Employment increased in all of Georgia’s 10 largest counties from December 2020 to December 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 Janet S. Rankin noted that employment increases ranged from 6.7 percent in Fulton County to 0.3 percent in Muscogee County. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 5.2 percent over the year, with 334 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Clark, NV, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Hinds, MS, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 0.9 percent.

Among the 10 largest counties in Georgia, employment was highest in Fulton County (913,300) in December 2021. Within Fulton County’s private industry, professional and technical services accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 10 largest Georgia counties accounted for 56.5 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.4 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 149 counties in Georgia with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 148 of the 149 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 10 large Georgia counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Six counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 5.9 percent. Clayton County had the largest wage gain at 9.9 percent, followed by Chatham County and Dekalb County (+8.2 percent each). Over-the-year wage gains among Georgia’s other seven large counties ranged from 6.9 percent to 4.6 percent.

Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 334 had over-the-year wage increases. Palm Beach, FL, had the largest percentage wage increase (+15.6 percent). Kitsap, WA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-5.5 percent). 

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in the 2 of the 10 largest counties in Georgia were above the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in these two counties ranked among the top one-fourth nationwide: Fulton ($1,822, 19^th) and Cobb ($1,450, 71^st).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 84 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2021. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $4,005. Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 259 counties. At $826 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Georgia’s smaller counties

Among the 149 smaller counties in Georgia—those with employment below 75,000—Burke County ($1,832) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,418. Evans County ($568) had the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 159 counties in Georgia were considered, 32 reported average weekly wages of $799 or lower, 57 had wages from $800 to $899, 28 had wages from $900 to $999, 30 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 12 had wages of $1,100 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 first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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 10 largest counties in Georgia, fourth quarter 2021

