Employment increased in 6 of the 15 largest counties in Ohio from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Warren 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 Ohio, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Warren	1.6
Franklin	1.5
Montgomery	0.7
Delaware	0.6
Lake	0.1
Stark	0.1
Lorain	0.0
Butler	-0.2
Cuyahoga	-0.2
Lucas	-0.5
Hamilton	-0.6
Summit	-0.8
Mahoning	-0.9
Greene	-1.0
Wood	-1.4

Among the 15 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin (792,900) in September 2025. Together, the 15 largest counties accounted for 66.4 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.)

Fourteen of the fifteen large Ohio counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Stark had the largest increase (+6.3 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Ohio's other large counties ranged from 6.0 percent to -0.4 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Stark	6.3
Lucas	6.0
Wood	5.1
Delaware	4.4
Mahoning	4.4
Montgomery	4.1
Butler	3.8
Summit	3.8
Franklin	3.7
Lorain	3.2
Cuyahoga	3.1
Greene	2.8
Lake	2.6
Hamilton	0.5
Warren	-0.4

The weekly wage in 1 of the 15 largest counties in Ohio w was above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,467 in Hamilton to $1,024 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 72 of the 73 smaller counties were below the national average. Union reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,509) in the state. Hocking reported the lowest average weekly wage ($764) in the state.

Among all 88 Ohio counties, 18 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 27 had wages from $975 to $1,049, 19 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, and 24 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.

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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.