County Employment and Wages News Release — 2013-09-26

From March 2012 to March 2013, employment increased in 282 of the 334 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Fort Bend, Texas, posted the largest increase, with a gain of 7.0 percent over the year, compared with national job growth of 1.6 percent. Within Fort Bend, the largest employment increase occurred in leisure and hospitality, which gained 2,204 jobs over the year (12.5 percent). Sangamon, Ill., had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 2.4 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 6 months after the end of each quarter. The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 0.6 percent to $989 in the first quarter of 2013.