County Employment and Wages News Release — 2015-12-17

From June 2014 to June 2015, employment increased in 319 of the 342 largest U.S. counties (counties with 75,000 or more jobs in 2014), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Utah, Utah, had the largest percentage increase, with a gain of 7.5 percent over the year, compared with national job growth of 2.0 percent. Within Utah, the largest employment increase occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities, which gained 3,540 jobs over the year (10.3 percent). Ector, Texas, had the largest over- the-year percentage decrease in employment among the largest counties in the U.S. with a loss of 4.2 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 6 months after the end of each quarter. The U.S. average weekly wage increased 3.0 percent over the year, growing to $968 in the second quarter of 2015.