Employment rose in 15 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Dauphin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Pennsylvania, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Dauphin	1.8
Philadelphia	1.7
Butler	1.6
Bucks	1.3
Lehigh	1.3
Berks	1.2
Washington	1.1
Lancaster	1.0
Montgomery	0.8
Lackawanna	0.6
Delaware	0.5
Luzerne	0.5
Allegheny	0.3
Erie	0.3
Chester	0.2
Cumberland	-0.1
Northampton	-0.3
York	-0.4
Westmoreland	-0.5

Among the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, employment was highest in Philadelphia (725,500) in December 2024. Together, the 19 largest counties accounted for 75.9 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Among the 19 large Pennsylvania counties, 18 reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Cumberland had the largest gain (+8.4 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Pennsylvania’s other 18 large counties ranged from 5.3 percent to -3.9 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Pennsylvania, fourth quarter 2024

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Cumberland	8.4
York	5.3
Erie	5.1
Montgomery	4.7
Berks	4.6
Lackawanna	4.6
Lehigh	4.3
Northampton	4.2
Allegheny	4.1
Lancaster	3.9
Luzerne	3.9
Philadelphia	3.4
Chester	3.3
Bucks	3.2
Washington	3.2
Westmoreland	3.2
Dauphin	3.0
Delaware	2.1
Butler	-3.9

Weekly wages in 4 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,730 in Montgomery to $1,065 in Erie.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 48 small counties in Pennsylvania, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 47 of the 48 smaller counties were below the national average. Montour reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,551). Sullivan reported the lowest average weekly wage ($827) in the state.

Among all 67 Pennsylvania counties, 22 reported average weekly wages of $1,024 or lower, 21 registered wages from $1,025 to $1,124, 8 had wages from $1,125 to $1,224, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,225 or higher. (See map 1. and table 2.)

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.