Delaware had highest percentage increase in average hourly earnings from July 2016 to July 2017

From July 2016 to July 2017, average hourly earnings rose 11.7 percent in Delaware. That was the highest percentage increase for all states and the only increase greater than 10 percent. There were no states with decreases in average hourly earnings over that period.

Other states with over-the-year percentage increases in average hourly earnings greater than 6 percent in July 2017 were Georgia (7.5 percent), Missouri (7.2 percent), and Arizona (6.9 percent). The District of Columbia experienced a 6.9-percent increase, from $38.38 in July 2016 to $41.03 in July 2017. 

States with less than a 1.0-percent increase in average hourly earnings for all employees in private industry from July 2016 to July 2017 were Iowa (0.6 percent) and Vermont (0.3 percent).

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program. Data are preliminary and not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — July 2017" (HTML) (PDF). Also see more charts and maps on state employment and unemployment.