Employment decreased in 3 of the 4 largest counties in Iowa from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Polk County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 0.6 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, March 2025

County	Percent change, March 2025
Polk	-0.6
Linn	-0.3
Scott	-0.2
Johnson	2.1

Among the four largest counties in Iowa, employment was highest in Polk (311,500) in March 2025. Together, the four largest counties accounted for 39.6 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.)

All four large Iowa counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Polk had the largest increase (+4.2 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Iowa's other large counties ranged from 4.0 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 Iowa, first quarter 2025

County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Polk	4.2
Linn	4.0
Johnson	2.9
Scott	2.8

Weekly wages in all large counties in Iowa were below the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,556 in Polk to $1,193 in Scott.

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 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 94 of the 95 smaller counties were below the national average. Dallas reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,784). Decatur reported the lowest average weekly wage ($826) in the state.

Among all 99 Iowa counties, 27 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 23 registered wages from $975 to $1,024, 21 had wages from $1,025 to $1,074, 9 reported wages from $1,075 to $1,124, and 19 had average weekly wages of $1,125 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 second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.