The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed today what economists have been estimating for the past few months: employment and wages are trending up — especially in larger metropolitan and suburban areas.
The bureau reported today that average weekly wages for the U.S. increased 2.9 percent to $949 for the quarterly period ending in September 2014. Among the 339 largest counties in the U.S., the bureau said 328 experienced average weekly wage gains. The largest gain was in Olmsted, Minn., which posted an 11.1 percent increase. Of all of the large counties tracked, 10 experienced declines.
Regarding jobs, the national numbers of those employed in the period reported was 137.7 million — a 2 percent year-over-year increase. The rise in the number of people employed was greatest in: Los Angeles, Calif.; Harris, Texas; New York, N.Y.; Dallas, Texas; and King, Wash.
The largest year-over-year employment rise for large counties was Weld, Colo. with 8.8 percent. Here are the other top ten gainers:
You May Also Like
Weld, Colo. 8.8%
Benton, Ark. 7.4%
Midland, Texas 7.4%
Lee, Fla. 6.1%
Sarasota, Fla. 6.1%
Adams, Colo. 5.7%
Kings, N.Y. 5.4%
Williamson, Tenn. 5.4%
San Francisco, Calif. 5.1%
Fort Bend, Texas 5.1%