The smaller the Southern California paycheck, the bigger the raise

Workers in Southern California’s lesser-compensated counties are getting the bigger pay hikes.

My trusty spreadsheet reviewed quarterly wage stats from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics for the second quarter, focusing on details for 29 California counties and seven from Southern California.

The 9.9 million local workers collectively saw annualized earnings rise 3.6% in 12 months to an average $75,600 annual wage.

By the way, Southern California’s workforce is roughly...