PRINT:

Employment increased in 167 of the 372 largest U.S. counties over the year ended September 2025

March 26, 2026

From September 2024 to September 2025, employment increased in 167 of the 372 largest U.S. counties. Boone County, Kentucky, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.8 percent. Within Boone, the largest employment increase occurred in professional and business services, with a gain of 2,276 (17.7 percent).

Chart Image
Chart Data

Employment percent change in the 372 largest counties, September 2024–25

U.S.: 0.1 percent

Employment percent change in the 372 largest counties, September 2024–25
County	Percent change, September 2024–25	Employment, September 2025
United States	0.1	155,767,700
Baldwin, AL	3.5	88,600
Jefferson, AL	0.8	368,200
Madison, AL	1.4	235,500
Mobile, AL	-1.0	173,900
Montgomery, AL	-0.7	132,000
Shelby, AL	0.5	84,600
Tuscaloosa, AL	-0.5	99,000
Anchorage, AK	-0.3	150,300
Maricopa, AZ	-0.4	2,274,500
Pima, AZ	-0.5	384,700
Pinal, AZ	1.9	79,600
Benton, AR	3.6	151,600
Pulaski, AR	-0.3	262,000
Washington, AR	1.4	123,900
Alameda, CA	-0.5	782,100
Butte, CA	-5.0	80,100
Contra Costa, CA	0.5	373,600
Fresno, CA	-0.6	433,800
Kern, CA	0.5	357,800
Los Angeles, CA	0.0	4,517,500
Marin, CA	-0.1	109,600
Merced, CA	1.0	90,200
Monterey, CA	0.2	216,800
Napa, CA	-2.6	80,300
Orange, CA	0.0	1,661,000
Placer, CA	1.5	188,300
Riverside, CA	0.7	842,100
Sacramento, CA	0.4	731,400
San Bernardino, CA	0.8	850,400
San Diego, CA	-0.1	1,530,100
San Francisco, CA	-0.2	699,300
San Joaquin, CA	1.2	295,000
San Luis Obispo, CA	-0.2	121,200
San Mateo, CA	1.2	411,700
Santa Barbara, CA	-0.3	219,500
Santa Clara, CA	1.0	1,122,700
Santa Cruz, CA	0.3	107,900
Solano, CA	-0.2	144,400
Sonoma, CA	-0.1	209,200
Stanislaus, CA	0.3	203,700
Tulare, CA	-0.3	177,500
Ventura, CA	0.0	335,400
Yolo, CA	-1.6	110,800
Adams, CO	-0.8	249,100
Arapahoe, CO	-0.7	339,100
Boulder, CO	-1.2	190,500
Denver, CO	-1.4	560,100
Douglas, CO	0.5	148,900
El Paso, CO	-1.0	306,600
Jefferson, CO	-0.9	245,900
Larimer, CO	-0.9	171,400
Weld, CO	1.1	124,500
Capitol, CT	0.4	532,700
Greater Bridgeport, CT	0.8	116,500
Naugatuck Valley, CT	-1.9	159,500
South Central, CT	0.4	278,600
Southeastern, CT	0.4	129,000
Western, CT	0.5	289,600
New Castle, DE	-0.3	303,800
Sussex, DE	0.8	98,300
Washington, DC	-3.1	737,300
Alachua, FL	-0.2	140,100
Bay, FL	0.7	83,000
Brevard, FL	-0.5	242,400
Broward, FL	-1.0	854,800
Collier, FL	-1.4	165,500
Duval, FL	-0.8	558,000
Escambia, FL	0.4	146,800
Hillsborough, FL	-0.3	786,500
Lake, FL	0.9	118,400
Lee, FL	-1.1	294,900
Leon, FL	0.7	165,300
Manatee, FL	0.4	144,400
Marion, FL	1.2	121,500
Martin, FL	-1.1	76,400
Miami-Dade, FL	-0.2	1,261,700
Okaloosa, FL	-1.4	88,900
Orange, FL	0.6	953,300
Osceola, FL	-0.5	116,100
