Employment rose in 6 of the 7 largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties and parishes are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Orleans Parish had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 6.4 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 seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge Parish (260,500) in March 2022. Within East Baton Rouge Parish’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the seven largest Louisiana parishes accounted for 56.4 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 57 parishes in Louisiana with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 52 of the 57 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. (See table 2.)

Large parish wage changes

All seven large Louisiana parishes reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022. (See chart 2.) Six counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Caddo Parish had the largest gain (+9.1 percent), followed by Jefferson Parish (+8.7 percent) and East Baton Rouge Parish (+8.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Louisiana’s other four large parishes ranged from 7.4 percent to 4.3 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 parish average weekly wages

Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,374 in the first quarter of 2022. Orleans Parish ($1,237, 141^st) had average weekly wages that ranked among the top half of counties and parishes nationwide.

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 Louisiana's smaller parishes

Among the 57 smaller parishes in Louisiana—those with employment below 75,000—five counties reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,374. Cameron County ($2,390) reported the highest average weekly wage. Franklin Parish ($641) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 64 parishes in Louisiana were considered, 7 reported average weekly wages of less than $700, 24 registered wages from $700 to $849, 14 had wages from $850 to $999, 11 had wages from $1,000 to $1,149, and 8 had wages of $1,150 or more. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying parishes were concentrated around the metropolitan areas of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. The lowest-paid parishes, those with weekly wages under $700, were concentrated in non-metropolitan areas in the northeastern quadrant 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.

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 seven largest parishes in Louisiana, 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	--
Louisiana	147.6	1,820.6	1.3	--	1,058	42	8.6	16
Caddo	7.8	105.4	1.1	333	981	312	9.1	68
Calcasieu	5.8	85.3	2.7	260	1,113	215	6.8	181
East Baton Rouge	18.3	260.5	3.5	202	1,139	190	8.0	115
Jefferson	15.5	178.3	-0.8	351	1,100	222	8.7	82
Lafayette	11.2	129.0	3.3	211	969	318	6.8	181
Orleans	16.0	179.5	6.4	45	1,237	141	4.3	288
St. Tammany	9.9	89.8	1.5	322	1,041	265	7.4	146
(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 parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2022

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2022	Average weekly wage (1)
United States (2)	11,299,030	147,648,359	$1,374
Louisiana	147,593	1,820,599	1,058
Acadia	1,391	13,968	729
Allen	452	6,679	841
Ascension	3,540	46,001	1,265
Assumption	322	3,487	916
Avoyelles	893	9,128	658
Beauregard	810	8,738	903
Bienville	315	3,870	850
Bossier	3,323	42,567	899
Caddo	7,796	105,393	981
Calcasieu	5,785	85,309	1,113
Caldwell	219	2,146	666
Cameron	174	5,766	2,390
Catahoula	262	2,000	645
Claiborne	287	2,898	813
Concordia	476	5,226	781
De Soto	610	6,576	1,132
East Baton Rouge	18,331	260,469	1,139
East Carroll	178	1,360	775
East Feliciana	378	4,904	883
Evangeline	637	7,616	665
Franklin	464	4,631	641
Grant	270	3,594	887
Iberia	1,908	22,775	975
Iberville	795	14,644	1,580
Jackson	299	3,346	906
Jefferson	15,453	178,313	1,100
Jefferson Davis	810	7,879	755
Lafayette	11,182	128,978	969
Lafourche	2,116	31,906	1,126
LaSalle	447	4,663	772
Lincoln	1,419	17,405	793
Livingston	2,791	29,657	785
Madison	269	2,973	651
Morehouse	571	6,361	743
Natchitoches	1,001	13,158	758
Orleans	16,045	179,504	1,237
Ouachita	5,132	68,207	849
Plaquemines	808	10,975	1,469
Pointe Coupee	501	4,902	938
Rapides	3,909	55,121	883
Red River	196	2,452	861
Richland	543	6,201	757
Sabine	581	5,304	761
St. Bernard	961	10,265	1,092
St. Charles	1,377	22,511	1,678
St. Helena	132	1,518	841
St. James	461	7,651	1,390
St. John the Baptist	995	11,861	1,147
St. Landry	2,041	22,814	810
St. Martin	1,056	11,010	866
St. Mary	1,456	19,892	1,054
St. Tammany	9,918	89,751	1,041
Tangipahoa	3,425	44,706	803
Tensas	131	783	701
Terrebonne	3,324	44,257	1,059
Union	436	4,494	697
Vermilion	1,278	12,069	812
Vernon	993	12,239	830
Washington	838	10,214	792
Webster	971	10,872	820
West Baton Rouge	783	12,300	1,100
West Carroll	213	2,009	785
West Feliciana	298	5,112	1,302
Winn	329	4,114	833
(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.