County Employment and Wages News Release — 2008-10-17

(NOTE: This news release was reissued on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, to correct two items in the Large County Average Weekly Wages section on page 3. In the second sentence of the first paragraph, the number of counties with average weekly wages higher than the national average was corrected from "183" to "92". In the first sentence of the second paragraph, the number of counties with average weekly wages below the national average was corrected from "137" to "241". No other changers were made.) In March 2008, Orleans County, La., had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Orleans County, which includes the city of New Orleans, experienced an over-the-year employment gain of 5.0 percent, compared with national job growth of 0.4 percent.