Employment rose in 20 of the 25 largest counties in Florida with published data from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Pasco and St. Johns counties had the largest over-the-year increases in employment, with gains of 2.2 percent each. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Pinellas had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment (-1.4 percent).

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among selected large counties in Florida, March 2025

County	Percent change, March 2025
Pasco	2.2
St. Johns	2.2
St. Lucie	2.1
Alachua	1.9
Martin	1.6
Collier	1.5
Leon	1.5
Miami-Dade	1.5
Marion	1.4
Osceola	1.3
Polk	0.7
Brevard	0.5
Broward	0.5
Lake	0.3
Orange	0.1
Duval	-0.3
Seminole	-0.3
Volusia	-0.5
Okaloosa	-1.2
Pinellas	-1.4

Among the 27 largest counties in Florida, employment was highest in Miami-Dade (1,283,000) in March 2025. Together, the 27 largest counties accounted for 87.7 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.)

All 24 large Florida counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Duval had the largest gain (+6.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other 23 Florida large counties ranged from 6.7 percent to 1.8 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among selected large counties in Florida, first quarter 2025

County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Duval	6.8
Leon	6.7
Miami-Dade	6.4
Palm Beach	6.3
Pinellas	6.0
Manatee	5.8
Lake	5.2
Orange	5.1
Pasco	4.5
Seminole	4.1
Collier	3.3
Polk	3.3
Alachua	3.1
Hillsborough	2.8
St. Johns	2.8
Broward	2.7
Marion	2.7
St. Lucie	2.2
Martin	2.1
Lee	1.8

Weekly wages in 2 of the 27 largest counties in Florida were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,708 in Miami-Dade to $1,032 in Marion.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 40 small counties in Florida, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 40 smaller counties were below the national average. Indian River reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,306). Holmes reported the lowest average weekly wage ($773) in the state.

Among all 67 Florida counties, 9 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 21 registered wages from $900 to $1,024, 13 had wages from $1,025 to $1,149, 10 had wages from $1,150 to $1,274, and 14 had average weekly wages of $1,275 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)