Rutherford County joined the ranks of top counties in terms of employment growth in a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Fourth Quarter 2011 County Employment and Wages report indicates that employment increased in 266 of the 322 largest U.S. counties, of which Rutherford is included. The report measures employment growth from December 2010 to December 2011.
While national employment, measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, is up 1.4%, Rutherford County boasted a 4% increase, making it 4th in the nation for percentage increase in employment.
“Rutherford County continues to be a destination for companies looking to expand and relocate due to our pro-business climate, skilled labor pool, available sites and overall high quality of life,” said Holly Sears, vice president of economic development for the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “This ranking is a testimony that our leadership has continued to position our community as a great place to do business.”
The top ten counties highlighted in the report include Kern, Calif. (5.3%); Fort Bend, Texas (4.5%); Weld, Colo., Williamson, Tenn., and Utah, Utah (4.3%); Rutherford, Tenn., Washington, Pa., and Montgomery, Texas (4.0%); and Hartford, Md., and Webb Texas (3.9%).
The employment and wage data in the report are compiled under the QCEW program and derived from reports submitted by every employer subject to unemployment insurance laws. The 9.2 million employer reports cover 131.3 million full- and part-time workers.
The full report is available here: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf