County Employment and Wages News Release - 2023 Q01 Results — 2023-08-23

From March 2022 to March 2023, employment increased in 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In March 2023, national employment increased to 151.4 million, a 2.5-percent increase over the year, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 8.5 percent. Employment data in this release are presented for March 2023, and average weekly wage data are presented for first quarter 2023. Among the 360 largest counties, 353 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. In the first quarter of 2023, average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,465, a 6.6-percent increase over the year. Clayton, GA, had the largest first quarter over-the-year wage gain at 24.3 percent. (See table 1.) Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+8.5 percent).