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Employment up in 318 of the 360 largest U.S. counties from December 2022 to December 2023
June 07, 2024
From December 2022 to December 2023, employment increased in 318 of the 360 largest U.S. counties. National employment increased to 154.8 million, a 1.5-percent increase over the year. Hays, Texas (part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area), had the largest percentage increase in employment for the year ended in December 2023, at 5.0 percent. Within Hays, the largest employment increase occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities, which rose by 1,665 (+7.1 percent).
Percent change in employment and average weekly wages in 360 largest U.S. counties
County
Percent change in employment, December 2022 to December 2023
Employment, December 2023
Percent change in average weekly wages, fourth quarter 2022 to fourth quarter 2023
Average weekly wages, fourth quarter 2023
United States
1.5
154,848,100
3.6
1,435
Baldwin, AL
2.3
82,600
3.0
984
Jefferson, AL
1.3
367,400
3.8
1,381
Madison, AL
4.4
229,900
5.0
1,495
Mobile, AL
0.4
172,500
4.6
1,236
Montgomery, AL
2.1
133,300
6.0
1,252
Shelby, AL
0.1
86,300
2.0
1,291
Tuscaloosa, AL
3.1
99,300
4.8
1,156
Anchorage, AK
2.0
144,600
4.7
1,413
Maricopa, AZ
1.6
2,265,700
3.7
1,383
Pima, AZ
1.7
393,300
4.2
1,192
Benton, AR
1.3
141,000
4.4
1,319
Pulaski, AR
1.6
261,800
2.8
1,228
Washington, AR
3.2
121,000
-2.9
1,124
Alameda, CA
0.3
798,900
0.7
1,812
Butte, CA
-0.7
78,600
4.0
1,105
Contra Costa, CA
0.4
373,300
3.0
1,641
Fresno, CA
0.8
420,000
3.7
1,128
Kern, CA
-
342,500
4.4
1,143
Los Angeles, CA
-0.5
4,537,900
2.4
1,677
Marin, CA
1.0
112,100
1.6
1,818
Merced, CA
0.1
82,200
3.7
1,045
Monterey, CA
-0.3
177,600
5.0
1,181
Napa, CA
-0.5
75,400
2.2
1,400
Orange, CA
0.7
1,659,600
4.1
1,551
Placer, CA
0.8
185,300
3.6
1,419
Riverside, CA
1.8
825,900
4.2
1,144
Sacramento, CA
1.3
716,500
4.2
1,525
San Bernardino, CA
0.2
857,000
4.0
1,191
San Diego, CA
0.5
1,540,500
2.5
1,569
San Francisco, CA
-3.3
719,200
7.6
3,202
San Joaquin, CA
1.2
286,100
2.6
1,202
San Luis Obispo, CA
1.7
118,600
6.9
1,263
San Mateo, CA
-2.2
422,000
17.2
3,469
Santa Barbara, CA
0.8
210,400
3.8
1,309
Santa Clara, CA
-0.7
1,124,900
11.3
3,699
Santa Cruz, CA
1.2
101,600
3.5
1,291
Solano, CA
2.9
143,000
4.1
1,360
Sonoma, CA
-0.5
207,300
1.1
1,428
Stanislaus, CA
0.2
195,700
3.9
1,193
Tulare, CA
-