Palm Beach, FL	0.0	659,500
Pasco, FL	2.4	150,800
Pinellas, FL	-1.8	437,900
Polk, FL	0.4	264,000
St. Johns, FL	0.4	99,800
St. Lucie, FL	-0.2	91,800
Sarasota, FL	-0.3	191,300
Seminole, FL	-0.9	212,100
Volusia, FL	-0.3	189,200
Bibb, GA	0.8	80,400
Chatham, GA	0.2	174,300
Clayton, GA	-0.6	129,000
Cobb, GA	0.9	380,100
DeKalb, GA	0.2	311,700
Forsyth, GA	0.2	90,000
Fulton, GA	0.3	940,800
Gwinnett, GA	-0.3	390,300
Hall, GA	0.0	103,500
Henry, GA	0.4	75,200
Muscogee, GA	-0.4	88,900
Richmond, GA	0.5	103,400
Honolulu, HI	-0.2	452,100
Ada, ID	1.7	295,400
Canyon, ID	0.8	90,600
Champaign, IL	0.8	95,400
Cook, IL	-0.1	2,596,400
DuPage, IL	0.1	630,100
Kane, IL	-1.5	215,100
Lake, IL	-0.6	328,000
McHenry, IL	0.3	99,300
McLean, IL	-1.7	87,500
Madison, IL	0.1	108,300
Peoria, IL	-0.6	103,100
St. Clair, IL	0.1	89,500
Sangamon, IL	-2.0	132,200
Will, IL	0.8	270,000
Winnebago, IL	-1.5	125,500
Allen, IN	-0.2	199,400
Elkhart, IN	0.7	128,100
Hamilton, IN	1.0	167,600
Hendricks, IN	-0.6	80,200
Lake, IN	0.1	193,500
Marion, IN	-0.2	624,300
St. Joseph, IN	0.4	122,500
Tippecanoe, IN	-0.8	92,500
Vanderburgh, IN	0.2	107,200
Johnson, IA	1.6	86,200
Linn, IA	-1.6	124,100
Polk, IA	-0.2	311,800
Scott, IA	-0.7	92,700
Johnson, KS	0.4	371,800
Sedgwick, KS	-0.2	265,100
Shawnee, KS	2.9	102,500
Wyandotte, KS	-0.8	93,600
Boone, KY	3.8	106,500
Fayette, KY	1.2	209,300
Jefferson, KY	-1.6	476,800
Caddo, LA	-5.0	109,500
Calcasieu, LA	-1.1	88,900
East Baton Rouge, LA	-5.0	269,800
Jefferson, LA	0.7	184,800
Lafayette, LA	1.0	138,100
Orleans, LA	-0.8	183,600
St. Tammany, LA	0.2	97,100
Cumberland, ME	0.1	194,600
York, ME	-0.7	81,700
Anne Arundel, MD	-0.4	292,800
Baltimore, MD	-1.5	366,300
Frederick, MD	-1.4	107,200
Harford, MD	-0.8	96,600
Howard, MD	-1.1	172,100
Montgomery, MD	-3.4	446,200
Prince George's, MD	-1.9	329,600
Baltimore City, MD	0.2	343,100
Barnstable, MA	0.1	101,100
Bristol, MA	-0.4	225,800
Essex, MA	-1.0	326,400
Hampden, MA	-1.0	201,900
Middlesex, MA	-2.0	897,000
Norfolk, MA	-0.5	345,000
Plymouth, MA	-0.6	196,900
Suffolk, MA	-1.1	710,300
Worcester, MA	-0.5	354,300
Genesee, MI	0.3	135,500
Ingham, MI	-0.8	156,000
Kalamazoo, MI	-0.8	121,800
Kent, MI	-0.2	415,700
Macomb, MI	-1.7	333,700
Oakland, MI	-1.3	716,200
Ottawa, MI	-1.4	129,000
Saginaw, MI	1.4	81,000
Washtenaw, MI	-0.4	219,300
Wayne, MI	-1.1	719,900
Anoka, MN	0.1	133,800
Dakota, MN	-0.4	190,300
Hennepin, MN	-0.5	915,000
Olmsted, MN	1.6	105,600
Ramsey, MN	1.2	333,900
St. Louis, MN	-1.2	95,300
Stearns, MN	-0.4	88,000
Washington, MN	-0.2	96,400
Harrison, MS	0.8	90,200
Hinds, MS	-1.2	109,000
Boone, MO	1.2	100,700
Clay, MO	-1.0	111,400
Greene, MO	-0.2	179,900
Jackson, MO	-0.2	378,100
St. Charles, MO	-0.3	162,700
St. Louis, MO	-2.2	584,100
St. Louis City, MO	-1.1	219,300
Yellowstone, MT	-0.1	87,900
