Employment rose in 5 of the 9 largest counties in Indiana from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Hendricks County (+1.9 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (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 Indiana, December 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Hendricks	1.9
Elkhart	1.5
Hamilton	1.5
St. Joseph	0.8
Allen	0.4
Lake	-0.3
Marion	-0.3
Vanderburgh	-0.4
Tippecanoe	-1.1

Marion County (625,600) had the highest employment level in Indiana in December 2025. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 53.7 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.)

Average weekly wage gains in 5 of 9 large counties in Indiana were above the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) St. Joseph had the largest gain (+6.1 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other eight large Indiana counties ranged from 5.9 percent to 2.4 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Indiana, fourth quarter 2025

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
St. Joseph	6.1
Elkhart	5.9
Allen	5.5
Marion	5.1
Hamilton	4.5
Tippecanoe	3.7
Lake	3.5
Vanderburgh	2.8
Hendricks	2.4

Weekly wages in all nine large counties in Indiana were below the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,539 in Marion to $1,083 in Hendricks.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 83 smaller counties in Indiana, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all smaller counties were below the national average. Martin reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,554) in the state. Ohio reported the lowest average weekly wage ($806).

Among all 92 Indiana counties, 16 reported average weekly wages less than $975, 21 had wages from $975 to $1,049, 22 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, 12 had wages from $1,125 to $1,199, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,200 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)