HOUSTON (Houston Chronicle) – Houstonians pocketed bigger raises than those in most other parts of the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Workers in Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Galveston Counties (along with eight surrounding counties) received an average 2.1 percent wage increase for the year ending June 2009.

Nationwide, American workers saw an average increase of 1.6 percent. Boston workers saw the biggest increase at 3.6 percent. Windy City workers saw the lowest raise, netting only an additional 0.2 percent.

It was Houston's relative prosperity and 8 percent unemployment rate that contributed to the area's pay raises, according to Joel Wagher with Workforce Solutions.