Employment rose in the three largest counties in Arkansas 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 2021.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Washington County (+5.0 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. Washington’s rate of job gain ranked 123^rd among the 343 large U.S. counties (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 three largest counties in Arkansas, employment was highest in Pulaski County (250,500) in December 2021. Within Pulaski County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the three largest Arkansas counties accounted for 40.2 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 72 counties in Arkansas with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 71 of the 72 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All three large Arkansas counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Washington County’s 10.1-percent rate of wage gain was above the national rate of 5.9 percent. Pulaski County and Benton County had gains of 4.0 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.

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 three largest counties in Arkansas were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Benton County’s average weekly wage of $1,238 ranked 179^th among the 343 large U.S counties. Weekly wages in Washington County ($1,234) and Pulaski County ($1,196) ranked 185^th and 213^th, respectively.

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 Arkansas' smaller counties

Among the 72 smaller counties in Arkansas—those with employment below 75,000—Mississippi County ($1,513) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Searcy County ($656) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 75 counties in Arkansas were considered, 19 reported average weekly wages of less than $799, 32 registered wages from $800 to $899, 13 had wages from $900 to $999, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 3.) The counties with the highest average weekly wages were concentrated around the larger metropolitan areas of Fort Smith and Little Rock, as well as the smaller areas of Blytheville and Fayetteville, and along the southern border of the state. The lowest-paying counties, with wages below $799, were concentrated mainly in the west central and north central parts 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 first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for first quarter 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 7, 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 three largest counties in Arkansas, 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	--
Arkansas	97.0	1,236.1	3.4	--	1,064	49	6.4	14
Benton	7.5	131.1	3.5	221	1,238	179	0.7	327
Pulaski	14.5	250.5	3.6	210	1,196	213	4.0	220
Washington	6.6	114.7	5.0	123	1,234	185	10.1	9
(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 Arkansas, fourth quarter 2021

Area	Establishments	Employment December 2021	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,194,120	148,293,597	$1,418
Arkansas	97,039	1,236,063	1,064
Arkansas	1,090	10,583	1,021
Ashley	540	5,757	929
Baxter	1,265	15,452	854
Benton	7,526	131,096	1,238
Boone	955	14,436	885
Bradley	343	3,628	869
Calhoun	113	3,546	1,286
Carroll	829	11,003	780
Chicot	451	2,782	841
Clark	676	8,590	798
Clay	352	3,063	779
Cleburne	651	6,301	804
Cleveland	124	1,019	825
Columbia	659	7,981	905
Conway	521	6,981	891
Craighead	2,955	53,541	982
Crawford	1,264	19,542	904
Crittenden	1,142	15,259	907
Cross	466	4,626	770
Dallas	226	2,690	815
Desha	482	4,317	888
Drew	546	6,373	824
Faulkner	3,108	42,357	919
Franklin	384	4,754	823
Fulton	209	2,180	780
Garland	3,192	37,766	875
Grant	357	4,375	977
Greene	892	15,393	887
Hempstead	528	7,347	909
Hot Spring	615	8,277	879
Howard	367	6,477	812
Independence	930	16,844	922
Izard	250	2,800	748
Jackson	417	5,084	867
Jefferson	1,963	25,782	1,005
Johnson	484	8,503	803
Lafayette	160	1,072	771
Lawrence	400	3,877	792
Lee	240	1,670	878
Lincoln	270	2,616	849
Little River	248	3,065	1,086
Logan	491	5,134	745
Lonoke	1,350	14,662	810
Madison	279	3,600	873
Marion	294	3,564	840
Miller	901	12,450	956
Mississippi	1,039	17,005	1,513
Monroe	255	1,890	768
Montgomery	166	1,106	681
Nevada	205	2,156	836
Newton	131	1,022	667
Ouachita	627	6,725	843
Perry	158	1,149	800
Phillips	684	4,877	832
Pike	275	2,611	793
Poinsett	474	5,342	924
Polk	482	5,781	779
Pope	1,806	25,185	1,008
Prairie	244	1,561	800
Pulaski	14,486	250,496	1,196
Randolph	391	5,954	777
St. Francis	644	6,750	896
Saline	2,231	25,423	876
Scott	186	2,923	783
Searcy	175	1,564	656
Sebastian	3,736	64,258	1,014
Sevier	324	4,739	780
Sharp	387	3,621	696
Stone	292	2,580	909
Union	1,207	16,658	1,059
Van Buren	334	3,641	802
Washington	6,604	114,724	1,234
White	1,821	25,025	877
Woodruff	194	1,843	939
Yell	434	6,368	809
(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)
(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.