Employment fell in 3 of the 4 largest counties in Iowa from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Scott County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment (-0.8 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 Iowa, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Scott	-0.8
Linn	-0.7
Polk	-0.5
Johnson	0.8

Among the four largest counties in Iowa, employment was highest in Polk (316,300) in December 2024. Together, the four largest counties accounted for 39.6 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 four large Iowa counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Johnson and Scott each had a wage gain of 3.9 percent. Over-the-year wage gains among Iowa’s remaining two large counties were 3.7 percent in Linn and 2.6 percent in Polk.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Johnson	3.9
Scott	3.9
Linn	3.7
Polk	2.6

Weekly wages in all large counties in Iowa were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,438 in Polk to $1,271 in Johnson.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 95 small counties in Iowa, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 95 smaller counties were below the national average. Dallas reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,459). Decatur reported the lowest average weekly wage ($875) in the state.

Among all 99 Iowa counties, 14 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 30 registered wages from $975 to $1,049, 30 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, 11 reported wages from $1,125 to $1,199, and 14 had average weekly wages of $1,200 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.