Employment increased in 5 of the 6 largest planning regions—a county-level equivalent—in Connecticut from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Michael G. Phinney noted that the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, 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, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Greater Bridgeport	0.8
Western	0.5
Capitol	0.4
South Central	0.4
Southeastern	0.4
Naugatuck Valley	-1.9

Among the six largest planning regions in Connecticut, employment was highest in the Capitol Planning Region (532,700) in September 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 73.2 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.) Southeastern Connecticut had the largest increase (+5.7 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Connecticut's other large planning regions ranged from 5.3 percent to 2.3 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Southeastern	5.7
Western	5.3
Greater Bridgeport	4.0
Naugatuck Valley	4.0
South Central	3.1
Capitol	2.3

Weekly wages in 3 of the 6 largest planning regions in Connecticut were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,130 in Western Connecticut to $1,341 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 ($1,312). Northeastern Connecticut reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,123) in the state.

Among all 9 Connecticut planning regions, 2 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,300, 3 had wages from $1,300 to $1,399, 1 had wages from $1,400 to $1,499, and 3 had average weekly wages of $1,500 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.

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The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.