Employment rose in all of Tennessee’s six large counties 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 2021.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Davidson County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 7.8 percent. (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 six largest counties in Tennessee, employment was highest in Davidson County (520,900) in March 2022. Within Davidson County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the six largest Tennessee counties accounted for 56 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 89 counties in Tennessee with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 88 of the 89 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All six large Tennessee 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. Williamson County had the largest gain (+9.7 percent), followed by Hamilton County (+9.0 percent).

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

Among Tennessee’s six largest counties, Williamson ($1,727) and Davidson ($1,496) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022.

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 Tennessee’s smaller counties

Among the 89 smaller counties in Tennessee—those with employment below 75,000—Roane ($1,385) reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,374. Hancock County ($571) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 95 counties in Tennessee were considered, 11 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 24 had wages from $700 to $799, 29 had wages from $800 to $899, 15 had wages from $900 to $999, and 16 had average weekly 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 second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for second quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 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 six largest counties in Tennessee, 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	--
Tennessee	198.1	3,104.1	4.6	--	1,172	26	8.8	11
Davidson	30.6	520.9	7.8	18	1,496	56	8.4	94
Hamilton	12.1	206.1	3.2	218	1,164	181	9.0	73
Knox	15.4	242.2	2.9	243	1,100	222	4.6	277
Rutherford	7.5	138.5	4.2	148	1,032	272	6.8	181
Shelby	23.5	488.5	2.6	267	1,259	131	6.6	197
Williamson	12.5	145.3	6.3	48	1,727	27	9.7	47
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 Tennessee, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2022	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,299,030	147,648,359	$1,374
Tennessee	198,090	3,104,060	1,172
Anderson	1,898	44,011	1,314
Bedford	996	17,111	870
Benton	342	4,284	768
Bledsoe	174	2,039	828
Blount	3,025	52,307	1,094
Bradley	2,193	43,199	928
Campbell	694	8,951	741
Cannon	261	2,377	795
Carroll	524	6,861	715
Carter	820	11,865	770
Cheatham	854	9,252	1,003
Chester	309	4,064	690
Claiborne	558	9,203	792
Clay	150	1,383	645
Cocke	557	7,385	773
Coffee	1,484	25,747	957
Crockett	286	3,710	928
Cumberland	1,361	17,817	760
Davidson	30,600	520,902	1,496
Decatur	265	3,318	777
De Kalb	406	5,882	808
Dickson	1,292	18,260	831
Dyer	880	15,737	925
Fayette	708	8,022	967
Fentress	350	5,388	654
Franklin	942	11,332	840
Gibson	1,051	14,110	796
Giles	672	10,194	816
Grainger	345	4,119	901
Greene	1,449	24,764	838
Grundy	224	2,112	610
Hamblen	1,457	32,542	839
Hamilton	12,091	206,073	1,164
Hancock	100	1,020	571
Hardeman	400	6,005	857
Hardin	598	7,985	966
Hawkins	804	12,155	872
Haywood	341	5,064	918
Henderson	563	7,622	812
Henry	769	11,083	790
Hickman	363	4,124	855
Houston	133	1,372	687
Humphreys	397	5,569	1,045
Jackson	177	1,529	713
Jefferson	897	13,746	886
Johnson	338	4,105	841
Knox	15,435	242,243	1,100
Lake	108	1,477	793
Lauderdale	366	6,484	801
Lawrence	832	11,581	777
Lewis	245	3,099	667
Lincoln	721	9,677	821
Loudon	1,267	17,562	960
McMinn	1,049	18,039	884
McNairy	503	5,257	719
Macon	377	5,082	760
Madison	2,727	59,011	997
Marion	517	7,908	818
Marshall	665	9,603	908
Maury	2,623	37,739	1,089
Meigs	144	2,356	863
Monroe	846	15,258	857
Montgomery	4,101	59,467	852
Moore	90	2,457	1,016
Morgan	233	3,225	782
Obion	728	11,559	811
Overton	428	5,242	748
Perry	147	1,517	660
Pickett	120	908	633
Polk	286	2,275	734
Putnam	2,283	38,790	839
Rhea	565	12,388	1,029
Roane	912	19,293	1,385
Robertson	1,462	22,305	886
Rutherford	7,450	138,535	1,032
Scott	372	5,585	667
Sequatchie	266	3,325	686
Sevier	3,279	48,983	709
Shelby	23,521	488,518	1,259
Smith	378	5,063	894
Stewart	243	2,755	1,055
Sullivan	3,925	67,837	1,191
Sumner	4,858	58,467	998
Tipton	887	12,310	840
Trousdale	152	1,892	880
Unicoi	302	4,917	985
Union	285	2,686	833
Van Buren	79	834	706
Warren	920	12,189	827
Washington	3,557	63,566	925
Wayne	279	3,911	780
Weakley	622	10,951	759
White	533	7,211	783
Williamson	12,471	145,283	1,727
Wilson	3,962	60,140	924
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, 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)
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.