FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Wages in Allen County are growing at a rate not seen in the past 15 years.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that wages in Allen County went up 3.8% last year, after three straight quarters of growth that hovered between two and three percent, according to the Journal Gazette.

What employees are being paid, however, is still less than state and national averages. The US Department of Labor says the average annual wage for a worker in Allen County was a little over $42,500 last year, compared to the state average of nearly $44,000, and the national average of almost $53,000.