County Employment and Wages in Idaho — First Quarter 2024

Employment rose in both of Idaho's large counties from March 2023 to March 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Canyon County had an over-the-year employment increase of 3.4 percent, while Ada County reported an increase of 1.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 1.3 percent over the year, with 300 of the 369 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Monterey, CA, and St. Johns, FL, had the largest over-the-year increases in employment, with gains of 4.8 percent each. Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-4.9 percent).

Employment in Ada County was 282,900 in March 2024; Canyon County reported 86,200 employed. Within Ada County's private industry, healthcare and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the two largest Idaho counties accounted for 44.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties made up 73.3 percent of total covered U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 42 counties in Idaho with employment below 75,000. Average weekly wages were below the national average of $1,527 in 41 of the 42 smaller counties in the first quarter of 2024. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

From the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, the average weekly wage in Ada County increased 4.4 percent, above the national rate of 4.2 percent. The average weekly wage increase in Canyon County (3.3 percent) was below the national rate. (See chart 2.)

Nationwide, wages increased by 4.2 percent over the year. Among the 369 largest counties in the United States, 357 had over-the-year wage increases. Santa Clara, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+14.6 percent). Saginaw, MI, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-3.4 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Ada County's $1,333 average wage (168^th) and Canyon County's $974 average wage (359^th) ranked in the top half and bottom half of the 369 largest U.S. counties, respectively. Nationally, the average weekly wage was $1,527 in the first quarter of 2024.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2024. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($4,385). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 284 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($807).

Average weekly wages in Idaho's smaller counties

Among the 42 smaller counties in Idaho-those with employment below 75,000- only Butte County ($2,185) reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,527. Boise County ($622) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 44 counties in Idaho were considered, 12 reported average weekly wages of less than $849, 11 registered wages from $850 to $949, 13 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 8 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See map 1.)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release or visit the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2024 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 5, 2024.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the two largest counties in Idaho, first quarter 2024

Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment	Average weekly wage (1)
March 2024 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2023-24 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2024 ($)	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2023-24 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	12,169.0	153,585.6	1.3	--	1,527	--	4.2	--
Idaho	98.5	835.8	1.9	--	1,130	47	4.1	22
Ada	25.9	282.9	1.7	109	1,333	168	4.4	117
Canyon	8.6	86.2	3.4	10	974	359	3.3	222
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Idaho, first quarter 2024

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2024	Average weekly wage ($) (1)
United States (2)	12,169,000	153,585,576	1,527
Idaho	98,482	835,773	1,130
Ada	25,870	282,947	1,333
Adams	203	953	1,007
Bannock	3,159	36,114	923
Bear Lake	270	1,812	742
Benewah	418	3,283	1,121
Bingham	1,474	15,436	909
Blaine	2,210	14,262	1,106
Boise	260	1,941	622
Bonner	2,429	15,504	951
Bonneville	5,489	61,208	937
Boundary	591	3,791	899
Butte	144	9,951	2,185
Camas	74	369	1,091
Canyon	8,644	86,247	974
Caribou	316	3,545	1,267
Cassia	1,109	12,003	921
Clark	47	285	1,243
Clearwater	350	2,558	977
Custer	292	1,320	843
Elmore	753	7,332	889
Franklin	547	3,981	814
Fremont	554	3,347	829
Gem	699	4,359	832
Gooding	599	6,558	967
Idaho	700	4,473	843
Jefferson	1,130	7,621	829
Jerome	908	11,843	967
Kootenai	8,365	68,349	1,076
Latah	1,421	14,443	957
Lemhi	444	2,588	920
Lewis	227	1,500	797
Lincoln	201	1,652	933
Madison	1,643	16,789	788
Minidoka	773	9,204	969
Nez Perce	1,498	21,944	1,028
Oneida	171	1,697	721
Owyhee	395	3,046	857
Payette	830	6,897	933
Power	276	3,917	1,029
Shoshone	494	4,863	988
Teton	839	4,229	972
Twin Falls	3,862	40,756	927
Valley	911	5,308	980
Washington	359	2,808	815
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2024

