Employment declined in 285 of the 334 largest U.S. counties from December 2007 to December 2008, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Elkhart County IN posted the largest percentage decline, with a loss of 17.8% over the year, compared with a national job decrease of 2.3%. Manufacturing sustained the largest employment losses in Elkhart.

Montgomery County TX experienced the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a gain of 2.7%.

St. Louis City, Mo., had the largest over-the-year gain in average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2008, with an increase of 56.8% coming predominantly from the professional and business services and manufacturing super sectors. The U.S. average weekly wage rose by 2.2 % over the same time period.