Employment rose in 5 of the 9 largest counties in Virginia with published data from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that Loudoun County (+2.9 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 Virginia, December 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Loudoun	2.9
Richmond City	1.7
Prince William	1.0
Virginia Beach City	0.4
Newport News City	0.1
Fairfax	-1.1
Norfolk City	-1.2
Alexandria City	-1.5
Arlington	-4.0

Fairfax County (632,400) had the highest employment level in Virginia in December 2025. Together, the 12 largest counties accounted for 55.1 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.)

All six large Virginia counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Newport News City had the largest gain (+7.6 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other five large Virginia counties ranged from 4.1 percent to 0.3 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
Newport News City	7.6
Loudoun	4.1
Virginia Beach City	4.1
Richmond City	3.6
Prince William	1.9
Fairfax	0.3

Weekly wages in 5 of the 12 largest counties in Virginia were above the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,559 in Arlington to $1,199 in Virginia Beach City.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 121 smaller counties in Virginia, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 115 of the 121 smaller counties were below the national average. Surry reported the highest average weekly wage ($2,659) in the state. Emporia City reported the lowest average weekly wage ($776).

Among all 133 Virginia counties, 36 reported average weekly wages less than $1,000, 41 had wages from $1,000 to $1,124, 22 had wages from $1,125 to $1,249, and 34 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)