Employment rose in 16 of the 17 largest counties in New York with published data from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that Kings County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 5.3 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 New York, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Kings	5.3
Rockland	2.8
Queens	2.7
Saratoga	2.1
Dutchess	2.0
Bronx	1.8
Albany	1.6
Richmond	1.5
Oneida	1.4
Nassau	0.9
New York	0.8
Westchester	0.6
Suffolk	0.5
Monroe	0.3
Erie	0.2
Orange	0.1
Broome	-0.2

Among the 18 largest counties in New York, employment was highest in New York County (2,481,000) in December 2024. Together, the 18 largest counties accounted for 86.5 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 15 large New York counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Albany had the largest gain (+8.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among New York’s other 14 large counties ranged from 7.5 percent to 0.5 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Albany	8.0
New York	7.5
Suffolk	6.7
Broome	5.5
Dutchess	5.2
Monroe	4.8
Erie	4.2
Nassau	3.5
Saratoga	3.5
Oneida	3.4
Bronx	3.2
Rockland	2.2
Kings	2.1
Queens	1.8
Westchester	0.5

Weekly wages in 5 of the 18 largest counties in New York were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $3,256 in New York County to $1,188 in Kings.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 44 small counties in New York, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 43 of the 44 smaller counties were below the national average. Rensselaer reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,538). Herkimer reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,002) in the state.

Among all 62 New York counties, 13 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,100, 13 registered wages from $1,100 to $1,199, 17 had wages from $1,200 to $1,299, 10 had wages from $1,300 to $1,399, and 9 had average weekly wages of $1,400 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)