The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its County Employment and Wages report for Q1 2023 which identifies the number of jobs and the level of wages by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The data in the latest report presents insights into where economic and employment growth have been occurring and how local wage levels have been changing in response.
Tracking absolute growth
In looking at the MSA’s by absolute employment growth, unsurprisingly, the list is headed by the largest MSA’s in the country. The first table gives the top 20 MSA’s by employment growth between March 2022 and March 2023. In addition to the number of new jobs created in the MSA over the last year, the employment growth as a percent of the year-earlier employment level, the weekly wage level for the MSA and the percentage wage growth over the past year are shown.
When reviewing the data in the table, it is useful to know that, for the country as a whole, employment grew 2.5 percent year-over-year and weekly wages grew 6.6 percent to a level of $1,465.
| MSA | Employment growth |
Employment growth % |
Mar ‘23 wages |
Wage growth % |
| New York City, NY | 256,550 | 2.8 | 2,126 | 1.5 |
| Dallas, TX | 135,610 | 3.6 | 1,590 | 7.1 |
| Houston, TX | 128,602 | 4.2 | 1,712 | 9.5 |
| Miami, FL | 100,165 | 3.8 | 1,478 | 8.7 |
| Chicago, IL | 83,956 | 1.9 | 1,647 | 4.9 |
| Atlanta, GA | 83,570 | 3.1 | 1,556 | 5.0 |
| Orlando, FL | 68,667 | 5.3 | 1,228 | 9.5 |
| Austin, TX | 62,673 | 5.3 | 1,689 | 5.0 |
| Washington, DC | 60,077 | 2.0 | 1,908 | 6.9 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 56,475 | 2.5 | 1,396 | 7.0 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 53,326 | 0.9 | 1,563 | 4.7 |
| Tampa, FL | 50,715 | 3.7 | 1,316 | 10.0 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 49,526 | 1.8 | 1,557 | 5.3 |
| Boston, MA | 48,736 | 1.9 | 2,092 | 4.1 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 40,911 | 4.0 | 1,213 | 7.7 |
| Denver, CO | 40,890 | 2.7 | 1,753 | 6.3 |
| Charlotte, NC | 39,068 | 3.1 | 1,605 | 6.4 |
| Seattle, WA | 36,269 | 1.8 | 2,065 | 7.1 |
| San Antonio, TX | 35,429 | 3.4 | 1,248 | 7.6 |
| Nashville, TN | 32,983 | 3.2 | 1,435 | 6.4 |
Of the top 5 metros by population, Los Angeles (#2) and Chicago (#3) are relative laggards for job growth. The Philadelphia, Boston and Seattle MSA’s also have employment growth rates below 2.0 percent, well under the national average.
Assessing relative growth
The next table looks at the 101 MSA’s with at least a quarter-million employed people and lists the twenty with the fastest rates of year-over-year employment growth.
| MSA | Employment growth |
Employment growth % |
Mar ‘23 wages |
Wage growth % |
| Austin, TX | 62,673 | 5.3 | 1,689 | 5.0 |
| Orlando, FL | 68,667 | 5.3 | 1,228 | 9.5 |
| North Port-Sarasota, FL | 15,328 | 4.9 | 1,155 | 8.7 |
| Charleston, SC | 17,232 | 4.9 | 1,272 | 9.8 |
| Huntsville, AL | 10,480 | 4.3 | 1,386 | 7.4 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 26,640 | 4.3 | 1,192 | 10.0 |
| Houston, TX | 128,602 | 4.2 | 1,712 | 9.5 |
| Raleigh, NC | 27,537 | 4.1 | 1,451 | 5.2 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 40,911 | 4.0 | 1,213 | 7.7 |
| Chattanooga, TN | 9,897 | 3.9 | 1,181 | 7.8 |
| Tulsa, OK | 16,488 | 3.9 | 1,176 | 7.8 |
| Wichita, KS | 11,254 | 3.9 | 1,126 | 9.4 |
| Miami, FL | 100,165 | 3.8 | 1,478 | 8.7 |
| Tampa, FL | 50,715 | 3.7 | 1,316 | 10.0 |
| Lexington, KY | 9,790 | 3.6 | 1,183 | 10.4 |
| Dallas, TX | 135,610 | 3.6 | 1,590 | 7.1 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 19,715 | 3.5 | 1,152 | 5.8 |
| McAllen, TX | 9,648 | 3.5 | 782 | 6.3 |
| San Antonio, TX | 35,429 | 3.4 | 1,248 | 7.6 |
| Fayetteville, AR | 8,547 | 3.3 | 1,490 | 1.8 |
The County Wages and Employment report is available here.
