County Employment And Wages: Second Quarter 2003 — 2004-01-07

In June 2003, Loudoun County, Va., had the biggest over-the-year per- centage 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. Loudoun County, Va., experi- enced an over-the-year employment gain of 5.2 percent, compared with a na- tional decline of 0.5 percent. Kent County, R.I., had the biggest over- the-year gain in average weekly wages in the second quarter of 2003, with an increase of 7.9 percent. U.S. average weekly wages increased by 2.2 percent over the same timespan. Of the 315 largest counties in the United States, 184 had rates of over- the-year employment growth above the national average in June 2003, and 119 experienced declines in employment greater than the national average. Aver- age weekly wages grew faster than the national average in 181 of the largest U.S.