Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

22-1779-KAN
Monday, September 19, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

County Employment and Wages in Utah — First Quarter 2022

Employment rose in all five of the largest counties in Utah from March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Utah County and Washington County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 5.8 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 5.0 percent over the year, with 349 of the 355 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 12.5 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.8 percent.

Among the five largest counties in Utah, employment was highest in Salt Lake County (755,600) in March 2022. Within Salt Lake County’s private industry, retail trade accounted for the largest employment. Together, the five largest Utah counties accounted for 84.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 355 largest counties made up 73 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 24 counties in Utah with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all of the 24 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All five large Utah counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Four counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Salt Lake County had the largest gain (+9.6 percent), followed closely by Washington (+9.5 percent). Utah County (+3.4 percent) was the only large county with a rate of wage gain below the national average. 


Among the 355 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Peoria, IL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+25.8 percent). San Francisco, CA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-9.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in all five of the largest counties in Utah were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. Average weekly wages in Salt Lake County ($1,348) ranked 91st among the 355 largest counties nationwide. In the four remaining large counties, average weekly wages ranged from $1,106 to $807, placing them in the bottom half of the national rankings.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2022. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,064. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 268 counties. At $736 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Utah’s smaller counties

Among the 24 smaller counties in Utah—those with employment below 75,000—all reported weekly wages below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. Summit ($1,116) reported the highest average weekly wage among the small counties. Piute County reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state at $577.

When all 29 counties in Utah were considered, 8 reported average weekly wages of $749 or less, 8 registered wages from $750 to $849, 4 had wages from $850 to $949, and 9 recorded average wages of $950 or higher. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying counties were located in and around the Salt Lake City combined statistical area (CSA). The lower-paying counties, those with weekly wages under $749, were concentrated in the southwestern portion of the state.

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 second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

Changes to QCEW with First Quarter 2022 Release

County Changes for the 2022 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2022 are included in this release and will be included in future 2022 releases. Nationally, twelve counties have been added to the publication tables, including Washington, UT. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.

Industry Changes to QCEW Data

Beginning with the full release of first quarter 2022 data on September 7, 2022, the QCEW program will use the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the publication of economic data by industry. For information on the use of the 2022 version of NAICS in QCEW, please see www.bls.gov/cew/classifications/industry/naics-2022.htm.


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 five largest counties in Utah, first quarter 2022
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2022
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2021–22 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,299.0 147,648.4 5.0 -- $1,374 -- 6.7 --

Utah

126.5 1,625.6 4.5 -- 1,152 28 8.2 21

Davis

9.9 135.8 2.7 260 1,003 297 7.7 126

Salt Lake

58.9 755.6 4.4 139 1,348 91 9.6 52

Utah

20.8 283.4 5.8 67 1,106 219 3.4 308

Washington

7.6 79.2 5.4 89 807 351 9.5 54

Weber

7.1 115.5 3.0 237 975 314 8.6 87

(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 Utah, first quarter 2022
Area Establishments Employment March 2022 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,299,030 147,648,359 $1,374

Utah

126,450 1,625,602 1,152

Beaver

256 2,895 704

Box Elder

1,594 22,703 1,064

Cache

4,227 63,581 864

Carbon

628 8,441 820

Daggett

50 318 757

Davis

9,944 135,792 1,003

Duchesne

815 8,128 973

Emery

272 3,508 895

Garfield

280 2,029 675

Grand

684 6,597 760

Iron

2,020 23,000 734

Juab

343 4,265 810

Kane

399 3,809 707

Millard

411 4,992 842

Morgan

427 2,892 957

Piute

59 312 577

Rich

150 750 683

Salt Lake

58,871 755,593 1,348

San Juan

347 4,162 829

Sanpete

693 9,001 706

Sevier

747 9,327 761

Summit

3,478 30,900 1,116

Tooele

1,413 19,054 869

Uintah

1,304 13,037 894

Utah

20,756 283,350 1,106

Wasatch

1,458 11,328 1,029

Washington

7,607 79,227 807

Wayne

149 1,084 646

Weber

7,068 115,527 975

(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, first quarter 2022
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2022
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2021–22
First quarter
2022
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2021–22
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,299.0 147,648.4 5.0 $1,374 -- 6.7 --

