Employment decreased 3.1 percent in the District of Columbia from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the rate of employment growth in the District of Columbia ranked 362^nd among the 364 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.) Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024. Employment in the District of Columbia stood at 737,300 in September 2025.

Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025

The average weekly wage in the District of Columbia increased 5.7 percent over the year to $2,393. The national average was $1,459, up 4.7 percent over the year. The District of Columbia’s average weekly wage ranked 7^th nationally, and the percent change ranked 37^th among the largest U.S. counties.

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 2.

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.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in District of Columbia, third quarter 2025

Area	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2025 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2024–25 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	Third quarter 2025 ($)	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, third quarter 2024–25 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	12,353.8	155,767.7	0.1	--	1,459	--	4.7	--
District of Columbia	51.5	737.4	-3.1	--	2,393	1	5.7	3
Washington	51.5	737.3	-3.1	362	2,393	7	5.7	37
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2025

State	Establishments, third quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
		September 2025 (thousands)	Percent change, September 2024–25	Third quarter 2025 ($)	National ranking by level	Percent change, third quarter 2024–25	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	12,353.8	155,767.7	0.1	1,459	--	4.7	--
Alabama	165.7	2,119.0	0.6	1,212	36	3.6	38
Alaska	25.3	342.4	-0.1	1,455	13	5.3	7
Arizona	228.4	3,215.4	-0.2	1,360	19	4.0	31
Arkansas	111.2	1,310.5	0.5	1,135	49	3.8	33
California	1,986.7	18,281.7	0.3	1,815	4	7.2	2
Colorado	252.9	2,886.4	-0.6	1,570	7	5.7	3
Connecticut	149.6	1,693.8	0.1	1,604	6	3.8	33
Delaware	46.7	480.8	0.0	1,394	17	4.8	13
District of Columbia	51.5	737.4	-3.1	2,393	1	5.7	3
Florida	892.1	9,818.1	-0.2	1,342	21	5.1	8
Georgia	397.2	4,874.5	0.4	1,349	20	3.5	43
Hawaii	62.1	640.1	0.1	1,342	21	3.1	48
Idaho	103.7	879.8	1.3	1,180	44	4.9	11
Illinois	386.5	6,086.3	-0.1	1,457	12	4.3	23
Indiana	197.1	3,198.4	0.1	1,214	35	4.3	23
Iowa	109.6	1,549.3	-0.9	1,194	39	3.6	38
Kansas	102.2	1,431.7	0.1	1,179	45	3.8	33
Kentucky	160.7	1,995.4	-0.4	1,176	46	4.3	23
Louisiana	158.7	1,913.1	-0.1	1,187	42	3.3	46
Maine	67.4	659.2	-0.2	1,231	33	5.0	10
Maryland	199.5	2,739.5	-1.3	1,526	9	3.8	33
Massachusetts	293.2	3,625.0	-0.9	1,818	3	4.8	13
Michigan	316.0	4,423.8	-0.4	1,323	25	4.5	18
Minnesota	214.3	2,958.6	0.2	1,438	15	3.6	38
Mississippi	91.3	1,172.6	0.0	1,005	51	4.7	15
Missouri	256.0	2,903.7	-0.4	1,249	31	4.4	21
Montana	64.6	518.3	-0.4	1,182	43	5.1	8
Nebraska	78.6	1,021.8	-0.1	1,190	40	3.1	48
Nevada	109.5	1,581.0	1.4	1,314	27	4.3	23
New Hampshire	67.3	687.8	-0.6	1,481	11	5.5	6
New Jersey	334.9	4,301.0	0.4	1,558	8	3.6	38
New Mexico	69.0	876.4	0.3	1,190	40	3.2	47
New York	720.8	9,808.4	0.4	1,757	5	4.7	15
North Carolina	386.3	4,939.4	0.5	1,328	23	4.2	27
North Dakota	36.7	433.8	-0.5	1,291	29	2.8	50
Ohio	346.6	5,537.8	0.1	1,279	30	3.4	44
Oklahoma	128.8	1,697.9	-0.3	1,143	48	4.5	18
Oregon	180.5	1,994.7	-1.3	1,409	16	4.2	27
Pennsylvania	397.2	6,066.3	0.2	1,383	18	4.1	30
Rhode Island	48.8	503.3	0.2	1,322	26	4.7	15
South Carolina	190.8	2,312.3	0.7	1,198	38	4.9	11
South Dakota	40.9	462.9	0.1	1,146	47	4.0	31
Tennessee	224.2	3,255.5	-1.2	1,327	24	5.7	3
Texas	854.9	14,062.3	0.7	1,444	14	3.6	38
Utah	142.4	1,745.9	1.2	1,297	28	3.8	33
Vermont	34.1	307.2	-0.7	1,243	32	4.4	21
Virginia	324.0	4,142.4	0.7	1,504	10	4.2	27
Washington	242.3	3,639.4	-0.1	1,923	2	7.7	1
West Virginia	62.1	701.1	-0.1	1,121	50	3.4	44
Wisconsin	211.6	2,949.1	-0.4	1,228	34	4.5	18
Wyoming	31.7	285.6	-1.1	1,201	37	2.0	51
Puerto Rico	52.8	945.5	-0.6	687	(3)	2.7	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.0	33.2	-5.4	1,025	(3)	4.7	(3)
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.