Douglas, NE	-0.1	341,400
Lancaster, NE	0.4	177,700
Sarpy, NE	2.3	84,500
Clark, NV	1.1	1,144,800
Washoe, NV	0.2	245,000
Hillsborough, NH	-0.7	198,500
Merrimack, NH	-1.4	75,900
Rockingham, NH	-0.2	157,900
Atlantic, NJ	-0.8	127,000
Bergen, NJ	-0.1	437,200
Burlington, NJ	1.2	215,100
Camden, NJ	0.0	207,200
Essex, NJ	0.3	354,200
Gloucester, NJ	1.1	130,000
Hudson, NJ	-0.4	271,600
Mercer, NJ	0.9	262,300
Middlesex, NJ	0.3	431,800
Monmouth, NJ	0.7	279,500
Morris, NJ	-0.2	301,500
Ocean, NJ	1.5	196,200
Passaic, NJ	0.0	174,600
Somerset, NJ	-0.4	193,800
Union, NJ	-0.4	229,500
Bernalillo, NM	-0.4	346,800
Dona Ana, NM	2.1	82,200
Albany, NY	0.2	234,500
Bronx, NY	0.7	356,600
Broome, NY	0.4	84,300
Dutchess, NY	1.9	116,400
Erie, NY	-0.7	470,000
Kings, NY	1.3	903,500
Monroe, NY	0.5	388,100
Nassau, NY	-0.3	638,500
New York, NY	0.4	2,472,700
Oneida, NY	-2.0	102,200
Onondaga, NY	-5.0	250,600
Orange, NY	-1.1	157,100
Queens, NY	0.0	751,400
Richmond, NY	-0.1	142,900
Rockland, NY	-5.0	135,100
Saratoga, NY	-0.4	94,800
Suffolk, NY	-0.1	694,300
Westchester, NY	-0.6	432,700
Buncombe, NC	-2.1	134,500
Cabarrus, NC	2.2	91,800
Catawba, NC	0.1	89,200
Cumberland, NC	-0.4	122,300
Durham, NC	-1.6	231,000
Forsyth, NC	0.7	191,500
Gaston, NC	-0.2	81,100
Guilford, NC	0.5	291,400
Iredell, NC	1.3	81,400
Mecklenburg, NC	1.1	789,800
New Hanover, NC	2.5	132,600
Orange, NC	0.6	79,800
Pitt, NC	2.3	81,900
Wake, NC	1.5	662,300
Cass, ND	-1.0	129,500
Butler, OH	-0.2	163,900
Cuyahoga, OH	-0.2	690,300
Delaware, OH	0.6	100,100
Franklin, OH	1.5	792,900
Greene, OH	-1.0	80,300
Hamilton, OH	-0.6	514,500
Lake, OH	0.1	99,400
Lorain, OH	0.0	99,300
Lucas, OH	-0.5	194,400
Mahoning, OH	-0.9	93,700
Montgomery, OH	0.7	252,200
Stark, OH	0.1	157,200
Summit, OH	-0.8	259,300
Warren, OH	1.6	103,100
Wood, OH	-1.4	74,500
Cleveland, OK	-1.2	91,700
Oklahoma, OK	-0.8	495,700
Tulsa, OK	0.0	370,800
Clackamas, OR	-1.9	173,900
Deschutes, OR	-0.6	95,000
Jackson, OR	0.0	93,400
Lane, OR	-1.4	156,100
Marion, OR	1.4	179,800
Multnomah, OR	-1.1	492,600
Washington, OR	-3.9	299,700
Allegheny, PA	-0.2	670,700
Berks, PA	0.5	175,500
Bucks, PA	-0.3	276,600
Butler, PA	-0.1	88,600
Chester, PA	0.6	253,200
Cumberland, PA	0.2	137,600
Dauphin, PA	0.1	190,900
Delaware, PA	-0.4	218,400
Erie, PA	-0.3	120,000
Lackawanna, PA	0.1	99,500
Lancaster, PA	0.7	254,300
Lehigh, PA	1.4	204,900
Luzerne, PA	-0.5	145,900
Montgomery, PA	0.2	502,500
Northampton, PA	0.7	123,200
Philadelphia, PA	1.1	728,100
Washington, PA	0.2	90,000
Westmoreland, PA	-0.5	129,300
York, PA	-0.3	183,200
Kent, RI	0.3	76,800
Providence, RI	0.3	291,300
Charleston, SC	1.1	281,100
Greenville, SC	0.9	300,400
Horry, SC	0.9	147,000
Lexington, SC	0.3	133,800
Richland, SC	-0.1	227,500
Spartanburg, SC	0.0	156,800
York, SC	0.5	105,900
