St. Louis City, Missouri, experienced the largest gain in
average weekly wages in any quarter of 2008, with a gain of
56.7 percent—primarily attributable to a large merger and
acquisition in the fourth quarter.
··National average weekly wage
growth for the four quarters ranged
from 2.3 to 2.8 percent.
··In each quarter of 2008,
the county with the largest gain
in average weekly wages
experienced a growth of
at least 10.8 percent.
13
FIGURE
Counties with the highest adjusted over-the-year percent
growth in average weekly wages in 2008, by quarter
Percent
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Westmoreland, Williamson,
Pennsylvania
Texas
Somerset,
New Jersey
First quarter
U.S. average = 2.4 percent
Rock Island,
Illinois
Weld,
Colorado
Utah,
Utah
Second quarter
U.S. average = 2.6 percent
Rutherford,
Tennessee
County
Yolo,
California
Madison,
Illinois
Third quarter
U.S. average = 2.8 percent
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2008 • 25
St. Louis City,
Missouri
Clayton,
Georgia
Calcasieu,
Louisiana
Fourth quarter
U.S. average = 2.3 percent
www.bls.gov/cew