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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: |
COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN KANSAS: SECOND QUARTER 2008
Wyandotte County recorded the fastest growth in employment and wages
Johnson County had the highest average weekly wage
Employment in Wyandotte County rose 2.2 percent from June 2007 to June 2008, the highest gain among the four large counties in Kansas, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that employment increased in all four large counties in Kansas over the year, counter to the national employment decline of 0.3 percent during the same period. (See table A.) Employment rose over-the-year in Sedgwick County (1.8 percent) and Shawnee County (1.7 percent), and more slowly in Johnson County (0.8 percent).
Wyandotte County's 2.0-percent rate of wage growth was the highest among the four counties, followed by Johnson and Sedgwick, at 1.3 percent each. Shawnee County's average wages declined 0.8 percent. Wage gains in the three large Kansas counties that experienced growth lagged behind the national increase of 2.6 percent in the second quarter of 2008. Johnson County was the State's only large county to have an average weekly wage exceeding the national average ($884 versus $841).
| Area | Employment | Average Weekly Wage (3) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2008 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2007-08 (4) | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level (5) | Percent change, second quarter 2007-08 (4) | National ranking by percent change (5) | |
United States (6) |
136,631.8 | -0.3 | $841 | -- | 2.6 | -- |
Kansas |
1,389.1 | 1.2 | 720 | 33 | 2.4 | 34 |
Johnson, Kan. |
321.5 | 0.8 | 884 | 82 | 1.3 | 259 |
Sedgwick, Kan. |
264.6 | 1.8 | 786 | 158 | 1.3 | 259 |
Shawnee, Kan. |
97.9 | 1.7 | 715 | 251 | -0.8 | 313 |
Wyandotte, Kan. |
82.2 | 2.2 | 808 | 137 | 2.0 | 212 |
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Footnotes: |
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Large County Employment
Among the four large counties in Kansas, employment was highest in Johnson County at 321,500 and lowest in Wyandotte County at 82,200 in June 2008. As mentioned earlier, all four large counties in Kansas experienced employment gains from June 2007 to June 2008. Job growth rates in three of the Kansas counties ranked in the top 10 percent among the 334 largest counties in the United States. Wyandotte County's 2.2-percent employment gain placed 17th, Sedgwick County's 1.8-percent gain ranked 25th, closely followed by Shawnee County's 1.7-percent gain (28th). Even though Johnson County's 0.8 percent rate was the smallest increase in the State, it still ranked 67th.
Of the 334 largest counties in the United States, 125 posted over-the-year rates of growth in employment from June 2007 to June 2008 and 188 experienced declines in employment. Orleans County, La., which includes the city of New Orleans, recorded the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment with a gain of 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 percentage decline in employment was in Lee County, 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).
Large County Average Weekly Wages
Johnson County's average weekly wage of $884 was the highest among the four large counties in Kansas and ranked in the top one-fourth (82nd) among the 334 largest counties in the nation in the second quarter of 2008. Wyandotte ($808/137th) and Sedgwick ($786/158th) Counties had average weekly wages below the national average of $841, but still placed in the top half of the national ranking. Shawnee County ($715/251st) ranked in the bottom one-fourth nationwide with an average weekly wage $126 below the average for the nation.
Average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 109 of the largest 334 U.S. counties. New York County, 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).
Of the large counties in the United States, 224 had an average weekly wage below that for the nation 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).
Wage Changes in Large Counties
While three of Kansas's four large counties recorded wage growth from the second quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2008, none reached the national rate of 2.6 percent. Wyandotte County's 2.0-percent wage gain was the largest increase, ranking 212th among the 334 largest counties. Johnson and Sedgwick Counties wages grew 1.3 percent each, ranking 259th. Shawnee County posted an over-the-year decline in wages in the second quarter of 2008, down 0.8 percent (313th). Johnson, Sedgwick, and Shawnee Counties ranked among the bottom one-fourth of large U.S. counties in percent change in wages over the period.
Among the 334 largest counties in the United States, Rock Island, Ill., led the nation in average weekly wage growth with an increase of 10.5 percent from the second quarter of 2007. Weld County, 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).
