LOCAL ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT | COMPENSATION

Texas pay gains top nations

By BRENDAN CASE
Staff Writer bcase@dallasnews.com

KYLE ALCOTT
Staff Artist kalcott@dallasnews.com

Work-related compensation increased in 2,480 of the nations 3,113 counties in 2010, according to a recent U.S. Commerce Department report. Total compensation of U.S. workers rose 2.2 percent, while inflation rose 1.8 percent, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures price index. So real compensation edged up 0.4 percentage points. Average annual compensation per job rose 2.7 percent to $58,451. In Texas, total compensation rose 3.2 percent while average compensation per job rose 3 percent.

Percentage change in total compensation for all U.S. counties

Changes typically reflect some combination of wage change and employment change, in some cases fueled by population change. 0 or less .1%-1.5% 1.6%-2.5% 2.6%-4.5% 4.6% or more No data available

SOURCE: Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce Note: Not to scale

D-FW compensation by type Small counties lead way

In Texas, Carson and Somervell counties, each of which has a population of less than 10,000, topped state rankings of compensation per job.
1. Carson: $86,061 254: Foard: $29,117 2. Somervell: $73,010 4. Dallas: $67,936

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, average compensation per job was $62,110 in 2010, and total compensation in the area was about $186 billion. It came from a range of sources. COMPENSATION BY SECTOR (In billions)
Wholesale and retail trade: $25.37 Manufacturing: $21.07 Professional, scientific and technical services: $17.98 Mining, construction and utilities: $13.43 Other: $13.04

$30,000 or less $30,001-35,000 $35,001-40,000 $40,001-45,000 $45,001-50,000 More than $50,000 5. Sutton: $67,579 3. Harris: $71,364

Government: $25.35

Finance, insurance, real estate: $20.29

Health care and social assistance: $17.13

Administrative: $9.74

Information: $8.12

Transportation Lodging and and warehousing: food service: $8.54 $5.95

The bottom line

Were seeing the strongest income growth in energy-producing areas, not just Texas but also the Dakotas and Marcellus Shale areas in western New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Another pattern is income growth in areas that had a rebound in durablegoods manufacturing. The weakest areas were where house prices were hardest hit. Robert Dye, chief economist, Comerica Bank Most of the recent job creation in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas has occurred in personal, education and health services while higher-wage construction and manufacturing employment have declined. This helps explain why compensation growth in Dallas and Houston is close to the national norm despite above-average job gains. Bernard Weinstein, economist, Cox School of Business, SMU The top U.S. counties in 2010 compensation growth were in Silicon Valley, New York City and the Washington, D.C., area, indicating where the economy has held up despite general gloom. El Paso also did well, buoyed by Fort Bliss, border patrol activities and well-heeled Mexicans seeking haven from drug violence.

Brendan Case, staff writer, The Dallas Morning News