Employment rose in 4 of the 6 largest planning regions—a county-level equivalent—in Connecticut from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that the Western Connecticut Planning Region had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest planning regions in Connecticut, December 2024

County	Percent change, December 2024
Western Connecticut	1.3
Southeastern Connecticut	0.7
Capitol	0.6
South Central Connecticut	0.4
Greater Bridgeport	0.0
Naugatuck Valley	0.0

Among the six largest planning regions in Connecticut, employment was highest in the Capitol Planning Region (528,300) in December 2024. Together, the six largest planning regions accounted for 88.9 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 six large Connecticut planning regions reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Naugatuck Valley had the largest gain (+10.9 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Connecticut’s other five large planning regions ranged from 5.8 percent to 3.8 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest planning regions in Connecticut, fourth quarter 2024

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Naugatuck Valley	10.9
Western Connecticut	5.8
Greater Bridgeport	4.5
Capitol	4.4
South Central Connecticut	4.1
Southeastern Connecticut	3.8

Weekly wages in 3 of the 6 largest planning regions in Connecticut were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,495 in Western Connecticut to $1,402 in Southeastern Connecticut.

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 2023. (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 ($1,425). Northeastern Connecticut reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,156) in the state.

Among all nine Connecticut planning regions, two reported average weekly wages of less than $1,375, two registered wages from $1,375 to $1,449, two had wages from $1,450 to $1,524, and three had average weekly wages of $1,525 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 first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.