County Employment and Wages in Michigan — First Quarter 2025

Employment decreased in 8 of the 10 largest counties in Michigan from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Macomb County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 2.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Horizontal bar chart displaying over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Michigan in March 2025. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Michigan, March 2025
County	Percent change, March 2025
Macomb	-2.3
Ottawa	-1.4
Oakland	-0.6
Wayne	-0.5
Genesee	-0.3
Ingham	-0.3
Kent	-0.3
Kalamazoo	-0.1
Saginaw	0.0
Washtenaw	0.0

Among the 10 largest counties in Michigan, employment was highest in Wayne (713,900) in March 2025. Together, the 10 largest counties accounted for 69.2 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.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

All 10 large Michigan counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Washtenaw had the largest increase (+4.3 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Michigan's other large counties ranged from 4.0 percent to 1.2 percent.

Horizontal bar chart displaying over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Michigan in the first quarter 2025. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Michigan, first quarter 2025
County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Washtenaw	4.3
Saginaw	4.0
Ottawa	3.5
Kalamazoo	3.4
Ingham	3.2
Wayne	3.2
Kent	2.4
Macomb	2.4
Genesee	2.0
Oakland	1.2

The weekly wage in 1 of the 10 largest counties in Michigan was above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,597 in Wayne to $1,105 in Genesee.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 73 small counties in Michigan, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 73 smaller counties were below the national average. Midland reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,402). Keweenaw reported the lowest average weekly wage ($702) in the state.

Among all 83 Michigan counties, 22 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 16 registered wages from $950 to $1,024, 17 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, 12 reported wages from $1,100 to $1,174, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,175 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Michigan, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

