Employment declined in 7 of the 8 largest counties in Maryland from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Montgomery County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 3.4 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 Maryland, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Montgomery	-3.4
Prince George's	-1.9
Baltimore	-1.5
Frederick	-1.4
Howard	-1.1
Harford	-0.8
Anne Arundel	-0.4
Baltimore City	0.2

Among the eight largest counties in Maryland, employment was highest in Montgomery (446,200) in September 2025. Together, the eight largest counties accounted for 78.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 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 2024.)

All eight large Maryland counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Prince George’s had the largest gain (+4.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Maryland’s other seven large counties ranged from 4.5 percent to 1.5 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Maryland, third quarter 2025

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Prince George's	4.8
Howard	4.5
Anne Arundel	4.3
Baltimore	4.1
Baltimore City	4.1
Montgomery	3.7
Frederick	3.1
Harford	1.5

Weekly wages in 5 of the 8 largest counties in Maryland were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,749 in Montgomery to $1,307 in Harford.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 16 small counties in Maryland, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 15 of the 16 smaller counties were below the national average. St. Mary’s reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,675). Worcester reported the lowest average weekly wage ($890) in the state.

Among all 24 Maryland counties, 7 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,100, 7 registered wages from $1,100 to $1,249, 4 had wages from $1,250 to $1,399, and 6 had average weekly wages of $1,400 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)