Employment rose in 7 of the 15 largest counties in New Jersey from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Ocean County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.5 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 New Jersey, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Ocean	1.5
Burlington	1.2
Gloucester	1.1
Mercer	0.9
Monmouth	0.7
Essex	0.3
Middlesex	0.3
Camden	0.0
Passaic	0.0
Bergen	-0.1
Morris	-0.2
Hudson	-0.4
Somerset	-0.4
Union	-0.4
Atlantic	-0.8

Among the 15 largest counties in New Jersey, employment was highest in Bergen (437,200) in September 2025. Together, the 15 largest counties accounted for 88.6 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 15 large New Jersey counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Somerset had the largest gain (+7.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among New Jersey’s other fourteen large counties ranged from 4.4 percent to 2.1 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Somerset	7.7
Bergen	4.4
Atlantic	4.3
Middlesex	3.8
Gloucester	3.7
Mercer	3.7
Morris	3.1
Monmouth	3.0
Essex	2.9
Burlington	2.8
Camden	2.8
Ocean	2.5
Hudson	2.3
Union	2.2
Passaic	2.1

Weekly wages in 8 of the 15 largest counties in New Jersey were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,006 in Somerset to $1,087 in Ocean.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the six small counties in New Jersey, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all six smaller counties were below the national average. Hunterdon reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,392). Cape May reported the lowest average weekly wage ($927) in the state.

Among all 21 New Jersey counties, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,175, 6 registered wages from $1,175 to $1,374, 4 had wages from $1,375 to $1,574, and 5 had average weekly wages of $1,575 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)