Alabama

143.7 1,990.4 2.5 1,072 39 8.2 21

Alaska

24.2 303.9 2.8 1,178 25 4.9 45

Arizona

195.8 3,048.2 5.0 1,234 21 7.5 29

Arkansas

98.3 1,232.7 3.1 1,060 40 10.9 2

California

1,667.6 17,720.8 7.7 1,644 5 1.0 51

Colorado

238.0 2,767.9 5.1 1,455 9 8.8 11

Connecticut

135.7 1,618.6 4.3 1,716 4 9.2 6

Delaware

38.1 447.8 3.9 1,362 14 7.5 29

District of Columbia

46.9 749.1 5.8 2,221 1 2.6 49

Florida

844.0 9,249.2 6.1 1,222 23 10.8 3

Georgia

359.6 4,615.2 5.0 1,301 17 8.8 11

Hawaii

50.4 612.1 7.9 1,135 30 4.2 47

Idaho

83.6 806.4 4.7 982 49 8.5 18

Illinois

403.8 5,808.8 4.5 1,487 8 7.3 33

Indiana

183.0 3,071.1 3.7 1,127 32 9.8 5

Iowa

108.2 1,511.6 2.5 1,080 36 7.6 27

Kansas

93.1 1,369.8 2.5 1,073 38 9.0 10

Kentucky

137.5 1,911.5 4.0 1,038 44 7.6 27

Louisiana

147.6 1,820.6 1.3 1,058 42 8.6 16

Maine

60.4 604.1 2.8 1,103 35 10.3 4

Maryland

179.9 2,623.1 3.9 1,410 10 2.0 50

Massachusetts

286.6 3,516.0 5.3 1,827 3 5.9 43

Michigan

282.2 4,212.5 4.6 1,225 22 6.2 41

Minnesota

194.1 2,772.6 2.7 1,374 11 6.8 37

Mississippi

77.9 1,134.2 2.9 879 51 8.5 18

Missouri

227.1 2,788.2 3.0 1,128 31 7.0 34

Montana

57.5 479.9 3.1 991 48 8.3 20

Nebraska

78.7 965.4 1.5 1,079 37 9.2 6

Nevada

102.7 1,441.3 11.6 1,164 27 8.0 23

New Hampshire

61.1 659.9 4.3 1,361 15 7.8 25

New Jersey

317.9 4,085.1 7.2 1,606 6 4.6 46

New Mexico

68.0 817.4 5.1 1,018 45 6.5 40

New York

681.3 9,107.2 6.0 1,972 2 5.6 44

North Carolina

335.8 4,638.3 4.8 1,241 20 9.2 6

North Dakota

33.3 400.5 2.7 1,106 34 6.9 35

Ohio

320.5 5,299.0 3.1 1,179 24 7.5 29

Oklahoma

120.7 1,601.8 2.9 1,012 46 8.0 23

Oregon

175.1 1,921.9 4.0 1,259 18 7.4 32

Pennsylvania

384.0 5,778.2 4.3 1,309 16 6.9 35

Rhode Island

45.0 469.3 4.7 1,249 19 6.8 37

South Carolina

164.1 2,142.9 3.9 1,043 43 9.2 6

South Dakota

37.8 432.0 3.5 1,012 46 8.6 16

Tennessee

198.1 3,104.1 4.6 1,172 26 8.8 11

Texas

788.4 12,985.4 6.1 1,369 12 8.7 14

Utah

126.5 1,625.6 4.5 1,152 28 8.2 21

Vermont

29.3 295.8 3.9 1,107 33 7.7 26

Virginia

310.8 3,889.4 3.1 1,366 13 6.6 39

Washington

277.3 3,453.4 6.0 1,596 7 3.8 48

West Virginia

55.2 668.1 2.9 968 50 6.1 42

Wisconsin

193.9 2,816.5 2.9 1,137 29 8.7 14

Wyoming

28.9 263.6 2.6 1,059 41 11.2 1

Puerto Rico

48.7 917.1 6.8 579 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.5 34.8 -0.3 947 (3) -3.7 (3)

(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, September 19, 2022