Area	Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		December 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Fourth quarter 2021	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	11,194.1	148,293.6	5.2	--	$1,418	--	5.9	--
Georgia	351.2	4,629.8	5.0	--	1,292	21	7.0	9
Bibb	4.8	82.4	2.4	280	1,026	321	5.0	165
Chatham	9.5	165.9	5.1	117	1,129	260	8.2	33
Clayton	4.9	119.8	5.4	102	1,294	149	9.9	12
Cobb	26.3	373.3	2.7	263	1,450	71	6.8	77
DeKalb	21.6	302.2	3.3	237	1,386	94	8.2	33
Fulton	53.6	913.3	6.7	46	1,822	19	6.2	95
Gwinnett	30.8	368.0	4.3	167	1,264	166	5.5	133
Hall	5.3	93.7	3.6	210	1,211	200	4.6	185
Muscogee	5.1	92.3	0.3	333	1,024	322	6.9	74
Richmond	5.0	103.3	1.5	312	1,098	286	5.3	146
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 Georgia, fourth quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment December 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,194,120	148,293,597	$1,418
Georgia	351,190	4,629,754	1,292
Appling	490	6,903	1,105
Atkinson	130	2,348	1,104
Bacon	283	3,543	905
Baker	64	436	826
Baldwin	932	15,396	794
Banks	324	4,118	851
Barrow	1,455	21,656	1,043
Bartow	2,662	42,458	1,032
Ben Hill	347	5,560	820
Berrien	291	3,647	823
Bibb	4,750	82,357	1,026
Bleckley	211	2,699	727
Brantley	241	2,596	819
Brooks	293	3,301	925
Bryan	855	9,597	890
Bulloch	1,707	26,529	865
Burke	450	12,229	1,832
Butts	496	7,913	936
Calhoun	115	1,054	822
Camden	1,046	14,649	1,003
Candler	252	3,586	736
Carroll	2,532	42,019	1,025
Catoosa	1,113	15,917	847
Charlton	181	2,009	874
Chatham	9,511	165,913	1,129
Chattahoochee	134	2,452	1,008
Chattooga	357	5,032	817
Cherokee	6,934	66,758	1,003
Clarke	3,623	69,864	1,083
Clay	69	664	711
Clayton	4,924	119,773	1,294
Clinch	188	2,405	858
Cobb	26,254	373,263	1,450
Coffee	969	17,389	855
Colquitt	1,084	15,267	869
Columbia	3,143	38,692	955
Cook	383	4,460	818
Coweta	3,267	44,331	989
Crawford	149	1,186	740
Crisp	598	8,388	864
Dade	278	3,942	812
Dawson	874	10,063	800
Decatur	724	8,191	864
De Kalb	21,597	302,225	1,386
Dodge	344	4,860	694
Dooly	216	3,323	858
Dougherty	2,487	46,498	1,046
Douglas	3,216	45,415	1,027
Early	284	4,095	1,028
Echols	54	610	859
Effingham	938	11,182	966
Elbert	518	5,670	873
Emanuel	441	7,006	796
Evans	273	4,720	568
Fannin	749	6,902	857
Fayette	4,375	46,423	1,094
Floyd	2,242	39,583	1,024
Forsyth	6,974	79,080	1,227
Franklin	541	7,638	882
Fulton	53,602	913,271	1,822
Gilmer	721	7,095	799
Glascock	39	389	647
Glynn	2,921	38,695	1,001
Gordon	1,152	24,161	1,007
Grady	529	6,203	876
Greene	518	6,458	1,070
Gwinnett	30,845	368,030	1,264
Habersham	993	13,337	861
Hall	5,322	93,731	1,211
Hancock	92	1,408	782
Haralson	561	7,052	954
Harris	535	5,145	925
Hart	503	6,968	873
Heard	166	2,138	1,089
Henry	4,984	74,134	938
Houston	3,082	63,475	1,061
Irwin	161	2,159	869
Jackson	1,785	37,734	903
Jasper	225	2,415	883
Jeff Davis	256	4,363	799
Jefferson	391	5,134	1,082
Jenkins	122	1,346	781
Johnson	142	1,380	764
Jones	389	3,855	862
Lamar	319	3,945	961
Lanier	122	1,388	744
Laurens	1,171	18,911	930
Lee	558	7,254	925
Liberty	1,000	19,649	968
Lincoln	177	1,365	745
Long	98	1,156	723
Lowndes	3,154	49,223	889
Lumpkin	638	8,034	915
McDuffie	451	6,859	856
McIntosh	218	1,721	780
Macon	207	2,727	961
Madison	425	3,673	825
Marion	113	1,289	697
Meriwether	392	4,188	894
Miller	169	1,757	1,053
Mitchell	472	6,601	856
Monroe	608	7,705	907
Montgomery	146	1,414	720
Morgan	600	8,397	1,009
Murray	486	8,052	869
Muscogee	5,141	92,334	1,024
Newton	1,924	24,625	1,003
Oconee	1,367	14,552	957
Oglethorpe	230	1,883	826
Paulding	2,553	27,584	894
Peach	603	9,601	925
Pickens	843	8,085	1,086
Pierce	401	4,393	847
Pike	334	3,084	888
Polk	727	11,194	913
Pulaski	217	2,681	897
Putnam	527	6,191	900
Quitman	43	314	751
Rabun	570	5,419	765
Randolph	169	1,730	831
Richmond	4,971	103,272	1,098
Rockdale	2,451	33,359	1,261
Schley	70	1,067	832
Screven	278	3,020	799
Seminole	220	2,379	753
Spalding	1,433	22,832	898
Stephens	582	8,534	915
Stewart	93	1,515	1,020
Sumter	703	10,481	897
Talbot	89	848	788
Taliaferro	29	221	616
Tattnall	378	5,587	893
Taylor	161	1,443	1,028
Telfair	224	2,307	767
Terrell	222	2,095	837
Thomas	1,621	20,663	990
Tift	1,167	21,827	912
Toombs	744	11,947	806
Towns	321	3,478	782
Treutlen	109	1,027	755
Troup	1,707	39,169	1,021
Turner	200	1,888	830
Twiggs	120	1,964	826
Union	699	7,492	876
Upson	486	6,818	889
Walker	832	14,226	853
Walton	2,032	24,594	1,047
Ware	952	15,532	829
Warren	113	1,565	963
Washington	389	6,143	886
Wayne	622	8,641	923
Webster	46	546	912
Wheeler	84	1,124	795
White	801	9,161	772
Whitfield	2,538	56,531	1,026
Wilcox	119	1,082	759
Wilkes	234	2,585	879
Wilkinson	177	3,014	961
Worth	330	2,911	806
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, fourth quarter 2021

