Employment rose in all six of the largest counties in Wisconsin from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Dane County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 2.9 percent, followed by Milwaukee County at 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

Among the six largest counties in Wisconsin, employment was highest in Milwaukee County (459,500) in September 2021. Within Milwaukee County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the six largest Wisconsin counties accounted for 49.1 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 66 counties in Wisconsin with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 66 of the smaller counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All six large Wisconsin counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Four counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Dane County had the largest gain (+8.4 percent), followed by Milwaukee County (+8.3 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Wisconsin’s other large counties ranged from 7.6 percent to 4.9 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent). Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in all six of the largest counties in Wisconsin were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in three of these counties ranked in the top half nationwide: Dane ($1,218, 105^th), Waukesha ($1,170, 137^th), and Milwaukee ($1,141, 160^th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2021. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,710. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 258 counties. At $756 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Wisconsin’s smaller counties

Among the 66 smaller counties in Wisconsin—those with employment below 75,000—all reported an average weekly wage below the national average of $1,251. Sheboygan County ($1,039) reported the highest average weekly wage in the state, while Florence County ($595) reported the state's lowest average weekly wage.

When all 72 counties in Wisconsin were considered, 19 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 26 registered wages from $800 to $899, 18 had wages from $900 to $999, and 9 had wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW 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 www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

Technical Note

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the six largest counties in Wisconsin, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	--	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Wisconsin	189.5	2,815.9	2.3	--	1,049	33	7.5	9
Brown	7.3	152.5	1.2	304	1,061	222	4.9	214
Dane	17.0	337.3	2.9	204	1,218	105	8.4	35
Milwaukee	28.4	459.5	2.1	256	1,141	160	8.3	38
Outagamie	5.8	104.4	1.0	312	1,032	248	6.8	91
Waukesha	14.0	238.5	1.5	291	1,170	137	6.3	124
Winnebago	4.1	90.3	0.2	327	1,087	198	7.6	53
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Wisconsin, third quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment September 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,021,414	144,863,915	$1,251
Wisconsin	189,527	2,815,943	1,049
Adams	348	4,159	737
Ashland	613	7,746	875
Barron	1,545	21,547	826
Bayfield	529	4,168	702
Brown	7,338	152,504	1,061
Buffalo	384	3,897	864
Burnett	450	4,666	720
Calumet	858	15,251	902
Chippewa	1,788	25,251	889
Clark	957	11,146	842
Columbia	1,754	21,791	893
Crawford	512	6,966	759
Dane	16,957	337,327	1,218
Dodge	1,966	35,826	983
Door	1,357	14,477	765
Douglas	1,205	15,993	901
Dunn	1,107	17,462	895
Eau Claire	3,077	56,600	1,010
Florence	132	1,013	595
Fond du Lac	2,476	45,881	994
Forest	295	3,064	791
Grant	1,494	17,636	807
Green	1,094	14,958	879
Green Lake	511	5,925	816
Iowa	694	10,238	904
Iron	233	1,688	642
Jackson	481	7,901	869
Jefferson	2,226	33,315	886
Juneau	703	9,094	864
Kenosha	3,939	69,070	938
Kewaunee	555	6,699	831
La Crosse	3,342	67,705	963
Lafayette	477	4,395	815
Langlade	635	7,293	779
Lincoln	781	10,208	900
Manitowoc	1,920	32,953	914
Marathon	3,711	69,626	998
Marinette	1,252	17,761	896
Marquette	378	3,909	733
Menominee	113	1,940	781
Milwaukee	28,449	459,516	1,141
Monroe	1,259	20,648	917
Oconto	834	8,984	787
Oneida	1,466	15,933	981
Outagamie	5,781	104,432	1,032
Ozaukee	3,056	40,028	999
Pepin	279	2,291	856
Pierce	1,012	10,502	789
Polk	1,253	15,569	805
Portage	1,866	33,042	944
Price	469	4,944	849
Racine	4,888	72,627	1,018
Richland	489	5,624	758
Rock	3,731	65,060	991
Rusk	388	4,715	761
St. Croix	2,508	34,113	942
Sauk	2,094	34,505	855
Sawyer	691	6,983	802
Shawano	1,071	12,164	748
Sheboygan	2,899	58,840	1,039
Taylor	523	8,067	810
Trempealeau	834	12,903	861
Vernon	745	8,795	815
Vilas	1,005	8,155	762
Walworth	3,182	42,024	848
Washburn	622	5,684	785
Washington	3,728	55,907	992
Waukesha	14,016	238,459	1,170
Waupaca	1,365	18,955	820
Waushara	526	6,161	737
Winnebago	4,072	90,281	1,087
Wood	2,127	36,811	979
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2021

