -5.8 892 2.1
Private industry........................... 102.9 1,512.8 -6.9 893 2.2
Natural resources and mining............. 0.5 9.0 -4.9 1,026 20.6
Construction............................. 11.0 115.5 -25.3 986 3.4
Manufacturing............................ 3.6 120.8 -8.0 1,217 3.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 22.9 365.7 -6.8 796 0.9
Information.............................. 1.7 29.4 -4.1 1,098 3.4
Financial activities..................... 12.9 140.1 -4.8 1,066 -0.4
Professional and business services....... 23.2 289.2 -8.5 989 5.0
Education and health services............ 10.3 216.8 5.7 999 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.................. 7.4 176.8 -5.3 420 -1.4
Other services........................... 7.4 48.4 -4.9 613 2.7
Government................................. 0.7 228.2 2.0 881 0.1
Orange, CA................................... 102.7 1,451.2 -4.8 1,043 1.4
Private industry........................... 101.3 1,301.1 -5.3 1,043 1.2
Natural resources and mining............. 0.2 4.2 -9.0 665 -2.8
Construction............................. 6.9 83.3 -14.9 1,234 4.5
Manufacturing............................ 5.3 166.4 -5.7 1,226 -0.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 17.2 272.3 -6.9 947 1.4
Information.............................. 1.3 29.0 -3.8 1,423 4.0
Financial activities..................... 10.7 110.0 -7.5 1,582 -2.6
Professional and business services....... 19.1 258.3 -7.6 1,259 6.0
Education and health services............ 10.0 150.8 (6) 960 (6)
Leisure and hospitality.................. 7.1 171.7 -2.2 406 1.5
Other services........................... 18.0 49.0 -0.3 569 -4.2
Government................................. 1.4 150.1 -0.8 1,044 3.2
Dallas, TX................................... 68.6 1,484.4 -1.2 1,123 1.1
Private industry........................... 68.1 1,314.7 -1.6 1,141 1.1
Natural resources and mining............. 0.6 8.5 12.6 4,744 38.9
Construction............................. 4.4 80.1 -4.3 1,075 1.7
Manufacturing............................ 3.1 129.8 -5.4 1,224 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 15.2 308.2 -2.1 990 -4.2
Information.............................. 1.7 47.3 -4.2 1,524 3.6
Financial activities..................... 8.8 142.9 -1.2 1,429 -1.7
Professional and business services....... 15.1 275.6 -2.1 1,375 2.4
Education and health services............ 6.7 153.9 3.8 1,059 3.1
Leisure and hospitality.................. 5.4 128.5 (6) 493 (6)
Other services........................... 6.6 39.0 -1.2 682 3.6
Government................................. 0.5 169.7 2.3 984 2.2
San Diego, CA................................ 100.0 1,309.1 -3.0 981 2.0
Private industry........................... 98.8 1,082.3 -3.5 960 1.6
Natural resources and mining............. 0.8 9.4 -11.4 577 0.2
Construction............................. 7.0 70.4 -14.3 1,140 5.5
Manufacturing............................ 3.1 100.4 -3.3 1,306 0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 14.2 218.3 -6.3 759 0.7
Information.............................. 1.3 38.6 0.6 1,970 2.3
Financial activities..................... 9.5 74.2 -5.7 1,171 -1.0
Professional and business services....... 16.3 210.9 -4.4 1,238 2.0
Education and health services............ 8.2 138.3 4.2 953 3.1
Leisure and hospitality.................. 6.9 158.2 -2.3 425 3.9
Other services........................... 26.9 58.4 2.0 491 1.7
Government................................. 1.3 226.8 -0.4 1,079 2.8
King, WA..................................... 77.6 1,175.3 -1.5 1,130 4.0
Private industry........................... 77.0 1,018.2 -2.0 1,140 4.0
Natural resources and mining............. 0.4 2.9 7.0 1,573 11.8
Construction............................. 6.6 63.8 -11.6 1,197 6.8
Manufacturing............................ 2.4 108.8 -3.3 1,449 7.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 14.9 221.8 -2.9 955 1.0
Information.............................. 1.8 81.4 6.1 1,982 3.9
Financial activities..................... 6.9 72.4 -5.0 1,418 2.6
Professional and business services....... 13.7 185.4 -3.3 1,378 4.6
Education and health services............ 6.5 129.3 4.6 894 3.8
Leisure and hospitality.................. 6.2 108.6 -2.5 450 1.6
Other services........................... 17.6 43.7 -0.8 631 3.6
Government................................. 0.5 157.1 1.9 1,069 4.2
Miami-Dade, FL............................... 86.8 1,003.9 -4.2 924 2.6
Private industry........................... 86.4 851.3 -4.7 907 2.3
Natural resources and mining............. 0.5 9.6 -10.6 457 -11.1
Construction............................. 6.4 42.0 -21.4 973 5.3
Manufacturing............................ 2.6 41.2 -11.7 818 1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities..... 23.5 253.4 -4.0 814 1.2
Information.............................. 1.5 19.0 -8.1 1,266 5.2
Financial activities..................... 10.2 67.2 -7.6 1,387 0.1
Professional and business services....... 18.2 132.2 -5.2 1,229 6.6
Education and health services............ 9.4 145.9 2.8 901 1.7
Leisure and hospitality.................. 6.0 104.0 -1.9 514 0.6
Other services........................... 7.6 36.2 -3.3 579 6.0
Government................................. 0.4 152.6 -1.1 1,017 (6)
(1) Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal
Employees (UCFE) programs.
(2) Data are preliminary.
(3) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(4) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic
county reclassifications. See Technical Note.
(5) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(6) Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
