News Release Information
12-1342-ATL
Friday, July 13, 2012
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County Employment and Wages in Georgia-Fourth Quarter 2011
Employment rose in eight of the nine large counties in Georgia from December 2010 to December 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2010 annual average employment.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 1.9 percent in Cobb County to 0.2 percent in Richmond County. Employment in Clayton County was unchanged over the year. (See table 1.)
Nationally, employment increased 1.4 percent during the 12-month period, as 266 of the 322 large U.S. counties gained jobs. Kern, Calif., posted the largest percentage increase with a gain of 5.3 percent over the year. Benton, Wash., experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.4 percent.
Among the largest counties in Georgia, employment was highest in Fulton County (735,500) in December 2011. Three other counties—Gwinnett, Cobb, and De Kalb—had employment levels exceeding 275,000. Together, Georgia's nine large counties accounted for 55.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 322 largest counties made up 70.7 percent of total U.S. employment, which stood at 131.3 million in December 2011.
Average weekly wages decreased in each of Georgia's nine largest counties from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011. Fulton County recorded the largest wage decrease (-3.9 percent), followed by Cobb County (-3.1 percent). Despite recording the largest over-the-year decline in wages, Fulton County had the highest average weekly wage in the state at $1,238, followed by the counties of De Kalb ($979), Cobb ($975), and Gwinnett ($922). Nationally, the average weekly wage decreased 1.7 percent over the year to $955 in the fourth quarter of 2011. (See table 1.)
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 150 counties with employment levels below 75,000 in Georgia. Average weekly wages in these counties ranged from $894 to $420. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changes
As noted, average weekly wages declined in all of Georgia's large counties from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011. Clayton County's 0.5-percent wage decline ranked 58th among the nation's 322 large counties, followed by De Kalb County (-1.0 percent, 95th). Wage declines among the remaining seven large counties in the state ranged from 3.9 percent to 1.9 percent and placed in the bottom half of the national ranking. (See table 1.)
Among the 322 largest U.S. counties, 282 had over-the-year decreases in average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2011. Olmsted, Minn., had the largest decrease (-21.3 percent), followed by the counties of Douglas, Colo. (-8.6 percent), Williamson, Tenn. (-6.7 percent), Durham, N.C. (-6.5 percent), and St. Clair, Ill. (-6.2 percent).
Nationwide, 36 large counties experienced growth in average weekly wages. Tulsa, Okla., ranked first with an over-the-year increase of 8.6 percent. Harford, Md., had the second largest increase (5.8 percent), followed by the counties of 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 4 of Georgia's 9 largest counties place in the top half of the national ranking among the 322 largest counties in the fourth quarter of 2011. The highest-paid counties—Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb —were all above the U.S. average of $955 and ranked in the top 100 nationwide. Gwinnet County with an average weekly wage of $922 ranked 130th. Average weekly wages in the remaining five large counties placed in the bottom third of the national ranking. (See table 1.)
Nationally, average weekly wages were lower than average in 219 of the 322 largest counties. Horry, S.C. ($569), reported the lowest wage, followed by the counties of Cameron, Texas ($597), Hidalgo, Texas ($601), Yakima, Wash. ($648), and Lake, Fla. ($649).
There were 103 large counties with an average weekly wage above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2011. New York, N.Y., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $1,889, followed by Santa Clara, Calif., at $1,836. Rounding out the top five were Washington, D.C. ($1,668), Suffolk, Mass. ($1,599), San Francisco, Calif., ($1,597).
Average weekly wages in Georgia’s smaller counties
Among the 150 counties in Georgia with employment below 75,000, none registered an average weekly wage above the national average of $955. Chattahoochee County ($894) reported the highest weekly wage among the smaller counties, followed by the counties of Forsyth and Burke ($886 each), and Wilkinson ($835). Echols County reported the lowest weekly in the state, averaging $420 in the fourth quarter of 2011. (See table 2.)
When all 159 counties in Georgia were considered, 75 reported average weekly wages under $600, including 7 under $500, 49 reported wages from $600 to $699, 20 had wages from $700 to $799, 11 had wages from $800 to $899, and 4 had wages at or above $900. (See chart 1.)
