There's a Lot of Energy Behind Area's Wage Growth Stats
Washington PA Observer
Reporter
17 January 2011
About six months ago, Washington and Butler counties were in the news
as the only two Southwestern Pennsylvania counties that added
population during the past decade.
The figures, produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, showed that from 2000
to 2009, Butler County added about 10,000 people, while Washington
County gained nearly 5,000 residents in the decade.
News of the two counties arose again last week, when the U.S.
Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics released employment
and wage information comparing 2010's second quarter against the
comparable quarter for 2009 for the 326 largest counties across the U.S.
This time, Butler and Washington counties rose near the top among
wage-gaining counties on a national basis.
While average weekly wages in large U.S. counties increased by $25, or
3 percent to $865 between the second quarter of 2009 and 2010, Butler
registered a 5.8 percent increase in wages for the period, jumping to
an average weekly wage of $767. The percentage increase ranked Butler
County 10th among all counties in the country.
Washington County's rise in average weekly wages was almost as dramatic
as Butler's, according to the data.
According to BLS, between the second quarter of 2009 and 2010,
Washington County saw a 5 percent upward swing in wages from a year
earlier, ending at a weekly average of $777. That put it in 21st place
among the country's largest counties.
According to Kara Markley, regional economist for the BLS Mid-Atlantic
office in Philadelphia, the bureau's focus is disseminating raw data
for the counties. While it will provide a more detailed report with
regard to all Pennsylvania counties within the next few weeks, she said
BLS doesn't look for cause and effect relationships for swings in
employment and wages.
It's safe to assume that the energy industry was responsible for much
of the wage gain in both counties, although the case could be made for
a diversified economy helping to play a role in Washington County's
strong showing.
Over the past year, Westinghouse, which designs and builds nuclear
power plants around the world, began moving several thousand highly
paid workers to its new Cranberry campus in Butler County.
In Washington County, which began billing itself as the "Energy Capital
of the East" last year, the growth of companies involved with the
exploration and drilling of the Marcellus Shale for natural gas has
created thousands of new jobs in the area. Southpointe alone now counts
more than 50 energy-related companies, while other smaller drilling and
supply companies have taken up residence in various locations within
the county.
The rise in average wage here also came at a time when some prominent
local manufacturers, including All-Clad and World Kitchen, ramped up
hiring to meet growing demand for their products.
Another local contributor to the positive wage growth scene here is The
Meadows Racetrack & Casino, which now employs about 1,700 people,
up from about 500 just a few years ago.
However, the Meadows' addition of 500 employees for its table games
operations will have to wait for the next BLS count. The bulk of those
jobs came on line when The Meadows opened table games in early July.
Michael Bradwell is business editor for the Observer-Reporter.