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County Employment and Wages in Massachusetts — First Quarter 2025
Employment declined in 8 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that Essex and Middlesex Counties had the largest over-the-year decreases in employment, with a loss of 1.1 percent each. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Massachusetts, March 2025
County
Percent change, March 2025
Essex
-1.1
Middlesex
-1.1
Hampden
-1.0
Suffolk
-1.0
Norfolk
-0.9
Bristol
-0.8
Barnstable
-0.6
Worcester
-0.4
Plymouth
0.3
Among the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, employment was highest in Middlesex (908,900) in March 2025. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 92.9 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.)
Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025
All nine large Massachusetts counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Suffolk had the largest increase (+6.9 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Massachusetts’s other large counties ranged from 5.6 percent to 1.1 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Massachusetts, first quarter 2025
County
Percent change, first quarter 2025
Suffolk
6.9
Bristol
5.6
Plymouth
5.5
Worcester
5.0
Essex
3.9
Norfolk
3.3
Barnstable
3.0
Middlesex
2.4
Hampden
1.1
Weekly wages in 3 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $3,085 in Suffolk to $1,259 in Hampden.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025
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 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 4 of the 5 smaller counties were below the national average. Nantucket reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,597). Franklin reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,060) in the state.
Among all 14 Massachusetts counties, 3 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,300, 4 registered wages from $1,300 to $1,449, 4 had wages from $1,450 to $1,599, and 3 had average weekly wages of $1,600 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Massachusetts, first quarter 2025
(U.S. Average = $1,589)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
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
County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases
Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, first quarter 2025
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Massachusetts, first quarter 2025
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
