Rising wages

The economic recovery is starting to show up in wages, as employers grapple with recruiting and retaining talent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published employment and wage summaries for 339 large U.S. counties. The data for December and the fourth quarter of 2014, the latest available, show rising wages in every county on the Gulf Coast.

Hillsborough County reported the highest average weekly wage ($979) and Polk County posted the biggest percentage increase in the fourth quarter compared with the same quarter in 2013 (3.7%).

The wage growth is not surprising given the rise in employment and the increasing competition for talent. Lee County had the fourth-fastest employment growth in December in the nation, up 6.2% compared with December 2013.

Other Gulf Coast counties with significant annual-percentage employment growth in December included Sarasota (5.1%), Collier (5%) and Pasco (4.6%).

Nationally, the average weekly wage reached $1,035 in the fourth quarter, up 3.5% compared with the same quarter a year ago. Employment rose 2.2% in December compared with the same month in 2013.