State Average Weekly Wages
At the state level, Kansas's weekly wage of $720 was 14.4 percent below the national average, ranking 33rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (See table 1.) Two of Kansas's four neighboring states had higher average weekly wages, Colorado ($858/13th) and Missouri ($752/28th), and two had lower levels, Oklahoma ($701/40th) and Nebraska ($676/44th).
Kansas's wage growth of 2.4 percent from the second quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2008 was below the national average, ranking 34th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Across the nation, the District of Columbia had the fastest wage growth (5.9 percent) followed by North Dakota (5.8 percent) while Georgia (-0.6 percent) and Delaware (-0.8 percent) were the only two states to record over-the-year declines in average weekly wages during the period.
Employment and Average Wages in Kansas's Small Counties
Employment and average wages (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 101 small counties in Kansas, those with employment of less than 75,000. These counties accounted for 44.2 percent of statewide employment. Among the small counties, Douglas County reported the highest employment at 46,100, followed by Saline County (31,300), and Reno and Riley Counties (29,300 each). Douglas, Saline, Reno, and Riley Counties are all located in the eastern half of the State. Wallace County had the fewest jobs, 500, followed closely by Greeley and Hodgeman Counties with 600 jobs each. (See table 2.)
Coffey County had the highest average weekly wage among Kansas's small counties at $874 in the second quarter of 2008, $33 above the nationwide average. Comanche County recorded the lowest average weekly wage at $370-less than half of the national average.
When all 105 counties in Kansas were considered, seven counties had average weekly wages above $700 and all were located in the eastern half of the State. Nineteen counties posted average weekly wages in the $600 to $699 range.
Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The 9.1 million employer reports cover 136.6 million full- and part-time workers. The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing total quarterly wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or States for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas, counties, and the nation are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/; however, data in QCEW press releases have been adjusted (see Technical Note below) and may not match the data contained on the Bureau's Web site.
Additional statistics and other information
An annual bulletin, Employment and Wages, features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2007 edition of this bulletin contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2008 version of this news release. Tables and additional content from the 2007 Employment and Wages Annual Bulletin are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn07.htm. These tables present final 2007 annual averages. The tables will also be included on the CD which accompanies the hardcopy version of the Annual Bulletin. Employment and Wages, 2007 will be available for sale as a chartbook by the end of the first quarter of 2009 from the United States Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents. P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburg, PA 15250, telephone (866) 512-1800, outside Washington, D.C. Within Washington, D.C., the telephone number is (202) 512-1800. The fax number is (202) 512-2104.
