Employment increased in 7 of the 15 largest counties in Ohio from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Franklin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.4 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 Ohio, March 2025

County	Percent change, March 2025
Franklin	1.4
Butler	1.2
Lake	1.0
Delaware	0.8
Stark	0.7
Greene	0.5
Warren	0.1
Lorain	0.0
Hamilton	-0.1
Montgomery	-0.2
Cuyahoga	-0.3
Mahoning	-0.6
Lucas	-0.7
Wood	-0.7
Summit	-0.8

Among the 15 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin (778,700) in March 2025. Together, the 15 largest counties accounted for 66.6 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.)

Thirteen of the fourteen large Ohio counties with published data reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Butler had the largest increase (+6.0 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Ohio's other large counties ranged from 4.8 percent to -1.1 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Butler	6.0
Hamilton	4.8
Franklin	4.7
Delaware	4.0
Montgomery	3.8
Mahoning	3.3
Lake	3.0
Lucas	2.5
Lorain	2.1
Cuyahoga	2.0
Stark	1.2
Summit	1.2
Warren	1.0
Wood	-1.1

Weekly wages in 2 of the 15 largest counties in Ohio were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,644 in Hamilton to $1,037 in Mahoning.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 73 small counties in Ohio, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 73 smaller counties were below the national average. Hancock reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,372). Hocking reported the lowest average weekly wage ($772) in the state.

Among all 88 Ohio counties, 24 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,000, 27 had wages from $1,000 to $1,074, 12 had wages from $1,075 to $1,149, and 25 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.

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.