Employment declined in 7 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that Bristol County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment at -1.2 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 Massachusetts, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Bristol	-1.2
Worcester	-0.9
Hampden	-0.8
Middlesex	-0.7
Norfolk	-0.5
Suffolk	-0.4
Barnstable	-0.1
Essex	0.0
Plymouth	0.3

Among the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, employment was highest in Middlesex (929,500) in December 2024. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 92.8 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 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 2023.)

All nine large Massachusetts counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Middlesex had the largest gain (+5.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Massachusetts’s other eight large counties ranged from 4.9 percent to 3.0 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Massachusetts, fourth quarter 2024

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Middlesex	5.8
Worcester	4.9
Plymouth	4.5
Bristol	4.4
Hampden	4.3
Suffolk	4.2
Barnstable	3.2
Norfolk	3.2
Essex	3.0

Weekly wages in 3 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,603 in Suffolk to $1,262 in Hampden.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the five small counties in Massachusetts, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 3 of the 5 smaller counties were below the national average. Nantucket reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,773). Franklin reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,080) in the state.

Among all 14 Massachusetts counties, 4 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,275, 4 registered wages from $1,275 to $1,474, 2 had wages from $1,474 to $1,674, and 4 had average weekly wages of $1,675 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 first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025