175,400
4.3
1,030
Ventura, CA
0.6
331,800
2.8
1,342
Yolo, CA
0.1
108,500
3.4
1,383
Adams, CO
2.3
250,100
3.9
1,420
Arapahoe, CO
1.6
342,100
2.3
1,624
Boulder, CO
0.6
195,900
2.8
1,787
Denver, CO
1.5
572,500
3.4
1,859
Douglas, CO
4.0
146,300
0.9
1,595
El Paso, CO
2.9
312,100
3.6
1,288
Jefferson, CO
1.5
249,000
3.9
1,518
Larimer, CO
2.3
176,700
3.4
1,352
Weld, CO
3.2
118,000
3.8
1,269
Fairfield, CT
0.5
420,100
2.6
2,088
Hartford, CT
0.4
504,300
2.8
1,566
New Haven, CT
1.5
381,100
0.9
1,390
New London, CT
2.2
119,400
4.3
1,374
New Castle, DE
1.8
304,400
1.9
1,505
Sussex, DE
3.3
89,300
2.0
1,075
Washington, DC
0.7
759,900
4.1
2,385
Alachua, FL
0.4
139,400
4.0
1,262
Bay, FL
1.9
80,300
2.5
1,026
Brevard, FL
1.7
242,200
3.0
1,270
Broward, FL
2.2
875,900
3.7
1,382
Collier, FL
3.8
173,400
2.6
1,326
Duval, FL
1.0
566,000
3.9
1,351
Escambia, FL
1.6
146,400
1.8
1,129
Hillsborough, FL
2.4
796,900
3.0
1,422
Lake, FL
4.0
117,800
2.5
1,009
Lee, FL
3.8
301,900
0.2
1,181
Leon, FL
1.9
162,000
6.6
1,210
Manatee, FL
3.0
144,500
4.6
1,166
Marion, FL
2.3
119,800
3.6
1,004
Miami-Dade, FL
2.8
1,263,900
2.5
1,493
Okaloosa, FL
0.0
90,000
1.9
1,155
Orange, FL
2.5
954,500
3.4
1,295
Osceola, FL
2.3
112,900
0.8
1,004
Palm Beach, FL
2.5
676,100
3.6
1,509
Pasco, FL
3.2
144,500
3.3
1,054
Pinellas, FL
-0.1
456,600
4.4
1,364
Polk, FL
2.2
264,600
5.0
1,064
St. Johns, FL
4.8
99,000
2.9
1,171
St. Lucie, FL
2.6
90,800
1.4
1,013
Sarasota, FL
2.8
192,000
2.7
1,292
Seminole, FL
-0.3
213,300
4.2
1,249
Volusia, FL
2.4
189,500
3.1
1,013
Bibb, GA
-1.0
80,500
4.5
1,088
Chatham, GA
2.7
171,500
2.9
1,195
Clayton, GA
2.4
132,800
5.8
1,363
Cobb, GA
0.5
386,100
3.2
1,480
DeKalb, GA
1.7
316,800
4.3
1,452
Forsyth, GA
1.6
86,700
3.8
1,274
Fulton, GA
0.8
950,400
3.0
1,837
Gwinnett, GA
1.9
385,400
3.4
1,300
Hall, GA
4.0
102,100
4.2
1,253
Muscogee, GA
0.2
91,400
5.1
1,029
Richmond, GA
0.1
104,200
2.6
1,117
Honolulu, HI
1.2
456,400
5.3
1,339
Ada, ID
2.6
286,200
-0.4
1,339
Canyon, ID
4.5
88,500
3.2
993
Champaign, IL
0.9
94,800
5.3
1,175
Cook, IL
0.6
2,581,000
3.3
1,651
DuPage, IL
-
624,700
2.1
1,527
Kane, IL
-
214,500
4.0
1,240
Lake, IL
0.2
326,500
6.0
1,863
McHenry, IL
0.7
96,200
0.9
1,077
McLean, IL
2.4
90,100
1.4
1,213
Madison, IL
-0.2
103,900
2.2
1,103
Peoria, IL
1.0
103,800
2.3
1,363
St. Clair, IL
0.9
91,100
3.8
1,105
Sangamon, IL
0.2
128,800
4.3
1,305
Will, IL
-0.1
265,100
0.3
1,170
Winnebago, IL
0.5
126,400
1.9
1,146
Allen, IN