Minnehaha, SD	0.9	140,400
Davidson, TN	-1.6	548,900
Hamilton, TN	-2.1	218,700
Knox, TN	-0.5	261,800
Rutherford, TN	-2.3	145,800
Shelby, TN	-2.0	469,800
Williamson, TN	1.2	151,200
Bell, TX	0.8	130,000
Bexar, TX	-0.2	935,100
Brazoria, TX	0.2	124,600
Brazos, TX	0.7	125,600
Cameron, TX	-1.7	153,500
Collin, TX	1.7	562,200
Comal, TX	0.9	76,900
Dallas, TX	0.6	1,830,000
Denton, TX	-0.1	317,500
Ector, TX	-1.0	80,200
El Paso, TX	0.4	341,100
Fort Bend, TX	1.1	257,700
Galveston, TX	0.9	122,800
Harris, TX	-0.3	2,442,000
Hays, TX	2.7	98,700
Hidalgo, TX	0.4	293,400
Jefferson, TX	0.1	123,400
Lubbock, TX	0.4	152,600
McLennan, TX	0.4	122,900
Midland, TX	-1.0	119,000
Montgomery, TX	1.6	233,800
Nueces, TX	1.7	166,700
Potter, TX	0.6	78,900
Smith, TX	1.5	115,500
Tarrant, TX	0.0	1,015,200
Travis, TX	1.6	929,900
Webb, TX	0.2	109,300
Williamson, TX	0.7	237,600
Davis, UT	-0.1	144,700
Salt Lake, UT	1.2	808,900
Utah, UT	1.1	301,000
Washington, UT	2.8	90,800
Weber, UT	1.5	123,200
Chittenden, VT	-0.5	103,500
Arlington, VA	-2.9	178,300
Chesterfield, VA	-5.0	147,200
Fairfax, VA	-1.1	629,600
Henrico, VA	-5.0	193,200
Loudoun, VA	2.9	204,200
Prince William, VA	0.7	145,900
Alexandria City, VA	-0.2	80,300
Chesapeake City, VA	-5.0	106,800
Newport News City, VA	-1.5	100,900
Norfolk City, VA	0.2	145,000
Richmond City, VA	1.2	167,900
Virginia Beach City, VA	0.0	179,500
Benton, WA	0.2	102,600
Clark, WA	-0.1	183,600
King, WA	-0.4	1,443,000
Kitsap, WA	0.9	94,500
Pierce, WA	-0.1	339,300
Snohomish, WA	-1.0	299,700
Spokane, WA	0.2	246,000
Thurston, WA	-0.7	129,900
Whatcom, WA	0.1	93,900
Yakima, WA	-0.2	122,000
Kanawha, WV	-0.4	95,300
Brown, WI	-0.1	160,900
Dane, WI	0.3	361,200
Milwaukee, WI	-1.0	466,400
Outagamie, WI	-0.7	107,700
Racine, WI	-1.0	75,600
Waukesha, WI	0.0	247,700
Winnebago, WI	-1.2	92,600

Among the largest U.S. counties, Washington County, Oregon, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (−3.9 percent). Within Washington, the largest employment decrease occurred in manufacturing, with a loss of 5,828 (–11.3 percent).

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program and are preliminary. The 372 largest U.S. counties had annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023. To learn more, see “County Employment and Wages – Third Quarter 2025.” You can also find more employment data for the nation, states, counties, and metropolitan areas through our data viewer tool.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment increased in 167 of the 372 largest U.S. counties over the year ended September 2025 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/employment-increased-in-167-of-the-372-largest-u-s-counties-over-the-year-ended-september-2025.htm (visited March 26, 2026).

OF INTEREST