Employment and wages among 10 largest counties, December 2016 to December 2017

All of the 10 largest counties had over-the-year percentage increases in employment in the year ending December 2017. Maricopa, Arizona (part of the Phoenix area), had the largest gain (3.0 percent). Within Maricopa, construction had the largest over-the-year employment level increase, with a gain of 10,168 jobs, or 9.7 percent. Cook, Illinois (part of the Chicago area), had the smallest percentage increase in employment among the 10 largest counties (0.6 percent).

Average weekly wages increased over the year in all of the 10 largest U.S. counties. New York, New York (Manhattan), experienced the largest percentage gain in average weekly wages (10.4 percent). Within New York, financial activities had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly wage gain. Within financial activities, average weekly wages increased by $1,032, or 22.4 percent, over the year. Harris, Texas (part of the Houston area), had the smallest percentage gain in average weekly wages among the 10 largest counties (2.4 percent).

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program and are preliminary. Largest counties are ranked by December 2017 employment. To learn more, see "County Employment and Wages: Fourth Quarter 2017" (HTML) (PDF).