Employment rose in 12 of the 15 largest counties in New Jersey from December 2023 to December 2024, 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 at 2.3 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, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Ocean	2.3
Monmouth	1.3
Union	1.2
Bergen	1.0
Camden	0.9
Essex	0.7
Mercer	0.7
Passaic	0.7
Hudson	0.4
Burlington	0.3
Middlesex	0.3
Gloucester	0.2
Morris	0.0
Atlantic	-0.1
Somerset	-0.2

Among the 15 largest counties in New Jersey, employment was highest in Bergen (448,900) in December 2024. Together, the 15 largest counties accounted for 88.8 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 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 2023.)

Among the 15 large New Jersey counties, 14 reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Middlesex and Monmouth counties had the largest gains (+5.3 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among New Jersey’s other 12 large counties with gains ranged from 4.8 percent to 0.6 percent. Somerset County recorded the only average weekly wage loss over the year (-0.9 percent).

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in New Jersey, fourth quarter 2024

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Middlesex	5.3
Monmouth	5.3
Gloucester	4.8
Bergen	4.3
Camden	3.9
Ocean	3.2
Union	3.1
Atlantic	3.0
Hudson	2.9
Mercer	2.9
Burlington	2.8
Essex	2.2
Passaic	1.8
Morris	0.6
Somerset	-0.9

Weekly wages in 8 of the 15 largest counties in New Jersey were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,973 in Somerset to $1,177 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 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all six smaller counties were below the national average. Hunterdon reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,448). Cape May reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,010) in the state.

Among all 21 New Jersey counties, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,199, 5 registered wages from $1,200 to $1,424, 5 had wages from $1,425 to $1,649, and 5 had average weekly wages of $1,650 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

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.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.