October 20, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Counties with highest wage growth, first quarter 2008

Among the largest counties, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, which is near Pittsburgh, led the nation in growth in average weekly wages from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, with an increase of 14.9 percent.

Percent growth in average weekly wage, selected counties, first quarter 2007-first quarter 2008
[Chart data—TXT]

Williamson, Texas, was second with growth of 10.8 percent, followed by the counties of Somerset, New Jersey (9.0 percent), San Luis Obispo, California (8.3 percent), and Jefferson, Texas (7.9 percent).

The U.S. average weekly wage rose by 2.4 percent over the same time span.

The BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program produced these data, which are preliminary and subject to revision. Data presented here are for all workers covered by State and Federal unemployment insurance programs. The largest counties are those with employment levels of 75,000 or more. Find out more in "County Employment and Wages: First Quarter 2008", (PDF) (HTML) news release 08-1459.