MD average weekly wages high, but growth is sluggish

Maryland jobs paid the 7^th highest average weekly wage in the second quarter of 2011, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Only CA, CT, DC, MA, NJ, and NY were higher.  The average weekly wage in Maryland of $987 was 3.1 percent higher than in the second quarter one year previously.

	Employment			Average Weekly Wage
County	June 2011	% Change, June 2010-2011	National Ranking, by % Change*	Second Quarter 2011	% Change, Second Quarter 2010-2011	National Ranking, by % Change*
Anne Arundel	233,400	1.5%	82	$960	1.8%	238
Baltimore County	363,300	-0.4%	248	$906	1.1%	280
Baltimore City	329,000	-0.2%	237	$1,034	3.3%	101
Frederick	92,100	-1.4%	293	$861	1.1%	280
Harford	84,800	2.8%	22	$890	8.8%	3
Howard	153,700	1.5%	82	$1,080	4.9%	30
Montgomery	453,000	1.1%	114	$1,213	3.3%	101
Prince George’s	301,700	-0.4%	248	$981	2.1%	209
Maryland	2,513,500	0.5%		$987	3.1%
* National rankings are out of the 323 largest counties.

These figures are calculated based on where jobs are located, not where workers live.  Therefore it is not surprising that Baltimore City had one of the highest average weekly wages in the state at $1,034.  Harford County saw greater growth in average weekly wages between the second quarters of 2010 and 2011 than in almost every other county in the country, and Howard County wasn’t far behind.  Yet growth in average weekly wages in Baltimore County and Frederick County was in the bottom twenty percent of counties nationwide.

Today’s numbers confirm that, while Maryland is doing well relative to the rest of the country, the state’s economy is still recovering slowly from the Great Recession.  As we prepare for the opening of the legislative session, we are reminded once again that many Marylanders are still struggling to make ends meet.  We will be working hard to make sure the legislature and the governor prioritize those most in need, raising needed revenues and resisting further job killing cuts.  We hope you’ll join us, starting with tomorrow’s Save Our State rally in Annapolis.