State	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2020–21	Third quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,021.4	144,863.9	4.4	$1,251	--	6.7	--
Alabama	139.8	1,955.3	2.6	1,030	36	5.3	37
Alaska	24.0	316.9	4.6	1,205	16	3.4	50
Arizona	184.5	2,926.3	4.6	1,167	19	7.0	13
Arkansas	97.4	1,212.9	2.9	963	47	7.8	6
California	1,679.6	17,208.7	6.6	1,576	4	7.7	8
Colorado	231.8	2,723.4	4.8	1,322	9	7.0	13
Connecticut	132.0	1,605.1	2.9	1,401	6	5.7	31
Delaware	35.9	439.7	2.1	1,198	18	4.4	45
District of Columbia	45.4	736.1	3.1	2,042	1	4.1	46
Florida	808.4	8,910.9	7.0	1,120	25	8.7	3
Georgia	343.9	4,491.4	4.9	1,158	20	6.8	17
Hawaii	49.2	592.8	16.6	1,150	22	3.3	51
Idaho	79.2	804.0	5.3	953	50	7.8	6
Illinois	398.4	5,751.2	3.3	1,274	11	6.3	22
Indiana	178.9	3,020.6	2.6	1,032	34	7.4	10
Iowa	106.8	1,509.6	2.2	1,015	39	4.9	43
Kansas	92.1	1,349.3	1.7	997	40	4.7	44
Kentucky	134.3	1,869.0	3.4	989	43	5.8	28
Louisiana	144.2	1,772.7	1.7	1,021	37	5.4	36
Maine	58.5	619.9	3.6	1,031	35	6.7	18
Maryland	178.1	2,604.6	3.9	1,314	10	3.5	49
Massachusetts	281.4	3,501.0	5.5	1,593	2	7.0	13
Michigan	271.3	4,181.4	3.6	1,154	21	5.3	37
Minnesota	186.9	2,780.5	2.7	1,249	13	6.1	24
Mississippi	77.3	1,122.2	2.6	859	51	6.3	22
Missouri	223.9	2,760.3	2.9	1,055	31	6.0	26
Montana	57.0	487.5	4.4	963	47	6.5	21
Nebraska	75.6	964.6	1.4	1,017	38	5.5	35
Nevada	96.0	1,389.5	10.8	1,135	23	8.3	5
New Hampshire	60.0	654.6	3.3	1,349	8	15.0	1
New Jersey	304.1	3,977.2	5.1	1,384	7	4.1	46
New Mexico	64.8	806.2	4.2	997	40	5.6	32
New York	671.2	8,922.4	4.4	1,534	5	6.1	24
North Carolina	318.4	4,516.4	4.5	1,112	26	7.1	11
North Dakota	33.0	407.2	2.2	1,076	30	5.1	40
Ohio	315.7	5,248.0	2.2	1,098	28	5.6	32
Oklahoma	116.4	1,576.6	1.8	966	45	5.6	32
Oregon	171.2	1,909.5	3.7	1,220	15	9.6	2
Pennsylvania	375.4	5,685.4	3.2	1,205	16	5.8	28
Rhode Island	43.2	474.1	4.8	1,131	24	3.6	48
South Carolina	152.9	2,086.0	2.8	988	44	6.9	16
South Dakota	37.0	435.6	3.1	965	46	5.1	40
Tennessee	187.7	3,044.1	4.2	1,111	27	8.7	3
Texas	770.0	12,613.1	5.6	1,227	14	6.7	18
Utah	123.1	1,594.7	5.0	1,087	29	7.1	11
Vermont	28.1	293.5	2.7	1,055	31	5.8	28
Virginia	299.2	3,845.3	2.9	1,264	12	5.3	37
Washington	266.6	3,415.2	4.4	1,578	3	6.6	20
West Virginia	53.6	664.2	2.7	960	49	5.0	42
Wisconsin	189.5	2,815.9	2.3	1,049	33	7.5	9
Wyoming	28.7	271.1	2.5	995	42	6.0	26
Puerto Rico	47.9	887.9	6.5	568	(3)	4.0	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.6	34.5	1.9	956	(3)	-5.4	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.