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News Release Information

22-1286-DAL
Friday, June 17, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

County Employment and Wages in New Mexico – Fourth Quarter 2021

Employment rose 7.2 percent in Bernalillo, New Mexico’s only large county, 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 Michael Hirniak noted that the rate of employment growth in Bernalillo County ranked 29th among the 343 largest U.S. counties. (See 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.

Employment in Bernalillo County stood at 332,400 in December 2021, accounting for 40.6 percent of total employment in New Mexico. Within Bernalillo County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. 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 32 counties in New Mexico with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 30 of the 32 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,418 in the fourth quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

The average weekly wage in Bernalillo County increased 1.7 percent from the fourth quarter 2020 to the fourth quarter 2021, ranking 308th among the largest U.S. counties. Nationally, average weekly wages rose 5.9 percent over the year.

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

The average weekly wage in Bernalillo County was $1,150 in the fourth quarter of 2021, ranking it 247th in the nation. 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 New Mexico’s smaller counties

Among the 32 smaller counties in New Mexico—those with employment below 75,000—Los Alamos ($1,915) reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,339. Guadalupe and Catron Counties (both at $674) reported the lowest average weekly wages in the state.

When all 33 counties in New Mexico were considered, 5 reported average weekly wages of less than $799, 15 registered wages from $800 to $899, 6 had wages from $900 to $999, and 7 had average weekly wages of $1,000 or higher. (See chart 1.) The higher-paying counties were within the combined statistical area of Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas as well as the smaller areas of Hobbs and Carlsbad-Artesia.

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 largest county in New Mexico, 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 --

New Mexico

66.5 819.1 6.5 -- 1,097 47 4.4 41

Bernalillo

21.7 332.4 7.2 29 1,150 247 1.7 308

(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 New Mexico, fourth quarter 2021
Area Establishments Employment December 2021 Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,194,120 148,293,597 $1,418

New Mexico

66,505 819,116 1,097

Bernalillo

21,704 332,426 1,150

Catron

131 618 688

Chaves

1,930 21,519 848

Cibola

465 6,848 830

Colfax

549 4,055 818

Curry

1,340 17,284 838

De Baca

78 422 816

Dona Ana

5,429 73,150 898

Eddy

2,025 29,445 1,432

Grant

768 8,711 989

Guadalupe

174 1,421 908

Harding

40 160 891

Hidalgo

162 1,457 967

Lea

2,261 28,478 1,180

Lincoln

855 6,285 776

Los Alamos

574 18,132 2,019

Luna

586 7,304 846

Mckinley

1,331 19,614 840

Mora

144 636 795

Otero

1,305 17,514 924

Quay

338 2,473 755

Rio Arriba

937 9,079 863

Roosevelt

479 5,926 852

Sandoval

2,894 31,111 1,026

San Juan

3,023 43,321 1,045

San Miguel

825 7,482 776

Santa Fe

6,626 59,957 1,177

Sierra

381 3,588 840

Socorro

417 4,901 914

Taos

1,414 10,937 802

Torrance

370 3,361 904

Union

182 1,210 817

Valencia

1,521 15,962 853

(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, June 17, 2022