0.7
198,600
4.4
1,122
Elkhart, IN
-6.9
129,200
4.1
1,158
Hamilton, IN
2.6
163,000
1.7
1,340
Hendricks, IN
0.8
82,500
3.2
1,004
Lake, IN
1.2
191,100
3.2
1,189
Marion, IN
1.5
627,000
4.0
1,398
St. Joseph, IN
0.7
121,100
1.2
1,121
Tippecanoe, IN
1.2
93,500
6.4
1,164
Vanderburgh, IN
0.1
108,600
3.9
1,096
Johnson, IA
1.7
83,600
3.8
1,227
Linn, IA
-1.1
125,900
3.8
1,287
Polk, IA
1.8
315,600
2.4
1,388
Scott, IA
1.3
91,000
6.7
1,235
Johnson, KS
1.1
374,700
2.0
1,411
Sedgwick, KS
2.2
265,300
3.3
1,200
Shawnee, KS
0.0
99,900
5.8
1,133
Wyandotte, KS
0.1
92,600
7.6
1,310
Boone, KY
-0.8
107,000
4.8
1,118
Fayette, KY
2.3
205,200
3.0
1,233
Jefferson, KY
0.7
486,500
4.4
1,345
Caddo, LA
0.7
108,700
2.4
1,130
Calcasieu, LA
0.5
88,200
3.5
1,227
East Baton Rouge, LA
3.0
273,100
-
1,318
Jefferson, LA
-0.8
182,800
4.3
1,250
Lafayette, LA
-0.1
135,900
3.9
1,153
Orleans, LA
0.1
189,400
2.0
1,291
St. Tammany, LA
1.2
96,700
7.8
1,203
Cumberland, ME
1.3
190,000
3.0
1,391
York, ME
0.8
75,500
4.4
1,172
Anne Arundel, MD
2.5
280,000
3.5
1,478
Baltimore, MD
0.6
371,700
2.6
1,385
Frederick, MD
2.1
107,700
3.5
1,346
Harford, MD
1.6
96,000
6.2
1,331
Howard, MD
0.7
168,300
4.6
1,716
Montgomery, MD
0.9
462,100
2.3
1,792
Prince George's, MD
2.2
322,600
3.0
1,429
Baltimore City, MD
2.4
347,900
2.1
1,598
Barnstable, MA
1.4
90,600
3.8
1,287
Bristol, MA
0.6
230,300
2.7
1,234
Essex, MA
0.6
325,100
-6.2
1,457
Hampden, MA
-0.9
203,300
4.6
1,209
Middlesex, MA
0.3
936,400
-0.2
2,047
Norfolk, MA
1.8
349,200
1.6
1,675
Plymouth, MA
0.1
194,800
2.7
1,350
Suffolk, MA
0.8
713,100
-0.1
2,491
Worcester, MA
0.7
355,200
3.7
1,359
Genesee, MI
0.3
133,900
6.1
1,109
Ingham, MI
2.3
155,300
3.2
1,309
Kalamazoo, MI
-0.2
120,400
3.8
1,271
Kent, MI
0.8
420,400
0.0
1,193
Macomb, MI
0.1
339,500
4.7
1,366
Oakland, MI
0.8
731,000
2.4
1,526
Ottawa, MI
1.9
133,100
2.9
1,194
Saginaw, MI
0.7
80,300
2.1
1,126
Washtenaw, MI
1.3
218,700
3.6
1,412
Wayne, MI
1.1
730,300
4.7
1,460
Anoka, MN
0.7
132,200
3.6
1,246
Dakota, MN
0.5
187,900
4.0
1,383
Hennepin, MN
0.5
915,000
2.5
1,670
Olmsted, MN
1.8
102,500
3.8
1,547
Ramsey, MN
1.3
325,800
3.2
1,468
St. Louis, MN
1.3
94,900
3.7
1,130
Stearns, MN
2.5
86,600
1.5
1,207
Washington, MN
1.1
93,700
3.7
1,163
Harrison, MS
1.0
88,800
2.4
909
Hinds, MS
0.2
108,700
4.0
1,141
Boone, MO
0.7
99,700
3.5
1,087
Clay, MO
2.1
111,800
4.6
1,245
Greene, MO
2.3
180,000
4.7
1,098
Jackson, MO
1.7
375,400
4.1
1,409
St. Charles, MO
