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BLS 08-103 |
COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES IN IDAHO
FIRST QUARTER 2008
The average weekly wage in Ada County was $746 in the first quarter of 2008, 2.4 percent lower than it was one year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that the wage in Ada County was $159 below the national average of $905 which had increased at a 2.4-percent pace over-the-year. (See table 1.)
Ada was the only large county in Idaho-that is, it had 75,000 or more jobs as measured by 2007 annual average employment. Ada Countys average wage ranked in the bottom one-third at 229th among the 334 largest counties in the United States. With an over-the-year decline in wages from the first quarter of 2007, Ada was close to the bottom in the national ranking at 321st.
In March 2008, employment in Ada County totaled 209,200 and represented slightly more than 32 percent of the States employment. From March 2007 to March 2008, employment in the county decreased 0.5 percent. Nationwide, employment grew 0.4 percent over the same period. Of the 334 largest counties, 146 had over-the-year percentage growth in employment above the national average in March 2008; 178 large counties experienced changes below the national average.
Large County Average Weekly Wages
Across the country, average weekly wages were higher than that for the nation in 92 of the largest 334 counties. New York County, N.Y., held the top position with an average weekly wage of $2,805. Fairfield, Conn., was second with an average wage of $1,905, followed by Somerset, N.J. ($1765), Suffolk, Mass. ($1,708), and San Francisco, Calif. ($1,639).
There were 241 large counties with an average weekly wage at or below the national average in the first quarter of 2008. The lowest average weekly wage was reported in Cameron County, Texas ($523), followed by the counties of Hidalgo, Texas ($532), Horry, S.C. ($534), Webb County, Texas ($554), Yakima, Wash. ($587), and Pasco, Florida ($594).
Large County Wage Changes
Westmoreland, Pa., led the nation in wage growth with an annual increase of 14.9 percent from the first quarter of 2007. Williamson, Texas, was second with a 10.8-percent gain, followed by Somerset, N.J. (9.0 percent), San Luis Obispo, Calif. (8.3 percent), and Jefferson, Texas (7.9 percent).
Thirty-four large counties, including Ada, experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages. Trumbull, Ohio, had the largest decrease (-17.2 percent), followed by the counties of Saginaw, Mich. (-4.4 percent), Rockingham, N.H. (-3.9 percent), Fairchild, Conn. (-3.8 percent), and Mecklenburg, N.C. (-3.4 percent).
Employment and Wages in Idaho's Smaller Counties
Employment and wages (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 43 small counties in Idaho, those with employment below 75,000. These counties accounted for close to 68 percent of statewide employment.
Among the small counties, Canyon reported the highest employment at 55,097, followed by Kootenai, 54,505. Camas County had the lowest employment-422. (See table 2.)
Butte County ($1,372) had the highest average weekly wage in the State and surpassed the national average by $467. The next highest wages among Idahos smaller counties were recorded in Caribou County ($826) and Clark County ($740). Boise County reported the lowest average wage at $355.
When all 44 counties in Idaho were considered, 13 had average weekly wages below $500, 27 had wages between $501 and $699, and the remaining 4 had wages above $700 in the first quarter of 2007.
State Average Weekly Wages
At the state level, Idaho had an average weekly wage of $635 in the first quarter of 2008, $270 below that for the nation, and ranked 48th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only Montana ($625), South Dakota ($632), and Mississippi ($634) had lower wage levels. (See table 3.) At the highest end of the wage scale were the District of Columbia ($1,488), New York ($1,399), and Connecticut ($1,254).
With wage growth of 0.3 percent from the first quarter of 2007, Idaho ranked 48th among the 50 states and District of Columbia. The highest over-the-year percentage increase in wages for the first quarter of 2008 was in Wyoming (6.7 percent). The only state to record an over-the-year decrease in wages was Connecticut, where wages declined 0.6 percent.
