Among Kentucky’s three largest counties, employment increased in Fayette (+1.0 percent) and Jefferson (+0.5 percent) from September 2023 to September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are the 369 U.S. counties or county equivalents with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that employment in Boone County declined 1.1 percent over the same period. (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 Kentucky, September 2024

County	Percent change, September 2024
Fayette	1.0
Jefferson	0.5
Boone	-1.1

National employment increased 0.8 percent over the year, with 264 of the 369 largest U.S. counties with published data reporting gains. Kings, NY, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 4.9 percent. Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-2.7 percent).

Among the three largest counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson County (484,700) in September 2024. Within Jefferson County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the three largest Kentucky counties accounted for 39.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprised 73.1 percent of total covered employment in the United States.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 counties in Kentucky with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 116 of the 117 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,394 in the third quarter of 2024. (See table 2.)

All three large Kentucky counties reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2023 to the third quarter of 2024. (See chart 2.) Boone County had the largest gain (+3.6 percent), followed by Jefferson County (+3.5 percent) and Fayette County (+3.4 percent).

  

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

County	Percent change, third quarter 2024
Boone	3.6
Jefferson	3.5
Fayette	3.4

Nationwide, wages increased by 4.5 percent over the year. Among the 365 largest counties in the United States with published data, 363 had over-the-year wage increases. Benton, AR, had the largest percentage wage increase (+15.5 percent). Weld, CO, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.3 percent).

Weekly wages in Kentucky’s three largest counties were below the national average of $1,394 in the third quarter of 2024. Jefferson had the highest average weekly wage ($1,315) among Kentucky’s largest counties.

Among the 369 largest U.S. counties, 94 reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2024. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($3,557). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 275 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($819).

Among the 117 smaller counties in Kentucky—those with employment below 75,000—Hancock ($1,473) reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Nicholas County ($687) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 120 counties in Kentucky were considered, 21 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 36 registered wages from $800 to $899, 27 had wages from $900 to $999, 20 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1.)