3.3
164,800
5.5
1,122
St. Louis, MO
1.3
603,500
4.0
1,467
St. Louis City, MO
0.5
223,200
5.1
1,473
Yellowstone, MT
1.2
87,300
4.7
1,235
Douglas, NE
1.2
344,300
2.1
1,322
Lancaster, NE
1.5
175,000
3.6
1,160
Clark, NV
3.1
1,120,300
2.2
1,232
Washoe, NV
1.8
241,600
2.2
1,329
Hillsborough, NH
0.8
204,100
3.3
1,584
Merrimack, NH
1.4
77,700
-7.2
1,383
Rockingham, NH
2.1
156,400
5.1
1,445
Atlantic, NJ
0.7
124,200
2.3
1,146
Bergen, NJ
0.8
447,200
2.7
1,577
Burlington, NJ
1.9
212,700
2.4
1,388
Camden, NJ
1.7
208,600
2.3
1,350
Essex, NJ
2.3
350,900
6.0
1,670
Gloucester, NJ
1.5
126,300
2.5
1,128
Hudson, NJ
0.7
279,900
2.5
1,730
Mercer, NJ
0.9
267,000
3.7
1,651
Middlesex, NJ
-1.2
438,200
0.8
1,536
Monmouth, NJ
1.9
272,800
2.5
1,385
Morris, NJ
1.1
302,500
1.4
1,909
Ocean, NJ
3.0
187,000
3.0
1,139
Passaic, NJ
0.9
174,500
2.6
1,252
Somerset, NJ
0.0
193,500
4.7
1,929
Union, NJ
0.1
232,500
-0.3
1,608
Bernalillo, NM
1.1
347,000
4.5
1,205
Albany, NY
1.2
231,500
3.8
1,534
Bronx, NY
2.2
327,200
3.6
1,340
Broome, NY
1.8
83,000
3.4
1,141
Dutchess, NY
0.9
111,800
0.7
1,345
Erie, NY
1.4
466,900
3.9
1,275
Kings, NY
4.4
897,100
1.0
1,163
Monroe, NY
0.9
382,700
3.7
1,246
Nassau, NY
1.1
638,600
-
1,506
New York, NY
0.4
2,457,200
3.3
3,028
Oneida, NY
0.9
102,200
3.5
1,154
Onondaga, NY
-0.2
243,300
3.4
1,311
Orange, NY
1.4
155,800
0.6
1,207
Queens, NY
-
751,400
-
1,315
Richmond, NY
1.9
137,300
3.0
1,301
Rockland, NY
2.2
135,800
1.1
1,267
Saratoga, NY
0.6
89,800
1.3
1,320
Suffolk, NY
1.4
670,600
2.2
1,491
Westchester, NY
1.6
429,900
6.0
1,827
Buncombe, NC
2.2
141,000
3.0
1,121
Cabarrus, NC
3.2
87,300
3.2
1,019
Catawba, NC
-0.6
91,000
1.7
1,069
Cumberland, NC
2.0
125,200
5.7
1,038
Durham, NC
2.0
236,500
7.4
1,823
Forsyth, NC
0.4
194,200
1.2
1,231
Gaston, NC
2.3
79,000
2.7
1,024
Guilford, NC
0.5
291,600
3.6
1,166
Iredell, NC
4.0
84,300
1.0
1,196
Mecklenburg, NC
2.5
793,100
3.3
1,581
New Hanover, NC
2.0
130,000
1.0
1,158
Orange, NC
3.2
78,600
3.0
1,510
Pitt, NC
2.3
82,200
5.5
1,161
Wake, NC
3.6
653,600
3.8
1,473
Cass, ND
2.7
128,000
4.8
1,284
Butler, OH
2.4
162,300
2.7
1,177
Cuyahoga, OH
0.9
710,100
4.6
1,400
Delaware, OH
3.4
96,100
2.2
1,328
Franklin, OH
1.4
780,900
2.1
1,380
Greene, OH
2.2
79,600
4.9
1,335
Hamilton, OH
0.7
515,900
2.4
1,431
Lake, OH
0.3
97,400
5.0
1,173
Lorain, OH
0.9
97,800
4.7
1,081
Lucas, OH
-0.2
197,600
4.6
1,201
Mahoning, OH
0.0
94,200
4.8
1,004
Montgomery, OH
0.8
252,700
