Employment fell in 6 of the 10 largest counties in Michigan from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Macomb, Ottawa, and Saginaw Counties had the largest over-the-year decreases in employment (-1.2 percent each). (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, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Macomb	-1.2
Ottawa	-1.2
Saginaw	-1.2
Oakland	-0.8
Kalamazoo	-0.3
Kent	-0.1
Washtenaw	0.0
Wayne	0.0
Ingham	0.5
Genesee	0.9

Among the 10 largest counties in Michigan, employment was highest in Wayne (732,000) in December 2024. Together, the 10 largest counties accounted for 69.3 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 nine large Michigan counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Washtenaw had the largest gain (+6.2 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Michigan’s other eight large counties with published data ranged from 3.7 percent to 1.8 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Washtenaw	6.2
Saginaw	3.7
Kent	3.4
Oakland	3.3
Wayne	3.2
Ingham	3.1
Ottawa	2.7
Kalamazoo	2.3
Genesee	1.8

Weekly wages in 9 of the 10 largest counties in Michigan were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,581 in Oakland to $1,127 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 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 73 smaller counties were below the national average. Midland reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,438). Keweenaw reported the lowest average weekly wage ($690) in the state.

Among all 83 Michigan counties, 11 reported average weekly wages of less than $925, 22 registered wages from $925 to $1,024, 24 had wages from $1,025 to $1,124, 13 reported wages from $1,125 to $1,224, and 13 had average weekly wages of $1,225 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.