Employment decreased in 5 of the 7 largest counties in Wisconsin from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Winnebago County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 1.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Wisconsin, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Winnebago	-1.2
Milwaukee	-1.0
Racine	-1.0
Outagamie	-0.7
Brown	-0.1
Waukesha	0.0
Dane	0.3

Among the seven largest counties in Wisconsin, employment was highest in Milwaukee (466,400) in September 2025. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 51.3 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 seven large Wisconsin counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Brown had the largest increase (+6.6 percent). Over-the-year wage gains for Wisconsin's other large counties ranged from 4.6 percent to 1.4 percent.

  

View Chart Data

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Brown	6.6
Racine	4.6
Milwaukee	4.1
Waukesha	3.6
Winnebago	3.6
Dane	3.3
Outagamie	1.4

Weekly wages in all large counties in Wisconsin were below the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,432 in Dane to $1,157 in Racine.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 65 small counties in Wisconsin, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 65 smaller counties were below the national average. Sheboygan reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,230). Florence reported the lowest average weekly wage ($723) in the state.

Among all 72 Wisconsin counties, 22 reported average weekly wages of less than $950, 17 had wages from $950 to $1,024, 16 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, and 17 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.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.