Employment rose in all three of the largest counties in Nebraska from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Lancaster County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 0.7 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 Nebraska, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Lancaster	0.7
Sarpy	0.6
Douglas	0.1

Among the three largest counties in Nebraska, employment was highest in Douglas (341,700) in December 2024. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 58.6 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.)

All three large Nebraska counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Sarpy had the largest gain (+4.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Nebraska’s other two large counties were 3.5 percent in Lancaster and 2.7 percent in Douglas.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Sarpy	4.0
Lancaster	3.5
Douglas	2.7

Weekly wages in all large counties in Nebraska were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,354 in Douglas to $1,173 in Sarpy.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 90 small counties in Nebraska, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 89 of the 90 smaller counties were below the national average. Stanton reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,587). Keya Paha reported the lowest average weekly wage ($671) in the state.

Among all 93 Nebraska counties, 25 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 23 registered wages from $900 to $999, 26 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 19 had average weekly wages of $1,100 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.