Employment increased in 3 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Olmsted County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.6 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 Minnesota, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Olmsted	1.6
Ramsey	1.2
Anoka	0.1
Washington	-0.2
Dakota	-0.4
Stearns	-0.4
Hennepin	-0.5
St. Louis	-1.2

Among the eight largest counties in Minnesota, employment was highest in Hennepin (915,000) in September 2025. Together, the eight largest counties accounted for 66.2 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 eight large Minnesota counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Olmsted had the largest increase (+15.3 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Minnesota's other seven large counties ranged from 4.4 percent to 1.7 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Olmsted	15.3
Stearns	4.4
Washington	4.4
Anoka	4.0
Ramsey	3.8
St. Louis	3.6
Dakota	2.4
Hennepin	1.7

Weekly wages in 3 of the 8 largest counties in Minnesota were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,698 in Hennepin to $1,190 in Washington.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 79 small counties in Minnesota, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 79 smaller counties were below the national average. Carver and Dodge reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,289). Fillmore reported the lowest average weekly wage ($854) in the state.

Among all 87 Minnesota counties, 24 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,000, 22 had wages from $1,000 to $1,074, 21 had wages from $1,075 to $1,149, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,150 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.

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