Average weekly wages for the nation increased over the year by 5.4 percent to $984 in the first quarter of 2012, according to the County Employment and Wages Summary report released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

New York County, N.Y., posted the highest average weekly wage among all large U.S. counties at $2,464. New York County is the home of Manhattan. It was followed by Santa Clara County, Calif., at $1,957; Fairfield County, Conn., at $1,942; and Somerset County, N.J., at $1,881.