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Need a job? Utah County may offer the best chance among America's bigger counties to find one, while Utah offers the best opportunity among the states.

But jobs here tend to pay less than in other areas, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for job and wage growth. It looked at states, and at the 342 counties in the nation with 75,000 or more jobs.

Between June 2014 and June 2015, Utah County led the nation for having the largest percentage increase in employment among large counties: up 7.5 percent, or more than triple the national rate of 2 percent. Lee County, Fla., was a distant No. 2 at 6.4 percent.

And Utah ranked No. 1 for job growth among the states at 3.9 percent. Florida was second at 3.6 percent.

The data also showed that Davis County tied for No. 7 nationally (with Calcasieu Parish, La.) with an increase of 5 percent.

Salt Lake and Weber counties tied for No. 71 nationally, with job growth rates of 3.3 percent each.

While employment growth in Utah was highest in the nation, growth in wages paid was slower.

Utah tied for No. 8 nationally in wage growth at 3.1 percent, just slightly higher than the national average of 3.0 percent.

The average weekly wage in Utah in June was just $821, compared to a national average of $968. Utah's average weekly wage ranked a low No. 36 among the 50 states.

The wage-growth rate was 3.7 percent in Salt Lake County, ranking No. 65 among large counties.

It was 3.6 percent in Davis, or No. 69 nationally; 2.9 percent in Utah County, No. 120 nationally; and 2.5 percent in Weber, No. 160 nationally.

Average weekly wages were $920 in Salt Lake County; $778 in Utah County; $770 in Davis; and $737 in Weber.

As a sign of continuing economic recovery, the bureau noted that employment increased in the period in 319 of the nation's 342 large counties.

The data are derived from reports submitted by every employer that is subject to unemployment-insurance laws.

The 9.6 million-employer reports nationally cover 140.6 million full- and part-time workers.