State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment	Average weekly wage (1)
March 2024 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2023-24	First quarter 2024 ($)	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2023-24	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	12,169.0	153,585.6	1.3	1,527	--	4.2	--
Alabama	160.7	2,091.9	1.6	1,201	37	3.3	44
Alaska	25.2	318.1	2.2	1,374	22	5.6	2
Arizona	229.4	3,257.0	2.9	1,372	23	3.1	46
Arkansas	104.6	1,292.8	1.4	1,171	44	4.0	24
California	1,835.8	18,053.0	1.5	1,833	5	5.5	3
Colorado	264.4	2,851.4	0.3	1,613	8	3.5	38
Connecticut	149.5	1,661.9	1.0	1,908	4	4.4	18
Delaware	43.0	469.3	1.8	1,484	15	3.7	33
District of Columbia	52.3	759.8	0.7	2,434	1	4.0	24
Florida	898.9	9,863.2	2.1	1,384	20	4.2	20
Georgia	401.4	4,843.9	1.3	1,441	17	4.7	12
Hawaii	58.6	638.8	0.6	1,278	29	4.8	10
Idaho	98.5	835.8	1.9	1,130	47	4.1	22
Illinois	410.2	5,966.9	0.3	1,608	9	2.7	50
Indiana	195.2	3,148.3	0.6	1,271	30	5.7	1
Iowa	110.8	1,543.1	0.9	1,214	36	3.2	45
Kansas	100.7	1,415.7	0.7	1,199	38	3.8	32
Kentucky	155.8	1,987.2	1.4	1,178	42	3.4	43
Louisiana	154.5	1,904.2	0.7	1,195	39	4.0	24
Maine	65.0	626.4	1.3	1,249	34	5.2	4
Maryland	198.4	2,690.0	0.8	1,591	10	4.5	16
Massachusetts	287.4	3,599.0	0.5	2,015	3	4.9	8
Michigan	338.6	4,351.0	1.0	1,352	24	3.5	38
Minnesota	210.5	2,850.4	0.2	1,519	14	4.0	24
Mississippi	89.5	1,157.2	0.2	980	51	3.6	36
Missouri	257.5	2,882.5	1.0	1,269	31	3.7	33
Montana	61.8	503.1	1.2	1,126	49	4.4	18
Nebraska	76.0	1,007.3	1.5	1,195	39	2.6	51
Nevada	112.1	1,534.4	2.4	1,304	28	4.7	12
New Hampshire	65.9	680.0	1.1	1,531	13	4.7	12
New Jersey	335.6	4,218.8	1.3	1,761	7	3.5	38
New Mexico	67.9	861.5	1.6	1,159	45	4.8	10
New York	709.5	9,537.4	1.8	2,089	2	3.5	38
North Carolina	395.7	4,871.0	1.8	1,401	18	4.0	24
North Dakota	36.1	419.9	1.6	1,261	33	3.7	33
Ohio	337.0	5,452.8	0.8	1,315	25	4.0	24
Oklahoma	132.9	1,690.0	1.7	1,152	46	4.0	24
Oregon	198.9	1,971.9	-0.3	1,377	21	3.1	46
Pennsylvania	392.0	5,967.0	1.1	1,449	16	3.0	48
Rhode Island	48.5	483.9	1.1	1,387	19	4.0	24
South Carolina	184.6	2,265.9	2.1	1,194	41	4.9	8
South Dakota	39.9	449.7	2.0	1,129	48	4.2	20
Tennessee	230.1	3,261.3	1.9	1,311	27	3.5	38
Texas	839.6	13,826.9	1.7	1,540	12	4.1	22
Utah	135.7	1,699.6	1.9	1,313	26	5.2	4
Vermont	32.8	307.3	0.6	1,232	35	3.6	36
Virginia	318.3	4,072.6	1.6	1,554	11	5.2	4
Washington	224.3	3,577.3	1.3	1,815	6	5.1	7
West Virginia	60.8	694.0	1.6	1,110	50	4.6	15
Wisconsin	206.0	2,899.1	0.6	1,263	32	4.5	16
Wyoming	30.8	274.1	1.1	1,177	43	2.8	49
Puerto Rico	54.7	952.8	1.6	677	(3)	4.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.9	36.5	0.9	996	(3)	1.6	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

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