For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Thursday, September 29, 2011 USDL-11-1397
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County Employment and Wages
First Quarter 2011
From March 2010 to March 2011, employment increased in 256 of the 322
largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Elkhart, Ind., posted the largest percentage increase, with a
gain of 6.2 percent over the year, compared with national job growth
of 1.3 percent. Within Elkhart, the largest employment increase
occurred in manufacturing, which gained 5,125 jobs over the year
(12.4 percent). Sacramento, Calif., experienced the largest over-the-
year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in
the U.S. with a loss of 1.6 percent.
The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 5.2 percent
to $935 in the first quarter of 2011. Among the large counties in the
U.S., Peoria, Ill., had the largest over-the-year increase in average
weekly wages in the first quarter of 2011 with a gain of 18.9
percent. Within Peoria, professional and business services had the
largest impact on the county’s over-the-year increase in average
weekly wages. Williamson, Texas, experienced the largest decline in
average weekly wages with a loss of 3.8 percent over the year. County
employment and wage data are compiled under the Quarterly Census of
Employment and Wages (QCEW) program.
Table A. Large counties ranked by March 2011 employment, March 2010-11 employment
increase, and March 2010-11 percent increase in employment
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Employment in large counties
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March 2011 employment | Increase in employment, | Percent increase in employment,
(thousands) | March 2010-11 | March 2010-11
| (thousands) |
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| |
United States 127,851.0| United States 1,622.8| United States 1.3
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| |
Los Angeles, Calif. 3,887.9| Harris, Texas 44.6| Elkhart, Ind. 6.2
Cook, Ill. 2,333.9| New York, N.Y. 43.4| Ottawa, Mich. 4.7
New York, N.Y. 2,304.1| Los Angeles, Calif. 37.3| Washington, Pa. 4.3
Harris, Texas 2,014.4| Orange, Calif. 26.7| Prince William, Va. 4.3
Maricopa, Ariz. 1,628.8| Dallas, Texas 26.7| Benton, Wash. 4.3
Dallas, Texas 1,416.9| Santa Clara, Calif. 24.6| Butler, Pa. 4.2
Orange, Calif. 1,370.6| Cook, Ill. 22.9| Loudoun, Va. 4.2
San Diego, Calif. 1,239.7| Maricopa, Ariz. 21.1| Williamson, Tenn. 4.1
King, Wash. 1,117.2| King, Wash. 20.0| Washington, Ore. 4.0
Miami-Dade, Fla. 967.7| Hennepin, Minn. 19.3| Collier, Fla. 3.8
| |
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Large County Employment
In March 2011, national employment, as measured by the QCEW program,
was 127.9 million, up by 1.3 percent or 1.6 million workers, from
March 2010. The 322 U.S. counties with 75,000 or more employees
accounted for 70.7 percent of total U.S. employment and 77.4 percent
of total wages. These 322 counties had a net job growth of 1,054,300
over the year, accounting for 65.0 percent of the overall U.S.
employment increase.
Elkhart, Ind., had the largest percentage increase in employment
among the largest U.S. counties (6.2 percent). The five counties with
the largest increases in employment level were Harris, Texas; New
York, N.Y.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Orange, Calif.; and Dallas, Texas.
These counties had a combined over-the-year gain of 178,700, or 11.0
percent of the employment increase for the U.S. 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics