U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Western Information Office

Employment increased in 16 of the 26 large counties in California from December 2009 to December 2010 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 2009 annual average employment.) Seven large counties posted employment declines, and two recorded no change. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that Kern County posted the largest percentage gain in employment over the year, up 2.5 percent and San Joaquin County, the largest over-the-year decline, down 2.5 percent. (See table 1.)

Nationally, employment advanced 0.9 percent during the 12-month period as 220 of the 326 large U.S. counties added jobs.Elkhart, Ind., posted the largest percentage increase with a gain of 5.2 percent over the year. Manatee, Fla., experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.0 percent.

The average weekly wage in Santa Clara County increased 14.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010, more than double the rate of wage growth experienced by any other county in the state and second highest in the nation. Three other large counties experienced wage gains between 5.0 and 6.0 percent—San Mateo, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Average weekly wages declined in only one county, Monterey (-0.1 percent). Santa Clara County also recorded the highest average weekly wage in the state, as well as the nation, at $1943, more than twice the national average, followed by San Francisco ($1573) and San Mateo ($1564). Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.0 percent over the year to $971 in the fourth quarter of 2010. (See table 1.)

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for 32 counties in California with employment below 75,000. All of these small counties had average weekly wages below the national average. (See table 2.)

Large County Wage Changes

Twenty-three of California’s 26 large counties recorded wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010. (See table 1.) Wage growth in 12 of these counties exceeded the national increase of 3.0 percent, ranking them in the top quarter among the nation’s 326 large counties. The above-average wage increases ranged from 14.4 percent in Santa Clara (2nd) to 3.6 percent in Marin (80th). However, five counties in the state had a percentage increase in wages that ranked them in the bottom quarter among all large counties in the United States: San Joaquin, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Nationwide, 294 large counties experienced growth in average weekly wages. Olmsted, Minn., ranked first with an over-the-year increase of 31.9 percent. Following Santa Clara with its 14.4-percent wage gain were the counties of Williamson, Tenn. (9.0 percent), Rock Island, Ill. (8.1 percent), and Lake, Ind. (7.6 percent).

Monterey County (-0.1 percent, 296th) was among 23 counties nationwide that recorded an over-the-year decrease in average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2010. Union, N.J., had the largest decrease in the nation (-2.8 percent), followed by the counties of Montgomery, Ala., and Montgomery, Pa. (-2.1 percent each), Colin, Texas (-1.8 percent), and Benton, Ark., and Williamson, Texas (-1.6 percent each).

Large County Average Weekly Wages

Average weekly wages in Santa Clara County, at $1,943, was the highest of all 326 large counties in the nation. San Francisco ($1,573, 7th) and San Mateo ($1,564, 8th) joined Santa Clara in ranking among the top 10 highest-paid large counties nationwide. Ten other large California counties placed in the top third of the national rankings in the fourth quarter of 2010. (See table 1.)

At the other end of the wage spectrum, eight large counties in California ranked in the bottom third of the national rankings. The lowest average weekly wage in the state was reported in Tulare ($668), followed by Fresno ($720) and Riverside ($772).

Nationally, average weekly wages were higher than average in 102 of the 326 largest counties. The average weekly wage in Santa Clara, Calif., at $1943, was $972 above the national average—highest in the nation, New York, N.Y., was not far behind, with wages averaging $1,929. Rounding out the top five in the country were Washington, D.C. ($1,688), and Fairfield, Conn., and Arlington, Va. ($1,668 each).

There were 223 large counties with an average weekly wage below the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2010. Horry, S.C. ($585), reported the lowest wage, followed by the counties of Cameron, Texas ($610), Hidalgo, Texas ($611), and Webb, Texas and Yakima, Wash. ($653 each).

Average Weekly Wages in California’s Smaller Counties

All 32 counties in California with employment below 75,000 had average wages lower than the national average of $971. Trinity County reported the lowest weekly wage among the smaller counties, averaging $643 in fourth quarter of 2010. (See table 2.)

When all 58 counties in California were considered 12 reported weekly wages of $699 or less, 18 reported wages from $700 to $799, 11 posted wages from $800 to $899, and 17 had wages higher of $900 or higher, of which 10 averaged $1000 or more. (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 http://www.bls.gov/cew/.

An annual bulletin, Employment and Wages, features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2009 edition of this bulletin contains selected data produced by the Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the first quarter 2010 version of the national news release. This web-only publication has replaced the annual print bulletin, Employment and Wages Annual Averages. The March 2010 issue of this annual bulletin was the final one to be issued on paper. Tables and additional content from the 2009 Employment and Wages Annual Bulletin are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn09.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 West Information Office in San Francisco at 415-625-2270.

Last Modified Date: November 4, 2011