Employment rose in 4 of the 6 largest planning regions—a county-level equivalent—in Connecticut from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that the Capitol and Southeastern Connecticut Planning Regions had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, each with a gain of 0.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest planning regions in Connecticut, March 2025

County	Percent change, March 2025
Capitol	0.8
Southeastern	0.8
Western	0.7
Naugatuck Valley	0.2
South Central	0.0
Greater Bridgeport	-0.4

Among the six largest planning regions in Connecticut, employment was highest in the Capitol Planning Region (526,300) in March 2025. Together, the six largest planning regions accounted for 88.9 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.)

All six large Connecticut planning regions reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Western Connecticut had the largest gain (+5.6 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Connecticut’s other five large planning regions ranged from 4.7 percent to 1.6 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Western	5.6
Naugatuck Valley	4.7
Southeastern	4.2
South Central	3.9
Greater Bridgeport	3.5
Capitol	1.6

Weekly wages in 2 of the 6 largest planning regions in Connecticut were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $3,483 in Western Connecticut to $1,443 in Naugatuck Valley.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the three small planning regions in Connecticut, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all three smaller planning regions were below the national average. Lower Connecticut River Valley reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,427). Northeastern Connecticut reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,163) in the state.

Among all 9 Connecticut planning regions, 4 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,450, 1 had wages from $1,450 to $1,499, 2 had wages from $1,500 to $1,549, and 2 had average weekly wages of $1,550 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.