QCEW-based news releases issued by other regional offices have been placed at one convenient BLS Web site location, www.bls.gov/cew/cewregional.htm.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
For personal assistance or further information on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Program, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Kansas City Information Office at 816-285-7000 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT.
TECHNICAL NOTE
QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons-some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.
The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS Web site. These potential differences result from the states' continuing receipt, review, and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS Web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.
| State | Employment | Average weekly wage (3) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2008 (thousands) | Percent change, June 2007-08 | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level | Percent change, second quarter 2007-08 | National ranking by percent change | |
United States (4) |
136,631.8 | -0.3 | $841 | - | 2.6 | - |
Alabama |
1,955.4 | -0.5 | 720 | 33 | 3.3 | 15 |
Alaska |
330.6 | 1.4 | 860 | 12 | 3.1 | 16 |
Arizona |
2,543.9 | -2.6 | 806 | 19 | 2.4 | 34 |
Arkansas |
1,183.5 | -0.2 | 661 | 46 | 3.4 | 11 |
California |
15,760.3 | -0.5 | 955 | 6 | 2.2 | 42 |
Colorado |
2,346.3 | 0.8 | 858 | 13 | 3.1 | 16 |
Connecticut |
1,722.3 | 0.5 | 1,036 | 4 | 0.3 | 49 |
Delaware |
427.3 | -0.9 | 862 | 10 | -0.8 | 51 |
District of Columbia |
691.4 | 1.2 | 1,433 | 1 | 5.9 | 1 |
Florida |
7,620.1 | -3.4 | 762 | 26 | 2.6 | 30 |
Georgia |
4,059.7 | -0.6 | 787 | 22 | -0.6 | 50 |
Hawaii |
623.9 | -1.3 | 764 | 24 | 3.9 | 9 |
Idaho |
671.9 | -0.9 | 636 | 48 | 1.6 | 46 |
Illinois |
5,930.0 | -0.4 | 893 | 8 | 2.3 | 39 |
Indiana |
2,906.5 | -0.9 | 715 | 38 | 1.9 | 43 |
Iowa |
1,521.2 | 0.1 | 683 | 42 | 2.9 | 23 |
Kansas |
1,389.1 | 1.2 | 720 | 33 | 2.4 | 34 |
Kentucky |
1,818.9 | -0.5 | 718 | 35 | 2.6 | 30 |
Louisiana |
1,900.3 | 1.2 | 750 | 29 | 5.5 | 3 |
Maine |
620.3 | 0.1 | 676 | 44 | 2.7 | 28 |
Maryland |
2,577.7 | -0.3 | 920 | 7 | 2.8 | 26 |
Massachusetts |
3,310.4 | 0.1 | 1,044 | 2 | 3.6 | 10 |
Michigan |
4,163.3 | -2.2 | 825 | 18 | 2.4 | 34 |
Minnesota |
2,733.9 | -0.5 | 849 | 14 | 1.8 | 45 |
Mississippi |
1,139.1 | 0.1 | 635 | 49 | 4.4 | 7 |
Missouri |
2,761.6 | 0.0 | 752 | 28 | 3.4 | 11 |
Montana |
450.3 | 0.1 | 629 | 50 | 2.9 | 23 |
Nebraska |
936.1 | 0.5 | 676 | 44 | 3.4 | 11 |
Nevada |
1,271.8 | -1.9 | 797 | 20 | 2.7 | 28 |
New Hampshire |
641.9 | -0.4 | 835 | 16 | 1.5 | 48 |
New Jersey |
4,054.4 | -0.4 | 1,004 | 5 | 1.6 | 46 |
New Mexico |
837.2 | 0.6 | 715 | 38 | 4.2 | 8 |
New York |
8,758.2 | 0.6 | 1,040 | 3 | 2.3 | 39 |
North Carolina |
4,083.6 | -0.1 | 735 | 31 | 2.4 | 34 |
North Dakota |
356.4 | 2.5 | 654 | 47 | 5.8 | 2 |
Ohio |
5,315.0 | -1.3 | 757 | 27 | 2.3 | 39 |
Oklahoma |
1,556.0 | 1.0 | 701 | 40 | 5.3 | 5 |
Oregon |
1,747.4 | -0.8 | 764 | 24 | 3.0 | 20 |
Pennsylvania |
5,743.3 | 0.1 | 827 | 17 | 3.1 | 16 |
Rhode Island |
481.6 | -2.2 | 796 | 21 | 2.8 | 26 |