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 reports submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The 8.9 million employer reports cover 137.0 million full- and part-time workers. The average weekly wage is computed by dividing the total quarterly payroll of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. This number 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 (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/; however, data in QCEW press releases have been revised (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 2006 edition of this bulletin will contain selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2007 version of this news release. As with the 2005 edition, this edition will include the data on a CD for enhanced access and usability with the printed booklet containing selected graphic representations of QCEW data; the data tables themselves will be published exclusively in electronic formats as PDFs. Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2006 will be available for sale in early 2008 from the United States Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, 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. Also, the 2006 bulletin will be available in a portable document format (PDF) on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn06.htm. In addition, the quarterly press release, County Employment and Wages, presents employment and wage data for the largest counties in the U.S. and is available at www.bls.gov/cew/.
QCEW-based news releases issued by other regional offices have been placed at one convenient 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 Western Information Office in San Francisco at (415) 625-2270 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PDT.
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. However 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.
Area | Employment | Average Weekly Wage (3) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2008 (thousands) | Percent change, March 2007-08(5) | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level (4) | Percent change, first quarter 2007-08 (5) | National ranking by percent change (4) | |
United States (6) |
134,761.1 | 0.4 | $905 | -- | 2.4 | -- |
Idaho |
675.5 | 2.2 | 634 | 45 | 3.4 | 41 |
Ada, Idaho |
209.2 | -0.5 | 746 | 229 | -2.4 | 321 |
Footnotes: |
Area | Employment (March 2008) (3) | Average Weekly Wage |
---|---|---|
United States (4) |
134,761,100 | $905 |
Idaho |
645,288 | 635 |
Ada |
209,191 | 746 |
Adams |
1,063 | 456 |
Bannock |
33,086 | 571 |
Bear Lake |
1,581 | 412 |
Benewah |
3,457 | 596 |
Bingham |
14,621 | 541 |
Blaine |
13,679 | 690 |
Boise |
1,784 | 355 |
Bonner |
13,974 | 570 |
Bonneville |
45,214 | 594 |
Boundary |
3,363 | 537 |
Butte |
8,312 | 1,372 |
Camas |
422 | 530 |
Canyon |
55,097 | 562 |
Caribou |
3,196 | 826 |
Cassia |
9,411 | 517 |
Clark |
601 | 740 |
Clearwater |
2,957 | 533 |
Custer |
1,522 | 581 |
Elmore |
6,936 | 512 |
Franklin |
3,307 | 471 |
Fremont |
2,678 | 498 |
Gem |
3,246 | 492 |
Gooding |
6,399 | 553 |
Idaho |
4,398 | 519 |
Jefferson |
5,913 | 452 |
Jerome |
8,821 | 527 |
Kootenai |
54,505 | 592 |
Latah |
13,581 | 535 |
Lemhi |
2,386 | 486 |
Lewis |
1,408 | 433 |
Lincoln |
1,365 | 535 |
Madison |
13,208 | 462 |
