Employment rose in all nine of Colorado’s largest counties from December 2022 to December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Douglas County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 4.0 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 Colorado, December 2023

County	Percent change, December 2023
Douglas	4.0
Weld	3.2
El Paso	2.9
Adams	2.3
Larimer	2.3
Arapahoe	1.6
Denver	1.5
Jefferson	1.5
Boulder	0.6

National employment increased 1.5 percent over the year, with 318 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Hays, TX, had the largest increase in employment (+5.0 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-6.9 percent).

Among the nine largest counties in Colorado, employment was highest in Denver County (572,500) in December 2023. Within Denver County’s private industry, professional, scientific, and technical services accounted for the largest employment. Together, the nine largest Colorado counties accounted for 80.6 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 55 counties in Colorado with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 53 of the 55 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,435 in the fourth quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

All nine large Colorado counties reported average weekly wage gains from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Adams County and Jefferson County had the largest gains (+3.9 percent each), followed by Weld County (+3.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Colorado’s other six large counties ranged from 3.6 percent to 0.9 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Colorado, fourth quarter 2023

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2023
Adams	3.9
Jefferson	3.9
Weld	3.8
El Paso	3.6
Denver	3.4
Larimer	3.4
Boulder	2.8
Arapahoe	2.3
Douglas	0.9

Nationwide, wages increased by 3.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 348 had over-the-year wage increases. Snohomish, WA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+18.6 percent). Merrimack, NH, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-7.2 percent).

Weekly wages in 5 of the 9 largest counties in Colorado were above the national average of $1,435 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Average weekly wages in four of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Denver ($1,859, 15^th), Boulder ($1,787, 25^th), Arapahoe ($1,624, 43^rd), and Douglas ($1,595, 48^th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the fourth quarter of 2023. Santa Clara, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,699). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 275 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($842).

Among the 55 smaller counties in Colorado—those with employment below 75,000— Broomfield ($2,109) and Pitkin ($1,610) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. San Juan County ($720) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 64 counties in Colorado were considered, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 12 registered wages from $900 to $999, 12 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, 7 had wages from $1,100 to $1,199 and 17 had average weekly wages of $1,200 or higher. (See map 1.)