South Carolina |
1,907.5 | -0.6 | 681 | 43 | 2.4 | 34 |
South Dakota |
409.0 | 1.2 | 606 | 51 | 2.9 | 23 |
Tennessee |
2,752.7 | -0.4 | 745 | 30 | 1.9 | 43 |
Texas |
10,510.3 | 2.2 | 849 | 14 | 2.5 | 33 |
Utah |
1,234.3 | 0.1 | 716 | 37 | 2.6 | 30 |
Vermont |
305.6 | -0.9 | 718 | 35 | 3.0 | 20 |
Virginia |
3,720.4 | -0.3 | 885 | 9 | 3.0 | 20 |
Washington |
3,000.9 | 0.3 | 862 | 10 | 3.4 | 11 |
West Virginia |
715.3 | 0.0 | 695 | 41 | 5.1 | 6 |
Wisconsin |
2,836.8 | -0.5 | 730 | 32 | 3.1 | 16 |
Wyoming |
296.7 | 2.7 | 780 | 23 | 5.4 | 4 |
Puerto Rico |
997.8 | -2.0 | 475 | (5) | 3.5 | (5) |
Virgin Islands |
45.9 | -2.2 | 703 | (5) | -0.6 | (5) |
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Footnotes: |
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| Area | Employment June 2008 (thousands) | Average weekly wage (3) |
|---|---|---|
United States (4) |
136,631.8 | $841 |
Kansas |
1,389.1 | 720 |
Allen |
6.1 | 529 |
Anderson |
2.4 | 474 |
Atchison |
7.0 | 581 |
Barber |
2.0 | 531 |
Barton |
13.5 | 605 |
Bourbon |
6.9 | 512 |
Brown |
5.1 | 513 |
Butler |
18.6 | 572 |
Chase |
0.9 | 455 |
Chautauqua |
0.9 | 412 |
Cherokee |
6.3 | 572 |
Cheyenne |
0.9 | 511 |
Clark |
0.8 | 524 |
Clay |
3.7 | 473 |
Cloud |
4.1 | 481 |
Coffey |
4.3 | 874 |
Comanche |
0.8 | 370 |
Cowley |
15.0 | 592 |
Crawford |
18.0 | 524 |
Decatur |
1.2 | 428 |
Dickinson |
7.1 | 515 |
Doniphan |
3.0 | 584 |
Douglas |
46.1 | 625 |
Edwards |
1.0 | 519 |
Elk |
0.7 | 427 |
Ellis |
15.5 | 630 |
Ellsworth |
2.9 | 538 |
Finney |
18.1 | 624 |
Ford |
17.0 | 606 |
Franklin |
9.7 | 596 |
Geary |
14.7 | 614 |
Gove |
1.2 | 486 |
Graham |
1.1 | 554 |
Grant |
3.8 | 675 |
Gray |
3.0 | 567 |
Greeley |
0.6 | 512 |
Greenwood |
2.2 | 498 |
Hamilton |
1.2 | 531 |
Harper |
2.5 | 500 |
Harvey |
14.7 | 580 |
Haskell |
1.6 | 647 |
Hodgeman |
0.6 | 468 |
Jackson |
4.5 | 527 |
Jefferson |
3.7 | 601 |
Jewell |
1.0 | 427 |
Johnson |
321.5 | 884 |
Kearny |
1.4 | 556 |
Kingman |
2.6 | 557 |
Kiowa |
1.1 | 524 |
Labette |
11.2 | 507 |
Lane |
0.7 | 553 |
Leavenworth |
21.5 | 731 |
Lincoln |
1.0 | 431 |
Linn |
2.2 | 682 |
Logan |
1.3 | 514 |
Lyon |
15.9 | 578 |
Mcpherson |
14.5 | 632 |
Marion |
4.2 | 456 |
Marshall |
5.1 | 538 |
Meade |
1.7 | 596 |
Miami |
8.6 | 581 |
Mitchell |
3.5 | 542 |
Montgomery |
17.3 | 546 |
Morris |
1.5 | 489 |
Morton |
1.4 | 642 |
Nemaha |
5.2 | 540 |
Neosho |
8.5 | 596 |
Ness |
1.3 | 629 |
Norton |
2.6 | 537 |
Osage |
3.6 | 440 |
Osborne |
1.5 | 439 |
Ottawa |
1.5 | 487 |
Pawnee |
3.5 | 544 |
Phillips |
2.6 | 520 |
Pottawatomie |
9.0 | 625 |
Pratt |
4.7 | 613 |
Rawlins |
0.8 | 455 |
Reno |
29.3 | 572 |
Republic |
2.2 | 419 |
Rice |
3.8 | 523 |
Riley |
29.3 | 624 |
Rooks |
2.1 | 537 |
Rush |
1.1 | 556 |
Russell |
2.9 | 540 |
Saline |
31.3 | 608 |
Scott |
2.0 | 592 |
Sedgwick |
264.6 | 786 |
Seward |
12.1 | 621 |
Shawnee |
97.9 | 715 |
Sheridan |
0.9 | 523 |
Sherman |
2.7 | 505 |
Smith |
1.5 | 415 |
Stafford |
1.5 | 481 |
Stanton |
0.8 | 582 |
Stevens |
1.9 | 631 |
Sumner |
6.8 | 551 |
Thomas |
4.1 | 510 |
Trego |
1.2 | 518 |
Wabaunsee |
2.0 | 766 |
Wallace |
0.5 | 475 |
Washington |
2.3 | 412 |
Wichita |
0.9 | 558 |
Wilson |
4.4 | 569 |
Woodson |
0.7 | 500 |
Wyandotte |
82.2 | 808 |
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Footnotes: |
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Last Modified Date: February 11, 2009
