Williamson, Texas has largest county 2nd quarter 2011 over-the-year wage growth at 18.0%

The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 3.0 percent to $891 in the second quarter of 2011. Among the large counties in the U.S., Williamson, Texas, had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages in the second quarter of 2011 with a gain of 18.0 percent.  Champaign, Ill., experienced the largest decline in average weekly wages with a loss of 3.6 percent over the year.

Ottawa, Mich., had the largest percentage increase in employment among the largest U.S. counties (4.7 percent). The five counties with the largest increases in employment level were Harris, Texas; New York, N.Y.; Cook, Ill.; Maricopa, Ariz.; and Dallas, Texas. These counties had a combined over-the-year gain of 174,600, or 15.4 percent of the overall employment increase for the U.S.

Employment declined in 89 of the large counties from June 2010 to June 2011. San Joaquin, Calif., had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (- 4.0 percent). Yakima, Wash., had the second largest employment decrease, followed by Montgomery, Ala., and Marion, Ore., both tied for the third largest decline, and Monterey, Calif. Bureau of Labor Statistics