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 second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 10 largest counties in Michigan, first quarter 2025
Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment			Average weekly wage (1)
Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	March 2025 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2024–25 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2025 ($)	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2024–25 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	12,249.3	154,523.8	0.4	--	1,589	--	4.1	--
Michigan	307.3	4,337.3	-0.3	--	1,391	24	2.9	48
Genesee	7.4	131.5	-0.3	261	1,105	338	2.0	290
Ingham	7.0	154.9	-0.3	261	1,402	153	3.2	187
Kalamazoo	6.1	121.2	-0.1	235	1,385	165	3.4	167
Kent	18.1	417.1	-0.3	261	1,256	244	2.4	257
Macomb	20.0	329.1	-2.3	361	1,426	138	2.4	257
Oakland	43.8	710.2	-0.6	301	1,573	85	1.2	318
Ottawa	7.0	126.9	-1.4	353	1,155	316	3.5	153
Saginaw	4.0	78.7	0.0	222	1,170	304	4.0	110
Washtenaw	9.8	217.6	0.0	222	1,467	123	4.3	94
Wayne	37.4	713.9	-0.5	287	1,597	80	3.2	187
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 in the United States and all counties in Michigan, first quarter 2025
Area	Establishments	Employment March 2025	Average weekly wage ($) (1)
United States (2)	12,249,320	154,523,785	1,589
Michigan	307,306	4,337,265	1,391
Alcona	213	1,376	766
Alger	266	2,351	1,055
Allegan	2,741	41,338	1,231
Alpena	903	11,980	989
Antrim	611	4,476	830
Arenac	355	3,809	902
Baraga	213	2,808	1,067
Barry	1,077	13,055	986
Bay	2,154	33,617	1,103
Benzie	499	4,418	880
Berrien	4,186	57,317	1,194
Branch	875	15,269	1,093
Calhoun	2,682	54,296	1,378
Cass	948	9,285	998
Charlevoix	912	10,257	1,146
Cheboygan	829	5,150	972
Chippewa	857	12,341	1,033
Clare	629	7,546	947
Clinton	1,495	18,065	1,031
Crawford	280	3,849	1,290
Delta	1,061	13,581	945
Dickinson	854	13,473	1,154
Eaton	2,150	45,250	1,211
Emmet	1,585	16,507	1,071
Genesee	7,403	131,530	1,105
Gladwin	469	4,450	953
Gogebic	415	4,896	864
Grand Traverse	3,815	49,718	1,144
Gratiot	809	12,316	1,059
Hillsdale	893	12,164	1,029
Houghton	970	12,265	1,066
Huron	1,012	10,682	985
Ingham	6,996	154,889	1,402
Ionia	1,124	19,154	925
Iosco	624	7,282	1,189
Iron	392	3,206	893
Isabella	1,421	25,811	1,005
Jackson	3,124	54,737	1,266
Kalamazoo	6,096	121,248	1,385
Kalkaska	397	4,659	1,136
Kent	18,102	417,053	1,256
Keweenaw	86	371	702
Lake	187	1,611	809
Lapeer	1,741	21,442	984
Leelanau	852	6,095	950
Lenawee	1,970	25,523	1,109
Livingston	4,869	62,832	1,155
Luce	183	1,889	898
Mackinac	504	3,463	1,022
Macomb	19,968	329,127	1,426
Manistee	597	6,846	1,058
Marquette	1,800	25,992	1,068
Mason	729	9,710	963
Mecosta	708	12,254	861
Menominee	499	7,019	967
Midland	4,014	38,002	1,402
Missaukee	388	3,947	856
Monroe	2,559	40,006	1,221
Montcalm	1,124	16,178	927
Montmorency	231	1,899	808
Muskegon	3,207	62,835	1,081
Newaygo	873	11,613	1,002
Oakland	43,751	710,192	1,573
Oceana	575	5,744	909
Ogemaw	617	5,712	824
Ontonagon	196	1,333	714
Osceola	481	7,572	1,087
Oscoda	204	1,218	780
Otsego	820	10,152	1,108
Ottawa	7,025	126,912	1,155
Presque Isle	340	2,451	883
Roscommon	590	5,958	795
Saginaw	4,007	78,653	1,170
St. Clair	3,331	40,805	1,109
St. Joseph	2,298	20,568	1,046
Sanilac	883	9,966	953
Schoolcraft	234	2,648	955
Shiawassee	1,203	15,146	1,060
Tuscola	930	12,006	975
Van Buren	1,683	19,998	1,072
Washtenaw	9,793	217,559	1,467
Wayne	37,357	713,948	1,597
Wexford	896	12,993	1,071
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.
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 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment		Average weekly wage (1)
State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	March 2025 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2024–25	First quarter 2025 ($)	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2024–25	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	12,249.3	154,523.8	0.4	1,589	--	4.1	--
Alabama	163.3	2,102.3	0.3	1,245	39	3.8	23
Alaska	25.3	323.5	1.3	1,452	20	5.8	4
Arizona	226.1	3,259.3	0.3	1,431	21	3.8	23
Arkansas	107.6	1,304.4	0.7	1,236	40	5.6	6
California	1,945.4	18,066.2	0.1	1,905	6	4.2	13
Colorado	242.4	2,862.7	0.1	1,681	8	4.2	13
Connecticut	148.5	1,671.7	0.5	1,980	4	3.8	23
Delaware	45.4	474.3	0.8	1,535	15	3.4	30
District of Columbia	51.5	748.9	-1.4	2,606	1	7.2	1
Florida	886.5	9,958.4	0.9	1,456	19	5.1	8
Georgia	394.8	4,860.7	0.4	1,491	17	3.4	30
Hawaii	60.3	644.8	0.6	1,363	27	6.7	2
Idaho	102.7	848.2	1.2	1,178	48	4.2	13
Illinois	407.1	5,988.9	0.2	1,662	9	3.2	38
Indiana	194.8	3,161.4	0.3	1,323	30	4.2	13
Iowa	111.3	1,537.7	-0.5	1,253	36	3.2	38
Kansas	104.3	1,428.0	0.8	1,246	38	4.0	19
Kentucky	159.6	1,986.3	0.0	1,213	44	2.4	51
Louisiana	157.0	1,921.2	0.5	1,227	42	2.8	49
Maine	66.6	629.6	0.1	1,283	34	2.7	50
Maryland	197.7	2,739.0	-0.2	1,634	10	3.2	38
Massachusetts	289.8	3,575.8	-0.7	2,107	3	4.6	11
Michigan	307.3	4,337.3	-0.3	1,391	24	2.9	48
Minnesota	211.8	2,878.6	-0.1	1,570	14	3.7	27
Mississippi	91.3	1,160.4	-0.4	1,018	51	4.1	17
Missouri	252.4	2,886.9	0.1	1,310	31	3.2	38
Montana	67.1	505.8	0.6	1,189	46	5.6	6
Nebraska	78.6	1,008.4	-0.1	1,231	41	3.1	42
Nevada	106.1	1,541.2	0.2	1,359	29	4.1	17
New Hampshire	66.3	681.0	0.1	1,606	11	4.8	9
New Jersey	338.9	4,259.0	1.1	1,815	7	3.0	44
New Mexico	66.8	868.2	0.3	1,203	45	3.9	22
New York	716.1	9,757.0	1.4	2,213	2	6.2	3
North Carolina	373.2	4,888.5	0.2	1,467	18	4.8	9
North Dakota	36.4	422.8	0.6	1,302	33	3.3	34
Ohio	344.2	5,466.8	0.2	1,361	28	3.5	28
Oklahoma	130.9	1,700.2	0.5	1,186	47	3.0	44
Oregon	186.2	1,965.7	-0.8	1,420	23	3.3	34
Pennsylvania	394.5	6,003.5	0.6	1,500	16	3.5	28
Rhode Island	49.0	489.3	1.0	1,429	22	3.0	44
South Carolina	198.7	2,304.9	1.7	1,247	37	4.4	12
South Dakota	40.5	450.5	0.2	1,163	49	3.0	44
Tennessee	221.0	3,251.5	-0.4	1,364	26	4.0	19
Texas	847.6	14,015.9	1.2	1,587	13	3.1	42
Utah	138.1	1,720.5	1.1	1,365	25	4.0	19
Vermont	33.5	306.8	-0.4	1,280	35	3.8	23
Virginia	321.9	4,108.8	0.8	1,605	12	3.4	30
Washington	240.9	3,583.7	0.9	1,935	5	5.8	4
West Virginia	61.9	694.6	0.0	1,149	50	3.3	34
Wisconsin	208.9	2,898.4	-0.2	1,305	32	3.4	30
Wyoming	31.0	274.6	0.0	1,216	43	3.3	34
Puerto Rico	52.0	946.1	-0.7	699	(3)	3.2	(3)
Virgin Islands	2.9	33.8	-7.5	1,034	(3)	2.7	(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.

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Midwest Information Office

County Employment and Wages in Michigan — First Quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)