Wage Report For Hudson Valley Counties

Average weekly wages in the six counties in the lower Hudson Valley increased from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Dec. 31.

At 4.7 percent, Westchester County had the third-largest growth in wages among New York counties, Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli said. The national average weekly wage was up 3.8 percent from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019.

In the second quarter of 2019, the national average weekly wage was $1,095. The average weekly wage for New York state was $1,347, and the average weekly wage in New York County (Manhattan) was $2,109.

The average weekly wage in the Hudson Valley:

• Dutchess: $1,076
• Orange: $963
• Putnam: $1,064
• Rockland: $1,038
• Ulster: $904
• Westchester: $1,417

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies. The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level.