Davis County No. 2 in nation for employment growth

Among the nation’s 347 largest counties, Davis County had the second largest jump in employment between the first quarter of last year and this year.

And Utah County was tied for No. 4, according to statistics released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The number of jobs in Davis County was up by 4.9 percent — three times higher than the national average gain of 1.6 percent.

The only large county that saw bigger employment growth was York County, S.C.

Utah County saw employment grow by 4.5 percent in that time.

Employment grew by 2.2 percent in Salt Lake County (ranked No. 85 among the largest counties), and it grew by 2.2 percent in Weber County (ranked No. 107).

The bureau also reported Wednesday that the U.S. average weekly wage increased 6.6 percent over the 12-month period, growing to $1,111 in the first quarter of 2017.

However, the average weekly wages in the four largest counties in Utah were well below that.

They were $1,038 in Salt Lake County (up 6.7 percent); $849 in Utah County (up 7.3 percent); $826 in Davis County (up 4.2 percent); and $784 in Weber County (up 7.8 percent).