Those employed in Fairfax County saw the 10th highest average weekly paycheck among the nation’s 370 most populous localities, according to new federal figures.
The average weekly wage for those who work in the county, no matter where they might live, was $2,143 in the second quarter of 2024, according to data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in November.
That’s up 5.6% from a year before, giving Fairfax the 40th highest rate of growth among the largest 370 communities in the U.S.
The county had 644,700 jobs reported in the new survey, up 0.5% from a year before. The rate of growth was 191st out of 370.
Fairfax County was second only to Arlington ($2,243) in largest average weekly paycheck among the 10 Virginia localities large enough to make the scorecard.
Nationally, the average weekly pay was $1,390, up 4.4% from a year before. All told, 348 of the surveyed communities posted year-over-year increases.
Nationally, the highest weekly pay was reported in Santa Clara County, California, at $3,632, up 10% from a year before. Rounding out the top five were San Mateo County, California ($3,562, +6.3%); San Francisco ($3,117, +5.6%); New York ($2,721, +4.6%) and King County, Washington ($2,507, +10.4%).
Also in the top 10 were Suffolk County, Massachusetts ($2,329, +6.7%); D.C. ($2,283, +4.2%); Arlington; Western County Planning Region, Connecticut ($2,145, +3.1%); and Fairfax County. The only other locality to break $2,000 was Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at $2,104 (+4%).
County’s unemployment rate unchanged in October
The year-over-year jobs picture of Fairfax County residents was stable in October, according to new federal data.
With 638,709 residents counted in the civilian workforce and 17,015 looking for jobs, Fairfax’s jobless rate of 2.6% in October was unchanged from a year before, the Virginia Employment Commission reported on Nov. 27.
Fairfax was among a host of area localities that saw relatively little year-over-year movement in unemployment in October. Northern Virginia as a whole had a jobless rate of 2.6%, down slightly from 2.7% a year before.
Statewide, the jobless rate of 2.9% was down from 3% in October 2023. Among Virginia’s cities and counties, 78 localities posted lower jobless rates, while 30 were higher and 25 were unchanged.
The lowest jobless rate for the month was recorded in Highland County (2%), while the highest was in the city of Emporia (7.4%). Figures reflect where individuals reside, no matter their place of employment.
In October, the D.C. area was one of 272 metro corridors nationally to see higher year-over-year unemployment, with 98 posting declines and 19 unchanged.
With a jobless rate of 3.1%, up from 2.8% a year before, the region reported just over 3.57 million people in the civilian workforce and about 109,300 looking for jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The local region’s increase was fueled by higher unemployment within D.C., as most suburban jobless rates held relatively steady.
Among all metropolitan areas, the lowest jobless rate was found in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1.5%) with the highest in El Centro, California (19.6%). Among metro areas with over 1 million residents, the lowest rate was found in Harfort (2.4%) and the highest in Las Vegas (5.8%).
The national, non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the month was 3.9%, according to federal data.
Photo via Austin Distel/Unsplash
