Employment rose in 9 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that Northampton County (+1.4 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (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 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Northampton	1.4
Washington	1.2
Cumberland	1.1
Lancaster	1.0
Lehigh	0.8
Philadelphia	0.7
Chester	0.6
Butler	0.5
Montgomery	0.1
Erie	0.0
Delaware	-0.2
Lackawanna	-0.2
Allegheny	-0.3
Berks	-0.3
Dauphin	-0.5
Westmoreland	-0.5
York	-0.5
Bucks	-0.6
Luzerne	-0.8

Philadelphia County (732,600) had the highest employment level in Pennsylvania in December 2025. Together, the 19 largest counties accounted for 75.9 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 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.)

Average weekly wage changes in 10 of 19 large counties in Pennsylvania were below the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) York had the largest gain (+5.2 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among the other 18 large Pennsylvania counties ranged from 5.1 percent to -0.9 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 2025

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
York	5.2
Allegheny	5.1
Northampton	5.0
Berks	4.9
Washington	4.9
Lancaster	4.5
Dauphin	4.4
Butler	4.2
Erie	4.2
Luzerne	4.1
Westmoreland	4.1
Delaware	4.0
Philadelphia	4.0
Chester	3.7
Lackawanna	3.2
Montgomery	3.1
Lehigh	2.8
Bucks	2.4
Cumberland	-0.9

Weekly wages in 4 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,778 in Montgomery to $1,102 in Lackawanna.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 48 smaller counties in Pennsylvania, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 47 of the 48 smaller counties were below the national average. Montour reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,626). Sullivan reported the lowest average weekly wage ($853) in the state.

Among all 67 Pennsylvania counties, 5 reported average weekly wages less than $950, 18 had wages from $950 to $1,074, 22 had wages from $1,075 to $1,199, 10 had wages from $1,200 to $1,324, and 12 had average weekly wages of $1,325 or higher. (See map 1. and table 2.)