1997 Employer Costs for Employee Compensation — 1999-09-16

Of the 296 largest counties in the United States, 130 had rates of employment growth above the national average of 2.6 percent in 1997, while only 8 experienced declines in employment, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The southern and western states dominated the fastest-growing counties, containing the 10 fastest-growing counties and 19 of the top 20. Employment and annual pay data by county are compiled from reports submitted by employers subject to state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) laws, covering 121.1 million full- and part-time workers. Average annual pay is computed by dividing total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. The attached tables and charts contain data for the nation and for the 296 counties with employment of 75,000 or more. (Some areas defined as counties in this release are not officially designated as counties.