News Release Information
12-1324-DAL
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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County Employment and Wages in Arkansas – Fourth Quarter 2011
Employment increased in the three largest Arkansas counties from December 2010 to December 2011,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. (Large counties are those with 2010 annual
average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that
Benton County had the largest increase, up 2.0 percent, followed by Washington (1.9 percent) and
Pulaski (0.3 percent). (See table 1.)
Nationally, employment advanced 1.4 percent from December 2010 to December 2011 as 266 of the 322
largest U.S. counties registered increases. Kern County, Calif., recorded the highest percentage increase
in the country, up 5.3 percent over the year. Benton, Wash., registered the largest percentage
employment decline, down 3.4 percent.
Among the three largest counties in Arkansas, employment was highest in Pulaski County (246,500) in
December 2011. The two other large Arkansas counties, Benton and Washington, had employment
levels below 100,000. Together, the three largest Arkansas counties accounted for 37.6 percent of total
employment within the state. Nationwide, the 322 largest counties made up 70.7 percent of total U.S.
employment.
From the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011, Benton County recorded the fastest rate
of increase in average weekly wages among Arkansas' largest counties, registering a gain of 2.7 percent. (See table 1.)
Benton and Pulaski Counties both recorded an average wage of $869 per week, highest
among the three large Arkansas counties.
Nationally, the average weekly wage decreased 1.7 percent over the year to $955 in the fourth quarter of
2011. This marked one of only five nationwide declines for average weekly wages in the history of the
series which dates back to 1978. Smaller bonus payments in the fourth quarter of 2011 contributed to the
decrease in the national average weekly wage.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 72 counties in
Arkansas with employment levels below 75,000. Wage levels in all but one of these smaller counties
were below the national average. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changes
Although average weekly wages in Pulaski County fell 0.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010, the
decline was sufficiently small enough to rank it in the top 20 percent of all large counties (58th).(See table 1.)
In contrast, wages in Benton County rose 2.7 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010, ranking
6th among the nation’s 322 largest counties. (Data for Washington County did not meet BLS or State
agency disclosure standards.)
Over the year, 282 of the 322 largest counties registered decreases in average weekly wages. Olmsted
County, Minn., had the largest wage loss, down 21.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010. Douglas
County, Colo., was second with a wage decrease of 8.6 percent, followed by the counties of Williamson,
Tenn. (-6.7 percent), Durham, N.C. (-6.5 percent), and St. Clair, Ill. (-6.2 percent).
Among the large counties, 36 experienced over-the-year wage increases. Tulsa, Okla., had the largest
wage increase with a gain of 8.6 percent. Harford, Md., had the second largest increase in average
weekly wages, up 5.8 percent from the fourth quarter 2010, followed by Lake, Ohio (4.9 percent),
Snohomish, Wash. (3.0 percent), and Westmoreland, Pa. (2.9 percent).
Large county average weekly wages
Average weekly wages in the three large Arkansas counties were well below the national average of
$955 per week, ranking in the bottom half nationally in the fourth quarter of 2011. The counties of
Benton and Pulaski both with average weekly wages of $869, ranked 166th, and Washington County at
$828 per week ranked 216th.
Nationally, 103 large counties registered average weekly wages above the U.S. average of $955 in the
fourth quarter of 2011. New York, N.Y., held the top position among the highest-paid large counties
with an average weekly wage of $1,889. Santa Clara, Calif., was second at $1,836, followed by
Washington, D.C. ($1,668).
More than two-thirds of the largest U.S. counties (219) reported weekly wages below the national
average. Horry County, S.C., reported the lowest wage ($569), followed by the Texas counties of
Cameron ($597) and Hidalgo ($601). Wages in these lowest-ranked counties were less than one-third of
the average weekly wage reported for the highest-ranked county, New York.
Average weekly wages in Arkansas’ smaller counties
Among the 72 smaller counties in Arkansas – those with employment below 75,000 – only Calhoun
reported wages above the national average, at $958 per week compared to $955 nationwide. The
remaining smaller counties registered wages below $800, with Newton County reporting the lowest
wage in the state, averaging $442 in the fourth quarter of 2011. (See table 2.)
When all 75 counties in Arkansas were considered, 6 reported average weekly wages under $500, 34
reported wages from $500 to $599, 23 had wages from $600 to $699, 8 had wages from $700 to $799,
and 4 averaged $800 or more per week. (See chart 1.) The top-paying counties were concentrated around
the metropolitan areas of Fayetteville and Little Rock, as well as along the southern border of the state.
The lower-paid counties, those with wages under $500, were generally located in the northern quadrant
of the state.
Additional statistics and other Information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about
quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/.
Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed
industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2010 edition of
this publication, which was published in November 2011, contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains
and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2011 version of the national news release. Tables and
additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2010 are now available online at
www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn10.htm. The 2011 edition
of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available later in 2012.
