Employment rose in 9 of the 14 largest counties in Ohio from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Butler and Franklin Counties had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 1.7 percent each. (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 Ohio, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Butler	1.7
Franklin	1.7
Delaware	1.4
Greene	1.3
Stark	1.2
Warren	0.8
Lorain	0.7
Hamilton	0.6
Lake	0.5
Summit	0.0
Mahoning	-0.1
Montgomery	-0.2
Cuyahoga	-0.3
Lucas	-0.7

Among the 14 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin (789,700) in December 2024. Together, the 14 largest counties accounted for 65.3 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 14 large Ohio counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Warren had the largest gain (+6.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Ohio’s other 13 large counties ranged from 6.2 percent to 2.8 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Warren	6.7
Butler	6.2
Cuyahoga	5.5
Delaware	5.5
Franklin	5.2
Hamilton	4.5
Montgomery	4.1
Lake	3.8
Mahoning	3.8
Lorain	3.7
Greene	3.4
Stark	3.4
Summit	3.4
Lucas	2.8

Weekly wages in all large counties in Ohio were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,494 in Hamilton to $1,043 in Mahoning.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 small counties in Ohio, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 73 of the 74 smaller counties were below the national average. Union reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,568). Hocking reported the lowest average weekly wage ($747) in the state.

Among all 88 Ohio counties, 27 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,025, 23 registered wages from $1,025 to $1,099, 17 had wages from $1,100 to $1,174, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,175 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.