County Employment and Wages News Release — 2011-06-30

From December 2009 to December 2010, employment increased in 220 of the 326 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Elkhart, Ind., posted the largest percentage increase, with a gain of 5.2 percent over the year, compared with national job growth of 0.9 percent. Within Elkhart, the largest employment increase occurred in manufacturing, which gained 4,185 jobs over the year (10.3 percent). Manatee, Fla., experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 4.0 percent. The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 3.0 percent to $971 in the fourth quarter of 2010. Among the large counties in the U.S., Olmsted, Minn., had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2010 with a gain of 31.9 percent. Within Olmsted, education and health services had the largest impact on the county�s over-the-year increase in average weekly wages.