3.8
1,180
Stark, OH
1.5
158,700
3.4
1,043
Summit, OH
-0.1
262,000
3.8
1,206
Warren, OH
1.5
100,500
3.5
1,270
Cleveland, OK
0.8
94,400
5.2
990
Oklahoma, OK
2.1
494,700
4.2
1,241
Tulsa, OK
2.0
369,100
5.2
1,212
Clackamas, OR
0.2
172,400
3.9
1,372
Deschutes, OR
2.7
92,300
4.8
1,265
Jackson, OR
1.0
90,700
2.8
1,090
Lane, OR
0.5
156,800
3.1
1,119
Marion, OR
2.9
168,900
-
1,106
Multnomah, OR
0.4
507,300
1.9
1,519
Washington, OR
-0.5
308,600
4.3
1,687
Allegheny, PA
1.7
672,400
3.7
1,468
Berks, PA
0.4
172,600
4.0
1,202
Bucks, PA
1.6
272,100
2.2
1,276
Butler, PA
0.0
86,800
12.0
1,346
Chester, PA
0.5
252,900
2.4
1,619
Cumberland, PA
1.4
139,300
0.1
1,194
Dauphin, PA
2.0
190,100
2.1
1,293
Delaware, PA
0.3
221,800
1.5
1,412
Erie, PA
1.2
119,000
3.2
1,012
Lackawanna, PA
1.8
98,800
1.3
1,019
Lancaster, PA
1.1
252,300
2.7
1,158
Lehigh, PA
1.7
203,100
3.6
1,401
Luzerne, PA
1.4
147,000
2.8
1,068
Montgomery, PA
0.5
508,800
0.9
1,644
Northampton, PA
0.2
122,900
3.5
1,147
Philadelphia, PA
2.2
711,900
3.7
1,613
Washington, PA
1.5
86,500
2.6
1,325
Westmoreland, PA
-0.8
129,800
3.6
1,108
York, PA
1.8
185,200
2.9
1,168
Providence, RI
1.0
288,300
2.2
1,306
Charleston, SC
3.1
278,800
4.8
1,289
Greenville, SC
1.9
297,100
3.7
1,208
Horry, SC
1.8
139,600
4.7
931
Lexington, SC
1.8
134,000
1.7
1,067
Richland, SC
1.7
227,000
4.6
1,199
Spartanburg, SC
2.8
156,400
4.1
1,122
York, SC
3.1
105,900
3.2
1,133
Minnehaha, SD
3.1
137,800
2.9
1,263
Davidson, TN
2.3
555,700
0.2
1,554
Hamilton, TN
1.9
221,000
2.7
1,328
Knox, TN
2.0
260,600
1.9
1,255
Rutherford, TN
2.2
147,400
3.8
1,196
Shelby, TN
-0.2
492,300
1.1
1,360
Williamson, TN
1.8
157,300
0.7
1,643
Bell, TX
2.1
130,400
5.7
1,158
Bexar, TX
2.2
938,100
3.7
1,249
Brazoria, TX
0.4
121,800
2.6
1,308
Brazos, TX
1.7
125,100
4.4
1,046
Cameron, TX
1.5
156,900
2.9
865
Collin, TX
2.5
540,200
3.0
1,632
Dallas, TX
0.8
1,856,700
4.2
1,698
Denton, TX
3.0
315,900
3.8
1,243
El Paso, TX
1.8
332,100
3.4
961
Fort Bend, TX
2.6
249,100
3.7
1,190
Galveston, TX
0.3
122,700
4.2
1,218
Harris, TX
2.0
2,452,000
3.5
1,651
Hays, TX
5.0
94,700
2.2
1,053
Hidalgo, TX
2.4
293,000
2.6
842
Jefferson, TX
-0.3
120,200
4.8
1,333
Lubbock, TX
3.5
153,100
3.1
1,052
McLennan, TX
2.8
125,400
3.9
1,140
Midland, TX
2.9
116,300
4.0
1,829
Montgomery, TX
3.4
227,600
7.0
1,369
Nueces, TX
3.3
164,000
5.4
1,152
Potter, TX
1.8
78,200
2.2
1,153
Smith, TX
0.3
113,100
5.6
1,133
Tarrant, TX
1.7
1,013,600
5.6
1,397