Minidoka |
6,689 | 501 |
Nez Perce |
20,874 | 630 |
Oneida |
1,007 | 423 |
Owyhee |
2,866 | 470 |
Payette |
6,394 | 534 |
Power |
3,123 | 581 |
Shoshone |
4,860 | 607 |
Teton |
3,096 | 574 |
Twin Falls |
34,053 | 523 |
Valley |
4,088 | 566 |
Washington |
2,863 | 475 |
Footnotes: |
State | Employment | Average weekly wage (3) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2008 (thousands) | Percent change, March 2007-08 | Average weekly wage | National ranking by level | Percent change, first quarter 2007-08 (5) | National ranking by percent change | |
United States (4) |
134,761.1 | 0.4 | $905 | - | 2.4 | - |
Alabama |
1,947.0 | -0.2 | 740 | 34 | 3.2 | 27 |
Alaska |
303.0 | 1.0 | 866 | 16 | 4.2 | 11 |
Arizona |
2,639.7 | -1.3 | 820 | 22 | 2.4 | 34 |
Arkansas |
1,178.4 | -0.1 | 667 | 46 | 4.1 | 12 |
California |
15,561.5 | 0.1 | 1,008 | 6 | 2.1 | 41 |
Colorado |
2,300.0 | 1.7 | 920 | 10 | 3.6 | 16 |
Connecticut |
1,683.9 | 1.2 | 1,254 | 3 | -0.6 | 51 |
Delaware |
418.4 | 0.5 | 987 | 7 | 0.1 | 49 |
District of Columbia |
680.8 | 1.1 | 1,488 | 1 | 4.3 | 9 |
Florida |
7,918.6 | -2.2 | 777 | 26 | 1.8 | 43 |
Georgia |
4,060.9 | 0.1 | 847 | 20 | 1.3 | 44 |
Hawaii |
628.1 | 0.2 | 773 | 28 | 3.5 | 19 |
Idaho |
645.3 | 0.2 | 635 | 48 | 0.3 | 48 |
Illinois |
5,796.1 | 0.1 | 980 | 8 | 2.6 | 33 |
Indiana |
2,858.7 | -0.7 | 757 | 33 | 2.4 | 34 |
Iowa |
1,469.8 | 0.9 | 710 | 40 | 3.6 | 16 |
Kansas |
1,363.2 | 1.0 | 737 | 35 | 2.4 | 34 |
Kentucky |
1,794.0 | 0.1 | 714 | 39 | 2.4 | 34 |
Louisiana |
1,887.3 | 1.3 | 765 | 30 | 4.8 | 4 |
Maine |
584.1 | 0.5 | 701 | 42 | 3.5 | 19 |
Maryland |
2,530.3 | 0.0 | 963 | 9 | 2.8 | 31 |
Massachusetts |
3,203.1 | 0.9 | 1,143 | 4 | 3.3 | 23 |
Michigan |
4,058.8 | -1.8 | 857 | 18 | 0.9 | 47 |
Minnesota |
2,644.8 | 0.6 | 908 | 12 | 4.0 | 13 |
Mississippi |
1,138.2 | 0.8 | 634 | 49 | 3.3 | 23 |
Missouri |
2,708.0 | 0.0 | 768 | 29 | 3.5 | 19 |
Montana |
432.4 | 0.9 | 625 | 51 | 4.3 | 9 |
Nebraska |
912.2 | 1.4 | 687 | 44 | 3.2 | 27 |
Nevada |
1,266.3 | -1.2 | 839 | 21 | 4.7 | 5 |
New Hampshire |
621.2 | 0.3 | 863 | 17 | 3.4 | 22 |
New Jersey |
3,939.9 | 0.5 | 1,133 | 5 | 3.3 | 23 |
New Mexico |
823.8 | 0.6 | 717 | 38 | 4.7 | 5 |
New York |
8,555.0 | 1.3 | 1,399 | 2 | 0.1 | 49 |
North Carolina |
4,069.1 | 0.9 | 788 | 24 | 1.3 | 44 |
North Dakota |
343.3 | 2.6 | 652 | 47 | 6.2 | 2 |
Ohio |
5,189.1 | -1.0 | 798 | 23 | 1.0 | 46 |
Oklahoma |
1,560.0 | 1.6 | 707 | 41 | 4.7 | 5 |
Oregon |
1,713.1 | 0.3 | 776 | 27 | 2.9 | 30 |
Pennsylvania |
5,608.8 | 0.5 | 869 | 15 | 2.4 | 34 |
Rhode Island |
464.8 | -1.5 | 851 | 19 | 2.3 | 39 |
South Carolina |
1,888.3 | 0.1 | 695 | 43 | 2.8 | 31 |
South Dakota |
389.4 | 2.0 | 632 | 50 | 5.2 | 3 |
Tennessee |
2,746.4 | 0.6 | 761 | 31 | 3.3 | 23 |
Texas |
10,420.8 | 2.8 | 903 | 13 | 3.6 | 16 |
Utah |
1,220.2 | 1.4 | 718 | 37 | 3.2 | 27 |
Vermont |
300.8 | -0.3 | 735 | 36 | 4.4 | 8 |
Virginia |
3,653.5 | 0.2 | 918 | 11 | 2.0 | 42 |
Washington |
2,928.6 | 2.1 | 899 | 14 | 3.7 | 15 |
West Virginia |
700.3 | 0.3 | 679 | 45 | 4.0 | 13 |
Wisconsin |
2,734.3 | 0.2 | 760 | 32 | 2.2 | 40 |
Wyoming |
277.2 | 2.9 | 779 | 25 | 6.7 | 1 |
Puerto Rico |
1,004.5 | -1.6 | 489 | (5) | 4.4 | (5) |
Virgin Islands |
46.5 | 1.1 | 708 | (5) | 3.9 | (5) |
Footnotes: |
Last Modified Date: December 18, 2008