Employment rose in 3 of the 7 largest counties in Missouri from March 2025 to March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Missouri employment increased 0.1 percent over the year to 2,890,500 in March 2026, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner James B. Howard, Jr., noted that Greene County (+0.6 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (See chart 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Missouri, March 2026

County	Percent change, March 2026
Greene	0.6
St. Charles	0.2
Boone	0.1
Jackson	-0.7
St. Louis	-0.8
St. Louis City	-1.1
Clay	-1.3

St. Louis County (584,600) had the highest employment level in Missouri in March 2026. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 59.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 376 largest counties comprise 73.5 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 2025.)

Average weekly wage changes in 5 of the 7 large counties in Missouri were below the national average of 3.9 percent. (See chart 2.) Boone had the largest gain (+4.5 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among the other six large Missouri counties ranged from 4.3 percent to -0.2 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Missouri, first quarter 2026

County	Percent change, first quarter 2026
Boone	4.5
St. Louis	4.3
Jackson	3.4
St. Louis City	3.4
St. Charles	2.3
Greene	1.4
Clay	-0.2

St. Louis City ($1,761) had a weekly wage above the national average of $1,654. Average weekly wages among the other six large counties ranged from $1,654 in St. Louis County to $1,129 in Greene County.

Statewide, average weekly wages increased 3.4 percent over the year to $1,354. Missouri ranked 31st in average weekly wages among the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 32nd in wage growth.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 108 smaller counties in Missouri, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2025. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all of the smaller counties were below the national average. Ste. Genevieve reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,305) among small counties. Ripley reported the lowest average weekly wage ($629) in the state.

Among all 115 Missouri counties, 23 reported average weekly wages of $799 and lower, 21 had wages from $800 to $874, 30 had wages from $875 to $949, 20 had wages from $950 to $1,024, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,025 and higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)