Travis, TX
1.8
915,200
3.9
1,824
Webb, TX
1.3
107,000
1.9
909
Williamson, TX
2.7
228,100
3.8
1,431
Davis, UT
2.4
144,100
3.9
1,139
Salt Lake, UT
2.2
799,500
4.3
1,478
Utah, UT
1.0
294,700
4.8
1,210
Washington, UT
4.0
84,900
5.1
955
Weber, UT
2.7
121,900
3.1
1,108
Chittenden, VT
1.4
103,900
3.5
1,435
Arlington, VA
2.1
181,100
9.2
2,379
Chesterfield, VA
3.4
147,000
4.7
1,216
Fairfax, VA
0.2
632,600
4.4
2,146
Henrico, VA
1.5
187,600
4.8
1,334
Loudoun, VA
3.2
192,500
3.2
1,635
Prince William, VA
2.9
141,400
4.5
1,247
Alexandria City, VA
0.0
81,000
0.9
1,817
Chesapeake City, VA
1.7
106,200
4.4
1,137
Newport News City, VA
0.8
102,400
6.1
1,334
Norfolk City, VA
0.4
142,100
4.2
1,372
Richmond City, VA
1.6
162,000
3.4
1,561
Virginia Beach City, VA
1.0
177,400
1.3
1,099
Benton, WA
2.1
96,600
2.3
1,315
Clark, WA
1.6
182,500
5.4
1,374
King, WA
0.0
1,462,200
7.2
2,356
Kitsap, WA
1.5
94,100
4.6
1,295
Pierce, WA
1.1
334,900
3.9
1,316
Snohomish, WA
2.3
297,200
18.6
1,664
Spokane, WA
1.1
242,700
4.0
1,235
Thurston, WA
2.3
128,300
5.0
1,334
Whatcom, WA
1.3
93,400
3.0
1,212
Yakima, WA
3.8
111,600
4.4
995
Kanawha, WV
1.2
97,700
5.5
1,204
Brown, WI
0.1
158,200
4.4
1,265
Dane, WI
1.9
357,200
3.4
1,440
Milwaukee, WI
0.2
470,600
3.7
1,329
Outagamie, WI
1.2
108,500
4.0
1,215
Waukesha, WI
0.5
249,100
3.6
1,366
Winnebago, WI
-0.2
93,200
3.6
1,230
The following counties also had percentage increases in employment above 4.0 percent: St. John’s, Florida (4.8 percent); Canyon, Idaho (4.5 percent); and Madison, Alabama, and Kings, New York (4.4 percent each).
Among the 360 largest counties, 348 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. In the fourth quarter of 2023, average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,435, a 3.6-percent increase over the year.
Snohomish, Washington, had the largest percentage increase in average weekly wages, at 18.6 percent. Within Snohomish, an average weekly wage gain of $1,652 (+101.3 percent) in professional and business services made the largest contribution to the county's increase in average weekly wages.
The following counties also had percentage increases in average weekly wages above 9.0 percent from the fourth quarter 2022 to the fourth quarter 2023: San Mateo, California (17.2 percent); Butler, Pennsylvania (12.0 percent); Santa Clara, California (11.3 percent); and Arlington, Virginia (9.2 percent).
United States Department of Labor