Additional statistics and other information
Quarterly 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 Bureau’s 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 | -- |
Georgia |
3,826.9 | 1.0 | -- | 885 | 20 | -2.2 | 39 |
Bibb, Ga. |
80.6 | 1.3 | 119 | 742 | 292 | -2.2 | 195 |
Chatham, Ga. |
131.2 | 1.1 | 144 | 806 | 245 | -1.9 | 167 |
Clayton, Ga. |
102.0 | 0.0 | 267 | 823 | 228 | -0.5 | 58 |
Cobb, Ga. |
297.0 | 1.9 | 83 | 975 | 91 | -3.1 | 254 |
De Kalb, Ga. |
278.6 | 1.2 | 130 | 979 | 89 | -1.0 | 95 |
Fulton, Ga. |
735.5 | 1.8 | 89 | 1,238 | 20 | -3.9 | 283 |
Gwinnett, Ga. |
305.4 | 1.6 | 97 | 922 | 130 | -2.6 | 224 |
Muscogee, Ga. |
94.1 | 1.1 | 144 | 761 | 281 | -2.6 | 224 |
Richmond, Ga. |
98.9 | 0.2 | 248 | 804 | 248 | -2.1 | 185 |
Footnotes: |
Area | Employment December 2011 | Average Weekly Wage (3) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States (4) |
131254162 | $955 | ||||
Georgia |
3826905 | 885 | ||||
Appling |
6364 | 728 | ||||
Atkinson |
1484 | 597 | ||||
Bacon |
3140 | 590 | ||||
Baker |
455 | 628 | ||||
Baldwin |
15390 | 584 | ||||
Banks |
4482 | 563 | ||||
Barrow |
14932 | 648 | ||||
Bartow |
31726 | 740 | ||||
Ben Hill |
5518 | 542 | ||||
Berrien |
3906 | 590 | ||||
Bibb |
80600 | 742 | ||||
Bleckley |
3359 | 562 | ||||
Brantley |
1994 | 535 | ||||
Brooks |
3253 | 523 | ||||
Bryan |
5784 | 602 | ||||
Bulloch |
21899 | 603 | ||||
Burke |
6227 | 886 | ||||
Butts |
5634 | 608 | ||||
Calhoun |
1308 | 531 | ||||
Camden |
14100 | 730 | ||||
Candler |
2607 | 529 | ||||
Carroll |
36185 | 725 | ||||
Catoosa |
13151 | 628 | ||||
Charlton |
2212 | 643 | ||||
Chatham |
131170 | 806 | ||||
Chattahoochee |
2321 | 894 | ||||
Chattooga |
5755 | 550 | ||||
Cherokee |
45006 | 717 | ||||
Clarke |
65241 | 747 | ||||
Clay |
635 | 537 | ||||
Clayton |
102001 | 823 | ||||
Clinch |
2146 | 602 | ||||
Cobb |
296961 | 975 | ||||
Coffee |
14688 | 585 | ||||
Colquitt |
15039 | 558 | ||||
Columbia |
29541 | 673 | ||||
Cook |
3979 | 504 | ||||
Coweta |
30645 | 681 | ||||
Crawford |
1072 | 596 | ||||
Crisp |
7153 | 566 | ||||
Dade |
2922 | 606 | ||||
Dawson |
7816 | 507 | ||||
Decatur |
8271 | 552 | ||||
De Kalb |
278615 | 979 | ||||
Dodge |
5488 | 523 | ||||
Dooly |
3020 | 575 | ||||
Dougherty |
48117 | 736 | ||||
Douglas |
35390 | 650 | ||||
Early |
4170 | 798 | ||||
Echols |
616 | 420 | ||||
Effingham |
8987 | 734 | ||||
Elbert |
5684 | 590 | ||||
Emanuel |
6734 | 555 | ||||
Evans |
4185 | 553 | ||||
Fannin |
5190 | 546 | ||||
Fayette |
37700 | 782 | ||||
Floyd |
36252 | 757 | ||||
Forsyth |
56530 | 886 | ||||
Franklin |
6570 | 575 | ||||
Fulton |
735468 | 1238 | ||||
Gilmer |
6856 | 528 | ||||
Glascock |
411 | 447 | ||||
Glynn |
34696 | 744 | ||||
Gordon |
19649 | 678 | ||||
Grady |
5740 | 573 | ||||
Greene |
4883 | 646 | ||||
Gwinnett |
305449 | 922 | ||||