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.
Technical Note
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 9.2 million employer reports cover
131.3 million full- and part-time workers. The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing
quarterly total 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 (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 and may
not match the data contained on the BLS Web site.
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.
Area | Employment | Average Weekly Wage (3) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2011 (thousands) |
Percent change, December 2010-11 (4) |
National ranking by percent change (5) |
Average weekly wage |
National ranking by level (5) |
Percent change, fourth quarter 2010-11 (4) |
National ranking by percent change (5) |
|
United States (6) |
131,254.2 | 1.4 | -- | $955 | -- | -1.7 | -- |
Arkansas |
1,157.1 | 0.9 | -- | 736 | 47 | -1.2 | 19 |
Benton, Ark. |
95.8 | 2.0 | 78 | 869 | 166 | 2.7 | 6 |
Pulaski, Ark. |
246.5 | 0.3 | 238 | 869 | 166 | -0.5 | 58 |
Washington, Ark. |
92.3 | 1.9 | 83 | 828 | 216 | (7) | -- |
Footnotes: |
Area | Employment December 2011 |
Average Weekly Wage (3) |
Area | Employment December 2011 |
Average Weekly Wage (3) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States (4) |
131,254,162 | $955 | Lawrence |
4,114 | $538 | |
Arkansas |
1,157,078 | 736 | Lee |
2,103 | 592 | |
Arkansas |
10,039 | 678 | Lincoln |
3,018 | 598 | |
Ashley |
8,063 | 739 | Little River |
3,932 | 784 | |
Baxter |
14,373 | 630 | Logan |
5,601 | 590 | |
Benton |
95,783 | 869 | Lonoke |
12,954 | 578 | |
Boone |
14,074 | 631 | Madison |
3,191 | 546 | |
Bradley |
3,461 | 568 | Marion |
3,618 | 520 | |
Calhoun |
2,622 | 958 | Miller |
13,569 | 684 | |
Carroll |
10,065 | 527 | Mississippi |
19,958 | 746 | |
Chicot |
3,441 | 556 | Monroe |
2,287 | 538 | |
Clark |
9,208 | 574 | Montgomery |
1,517 | 493 | |
Clay |
3,695 | 547 | Nevada |
2,338 | 581 | |
Cleburne |
7,198 | 600 | Newton |
1,138 | 442 | |
Cleveland |
1,070 | 483 | Ouachita |
7,503 | 588 | |
Columbia |
8,664 | 756 | Perry |
1,366 | 588 | |
Conway |
6,886 | 653 | Phillips |
6,351 | 551 | |
Craighead |
45,513 | 680 | Pike |
2,317 | 539 | |
Crawford |
19,512 | 625 | Poinsett |
5,110 | 618 | |
Crittenden |
15,670 | 640 | Polk |
6,048 | 511 | |
Cross |
5,164 | 593 | Pope |
26,511 | 665 | |
Dallas |
2,964 | 527 | Prairie |
1,433 | 575 | |
Desha |
4,672 | 613 | Pulaski |
246,478 | 869 | |
Drew |
6,583 | 544 | Randolph |
4,686 | 510 | |
Faulkner |
41,324 | 738 | Saline |
21,262 | 616 | |
Franklin |
4,504 | 669 | Scott |
3,050 | 521 | |
Fulton |
1,934 | 474 | Searcy |
1,618 | 456 | |
Garland |
35,763 | 612 | Sebastian |
65,791 | 735 | |
Grant |
3,768 | 579 | Sevier |
5,154 | 511 | |
Greene |
14,575 | 640 | Sharp |
3,631 | 470 | |
Hempstead |
8,652 | 686 | St. Francis |
8,246 | 614 | |
Hot Spring |
8,735 | 631 | Stone |
2,706 | 556 | |
Howard |
7,221 | 527 | Union |
17,488 | 798 | |
Independence |
14,938 | 640 | Van Buren |
3,861 | 609 | |
Izard |
3,182 | 533 | Washington |
92,295 | 828 | |
Jackson |
5,255 | 641 | White |
25,645 | 669 | |
Jefferson |