State	Establishments, fourth quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		December 2021 (thousands)	Percent change, December 2020–21	Fourth quarter 2021	National ranking by level	Percent change, fourth quarter 2020–21	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	11,194.1	148,293.6	5.2	$1,418	--	5.9	--
Alabama	141.2	2,007.0	3.1	1,153	36	4.9	34
Alaska	24.1	299.4	3.1	1,311	19	4.1	43
Arizona	190.2	3,057.8	5.1	1,281	23	5.5	27
Arkansas	97.0	1,236.1	3.4	1,064	49	6.4	14
California	1,701.9	17,622.2	7.4	1,804	4	4.8	37
Colorado	232.9	2,776.4	6.2	1,484	10	7.8	3
Connecticut	134.0	1,639.9	3.9	1,611	6	3.9	45
Delaware	37.0	452.0	4.5	1,337	16	5.9	23
District of Columbia	46.1	749.4	5.1	2,320	1	1.0	50
Florida	834.7	9,241.1	6.7	1,297	20	9.7	2
Georgia	351.2	4,629.8	5.0	1,292	21	7.0	9
Hawaii	50.4	613.8	9.2	1,229	28	0.8	51
Idaho	81.8	802.3	5.1	1,111	42	7.4	6
Illinois	400.5	5,877.3	5.4	1,473	11	6.9	11
Indiana	179.4	3,089.3	3.4	1,153	36	7.0	9
Iowa	107.3	1,527.4	2.2	1,157	35	5.3	30
Kansas	92.5	1,381.0	2.4	1,132	41	5.8	24
Kentucky	136.5	1,919.8	4.5	1,110	43	5.0	33
Louisiana	146.1	1,853.9	2.9	1,142	40	6.0	21
Maine	59.7	613.7	3.3	1,163	34	6.4	14
Maryland	178.1	2,648.4	3.9	1,499	9	3.8	46
Massachusetts	281.8	3,556.9	5.5	1,832	2	3.7	47
Michigan	274.9	4,250.8	6.3	1,291	22	2.7	49
Minnesota	191.0	2,823.7	5.2	1,378	13	4.0	44
Mississippi	78.5	1,147.3	2.4	944	51	4.8	37
Missouri	226.1	2,804.8	2.9	1,179	33	4.5	40
Montana	56.7	489.0	4.6	1,108	44	7.1	8
Nebraska	77.5	978.5	1.5	1,144	38	6.1	19
Nevada	98.3	1,432.6	11.5	1,246	25	5.8	24
New Hampshire	61.2	662.2	3.9	1,580	7	12.3	1
New Jersey	315.6	4,123.7	6.8	1,563	8	3.0	48
New Mexico	66.5	819.1	6.5	1,097	47	4.4	41
New York	674.4	9,195.8	5.8	1,829	3	6.8	13
North Carolina	324.7	4,646.6	4.7	1,241	26	7.8	3
North Dakota	33.3	407.9	3.4	1,192	31	4.9	34
Ohio	318.8	5,352.6	2.9	1,221	29	5.2	31
Oklahoma	117.8	1,604.5	2.1	1,080	48	6.9	11
Oregon	173.4	1,915.0	4.8	1,332	17	6.1	19
Pennsylvania	379.7	5,807.9	4.5	1,352	15	5.1	32
Rhode Island	44.1	475.5	5.7	1,315	18	4.4	41
South Carolina	155.8	2,147.9	3.5	1,101	46	6.4	14
South Dakota	37.6	435.5	2.7	1,108	44	5.7	26
Tennessee	191.7	3,123.3	3.9	1,258	24	7.3	7
Texas	779.4	13,012.7	6.1	1,376	14	6.3	17
Utah	126.9	1,624.1	4.3	1,231	27	6.2	18
Vermont	28.7	298.7	4.3	1,189	32	4.9	34
Virginia	303.4	3,918.0	3.1	1,424	12	4.8	37
Washington	276.1	3,427.0	6.3	1,683	5	6.0	21
West Virginia	54.7	674.4	3.1	1,053	50	5.5	27
Wisconsin	194.0	2,832.6	2.4	1,202	30	5.4	29
Wyoming	28.8	267.2	2.7	1,143	39	7.7	5
Puerto Rico	48.2	935.3	6.8	645	(3)	3.9	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.4	35.0	-0.4	1,090	(3)	3.0	(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.