BLS Report: County Employment and Wages Summary

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Peoria, Ill., has largest county 1st quarter 2018 over-the-year wage gain at 23.8%

Economic News Release USDL-18-1355

County Employment and Wages Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Technical Information: [phone] * [e-mail] * www.bls.gov/cew
Media Contact: [phone] * [e-mail]

COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
First Quarter 2018

From March 2017 to March 2018, employment increased in 314 of the 349 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Midland, Texas, had the largest percentage increase with a gain of 12.6 percent over the year, above the national job growth rate of 1.6 percent. Within Midland, the largest employment increase occurred in natural resources and mining, which gained 5,728 jobs over the year (26.5 percent). Kanawha, W.Va., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a loss of 1.4 percent. Within Kanawha, the largest employment decrease occurred in state government, which lost 390 jobs (-3.4 percent) over the year.

The U.S. average weekly wage increased 3.7 percent over the year, growing to $1,152 in the first quarter of 2018. Peoria, Ill., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in average weekly wages, with a gain of 23.8 percent. Within Peoria, an average weekly wage gain of $1,802 (60.6 percent) in manufacturing made the largest contribution to the county’s increase in average weekly wages. Forsyth, N.C., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in average weekly wages with a loss of 4.8 percent. Within Forsyth, professional and business services had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly wage change with a decrease of $304 (-18.7 percent) over the year.

County employment and wage data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, which provides the only detailed quarterly and annual universe count of establishments, employment, and wages at the county, metropolitan statistical area, state, and national levels by detailed industry. These data are published within 5 months following the end of each quarter.
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The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

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[yallerdawg]

1. "From March 2017 to March 2018."

The majority of this time period is prior to the implementation of Republican financial and economic policies which created the stagnant wages and markets we have been looking at since February - when the stated goal was to give all the "little people" immediate increases in wages as tax cuts "designed to benefit everyone" - not just corporations and the wealthy - took hold.

While more macro and timely snapshots indicate real wage stagnation continues, if things were so sweet and rosy already, why did we have to have trillion dollar annual deficits become policy - and disrupt the trends that were already on record? Other than, "That's what Republicans do."