County Employment and Wages News Release — 2013-03-28

From September 2011 to September 2012, employment increased in 276 of the 328 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Elkhart, Ind., posted the largest increase, with a gain of 6.9 percent over the year, compared with national job growth of 1.6 percent. Within Elkhart, the largest employment increase occurred in manufacturing, which gained 4,734 jobs over the year (10.1 percent). Benton, Wash., had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 5.2 percent. County employment and wage data are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, which produces detailed information on county employment and wages within 7 months after the end of each quarter. The U.S. average weekly wage decreased over the year by 1.1 percent to $906 in the third quarter of 2012.