Employment declined in 8 of the 10 largest counties in Michigan from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Macomb County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 1.7 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 Michigan, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Macomb	-1.7
Ottawa	-1.4
Oakland	-1.3
Wayne	-1.1
Ingham	-0.8
Kalamazoo	-0.8
Washtenaw	-0.4
Kent	-0.2
Genesee	0.3
Saginaw	1.4

Among the 10 largest counties in Michigan, employment was highest in Wayne (719,900) in September 2025. Together, the 10 largest counties accounted for 68.4 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 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.)

All nine large Michigan counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Wayne had the largest gain (+6.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Michigan’s other eight large counties ranged from 4.9 percent to 3.2 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Wayne	6.0
Kalamazoo	4.9
Kent	4.6
Ingham	4.1
Oakland	3.9
Ottawa	3.7
Saginaw	3.7
Washtenaw	3.7
Genesee	3.2

Weekly wages in 3 of the 10 large counties in Michigan were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,488 in Wayne to $1,082 in Genesee.

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 ($1,281). Ontonagon reported the lowest average weekly wage ($730) in the state.

Among all 83 Michigan counties, 22 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 20 registered wages from $950 to $1,024, 18 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, 10 reported wages from $1,100 to $1,174, and 13 had average weekly wages of $1,175 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)