31,582 | 748 | Woodruff |
1,913 | 564 | |
Johnson |
8,895 | 543 | Yell |
6,485 | 516 | |
Lafayette |
1,364 | 582 | ||||
Footnotes: |
State | Employment | Average weekly wage (3) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2011 (thousands) |
Percent change, December 2010-11 |
Average weekly wage |
National ranking by level |
Percent change, fourth quarter 2010-11 |
National ranking by percent change |
|
United States (4) |
131,254.2 | 1.4 | $955 | -- | -1.7 | -- |
Alabama |
1,828.3 | 0.2 | 832 | 31 | -0.8 | 14 |
Alaska |
311.3 | 1.6 | 982 | 11 | -0.5 | 10 |
Arizona |
2,458.4 | 1.7 | 882 | 21 | -1.1 | 17 |
Arkansas |
1,157.1 | 0.9 | 736 | 47 | -1.2 | 19 |
California |
14,731.8 | 1.3 | 1,100 | 6 | -2.7 | 47 |
Colorado |
2,250.1 | 2.1 | 975 | 13 | -2.6 | 46 |
Connecticut |
1,642.0 | 0.9 | 1,188 | 4 | -3.1 | 49 |
Delaware |
405.9 | 0.4 | 984 | 10 | -1.6 | 26 |
District of Columbia |
708.0 | 1.3 | 1,668 | 1 | -1.2 | 19 |
Florida |
7,364.1 | 1.4 | 847 | 29 | -2.8 | 48 |
Georgia |
3,826.9 | 1.0 | 885 | 20 | -2.2 | 39 |
Hawaii |
607.0 | 1.4 | 845 | 30 | -1.5 | 23 |
Idaho |
606.4 | 0.8 | 717 | 50 | -2.2 | 39 |
Illinois |
5,635.9 | 1.1 | 1,013 | 8 | -2.1 | 35 |
Indiana |
2,799.2 | 2.0 | 789 | 41 | -1.9 | 32 |
Iowa |
1,464.2 | 1.1 | 793 | 40 | -0.8 | 14 |
Kansas |
1,320.1 | 0.7 | 800 | 38 | -1.5 | 23 |
Kentucky |
1,770.2 | 1.3 | 786 | 42 | -1.0 | 16 |
Louisiana |
1,870.8 | 1.0 | 850 | 27 | -1.7 | 28 |
Maine |
580.9 | 0.4 | 755 | 46 | -1.8 | 30 |
Maryland |
2,516.4 | 1.1 | 1,058 | 7 | -2.0 | 33 |
Massachusetts |
3,230.8 | 1.3 | 1,192 | 3 | -2.1 | 35 |
Michigan |
3,911.8 | 2.4 | 933 | 18 | -0.5 | 10 |
Minnesota |
2,636.4 | 2.1 | 936 | 16 | -3.9 | 51 |
Mississippi |
1,083.8 | 0.3 | 699 | 51 | -1.1 | 17 |
Missouri |
2,617.0 | 0.8 | 825 | 32 | -1.7 | 28 |
Montana |
426.7 | 1.8 | 727 | 48 | 0.7 | 4 |
Nebraska |
910.5 | 0.8 | 762 | 45 | -1.3 | 21 |
Nevada |
1,124.1 | 0.8 | 852 | 26 | -3.2 | 50 |
New Hampshire |
615.4 | 0.9 | 971 | 15 | -0.7 | 13 |
New Jersey |
3,811.6 | 0.6 | 1,138 | 5 | -2.1 | 35 |
New Mexico |
784.3 | -0.3 | 799 | 39 | -2.2 | 39 |
New York |
8,618.4 | 1.4 | 1,197 | 2 | -1.8 | 30 |
North Carolina |
3,885.9 | 1.3 | 824 | 33 | -2.0 | 33 |
North Dakota |
397.0 | 7.6 | 871 | 23 | 7.7 | 1 |
Ohio |
5,027.6 | 1.3 | 855 | 25 | -1.3 | 21 |
Oklahoma |
1,530.0 | 1.3 | 817 | 34 | 2.6 | 2 |
Oregon |
1,629.8 | 1.2 | 850 | 27 | -0.2 | 6 |
Pennsylvania |
5,595.1 | 0.7 | 936 | 16 | -1.6 | 26 |
Rhode Island |
451.9 | 0.1 | 919 | 19 | -2.1 | 35 |
South Carolina |
1,796.1 | 1.3 | 763 | 44 | -1.5 | 23 |
South Dakota |
397.0 | 1.5 | 724 | 49 | 1.4 | 3 |
Tennessee |
2,654.9 | 2.1 | 858 | 24 | -2.3 | 42 |
Texas |
10,607.9 | 2.4 | 973 | 14 | -0.3 | 8 |
Utah |
1,202.8 | 2.8 | 806 | 37 | -2.5 | 45 |
Vermont |
303.9 | 1.3 | 809 | 36 | -0.5 | 10 |
Virginia |
3,625.0 | 1.3 | 1,004 | 9 | -2.4 | 43 |
Washington |
2,843.6 | 1.4 | 979 | 12 | -0.2 | 6 |
West Virginia |
714.0 | 2.2 | 776 | 43 | -0.3 | 8 |
Wisconsin |
2,689.6 | 0.7 | 817 | 34 | -2.4 | 43 |
Wyoming |
276.9 | 2.3 | 876 | 22 | 0.6 | 5 |
Puerto Rico |
960.9 | 0.1 | 552 | (5) | -1.1 | (5) |
Virgin Islands |
43.2 | -4.0 | 772 | (5) | -3.4 | (5) |
Footnotes: |
Last Modified Date: July 10, 2012