Employment decreased in 8 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Michael G. Phinney noted that Middlesex County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 2.0 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, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Middlesex	-2.0
Suffolk	-1.1
Essex	-1.0
Hampden	-1.0
Plymouth	-0.6
Norfolk	-0.5
Worcester	-0.5
Bristol	-0.4
Barnstable	0.1

Among the nine largest counties in Massachusetts, employment was highest in Middlesex (897,000) in September 2025. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 92.7 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 nine large Massachusetts counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Middlesex had the largest increase (+7.5 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Massachusetts's other large counties ranged from 4.5 percent to 2.5 percent.

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Middlesex	7.5
Bristol	4.5
Barnstable	4.0
Worcester	3.8
Hampden	3.6
Suffolk	3.6
Essex	2.9
Norfolk	2.9
Plymouth	2.5

Weekly wages in 3 of the 9 largest counties in Massachusetts were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,386 in Suffolk to $1,212 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 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 ($1,492). Franklin reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,087) in the state.

Among all 14 Massachusetts counties, 4 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,250, 3 registered wages from $1,250 to $1,349, 3 had wages from $1,350 to $1,449, and 4 had average weekly wages of $1,450 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.