Habersham |
12592 | 598 | ||||
Hall |
71159 | 825 | ||||
Hancock |
1221 | 526 | ||||
Haralson |
7107 | 673 | ||||
Harris |
3742 | 549 | ||||
Hart |
5959 | 677 | ||||
Heard |
2041 | 834 | ||||
Henry |
48714 | 675 | ||||
Houston |
58591 | 812 | ||||
Irwin |
2000 | 545 | ||||
Jackson |
18317 | 669 | ||||
Jasper |
1968 | 562 | ||||
Jeff Davis |
4103 | 560 | ||||
Jefferson |
4687 | 629 | ||||
Jenkins |
1193 | 527 | ||||
Johnson |
1678 | 547 | ||||
Jones |
3323 | 589 | ||||
Lamar |
3321 | 595 | ||||
Lanier |
1345 | 553 | ||||
Laurens |
17032 | 662 | ||||
Lee |
5297 | 589 | ||||
Liberty |
18235 | 749 | ||||
Lincoln |
1320 | 545 | ||||
Long |
895 | 512 | ||||
Lowndes |
45642 | 639 | ||||
Lumpkin |
6117 | 623 | ||||
McDuffie |
6649 | 600 | ||||
McIntosh |
1732 | 536 | ||||
Macon |
2895 | 675 | ||||
Madison |
3145 | 564 | ||||
Marion |
1526 | 522 | ||||
Meriwether |
4407 | 591 | ||||
Miller |
1620 | 559 | ||||
Mitchell |
8046 | 549 | ||||
Monroe |
6317 | 671 | ||||
Montgomery |
1560 | 537 | ||||
Morgan |
5941 | 591 | ||||
Murray |
8968 | 643 | ||||
Muscogee |
94108 | 761 | ||||
Newton |
20028 | 718 | ||||
Oconee |
7993 | 711 | ||||
Oglethorpe |
1593 | 486 | ||||
Paulding |
19279 | 612 | ||||
Peach |
8166 | 642 | ||||
Pickens |
6894 | 640 | ||||
Pierce |
3710 | 562 | ||||
Pike |
2226 | 579 | ||||
Polk |
10899 | 621 | ||||
Pulaski |
2764 | 639 | ||||
Putnam |
5421 | 622 | ||||
Quitman |
436 | 493 | ||||
Rabun |
4268 | 544 | ||||
Randolph |
1774 | 594 | ||||
Richmond |
98872 | 804 | ||||
Rockdale |
29405 | 826 | ||||
Schley |
1008 | 655 | ||||
Screven |
3335 | 624 | ||||
Seminole |
2127 | 617 | ||||
Spalding |
20691 | 628 | ||||
Stephens |
8773 | 654 | ||||
Stewart |
1132 | 659 | ||||
Sumter |
10401 | 575 | ||||
Talbot |
823 | 509 | ||||
Taliaferro |
168 | 451 | ||||
Tattnall |
5741 | 601 | ||||
Taylor |
1632 | 630 | ||||
Telfair |
3503 | 484 | ||||
Terrell |
2186 | 631 | ||||
Thomas |
20825 | 685 | ||||
Tift |
17658 | 640 | ||||
Toombs |
10923 | 601 | ||||
Towns |
3079 | 511 | ||||
Treutlen |
1119 | 492 | ||||
Troup |
34195 | 781 | ||||
Turner |
2139 | 533 | ||||
Twiggs |
997 | 653 | ||||
Union |
6005 | 595 | ||||
Upson |
6945 | 603 | ||||
Walker |
12678 | 595 | ||||
Walton |
18685 | 675 | ||||
Ware |
13939 | 628 | ||||
Warren |
1078 | 569 | ||||
Washington |
6790 | 646 | ||||
Wayne |
8081 | 713 | ||||
Webster |
561 | 579 | ||||
Wheeler |
1411 | 595 | ||||
White |
5974 | 569 | ||||
Whitfield |
52805 | 722 | ||||
Wilcox |
1187 | 546 | ||||
Wilkes |
2879 | 563 | ||||
Wilkinson |
2824 | 835 | ||||
Worth |
3500 | 579 | ||||
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: |
![Chart 1. Average weekly wages in Georgia, Fourth Quarter 2011](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017095028im_/http://www.bls.gov/ro4/qcewga1.gif)
Last Modified Date: July 13, 2012