The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
County Employment and Wages in Kentucky — Fourth Quarter 2024
Among Kentucky’s three largest counties, employment increased in Fayette (+1.0 percent) from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that employment declined in Boone and Jefferson. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Kentucky, December 2024
County
Percent change, December 2024
Fayette
1.0
Boone
-0.6
Jefferson
-0.7
Among the three largest counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson (484,000) in December 2024. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 39.7 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.)
Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024
All three large Kentucky counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Boone had the largest gain (+4.9 percent), followed by Jefferson (+3.6 percent) and Fayette (+2.7 percent).
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Kentucky, fourth quarter 2024
County
Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Boone
4.9
Jefferson
3.6
Fayette
2.7
Weekly wages in all large counties in Kentucky were below the national average of $1,507. Jefferson had the highest average weekly wage ($1,393) among Kentucky’s largest counties.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 117 small counties in Kentucky, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 116 of the 117 smaller counties were below the national average. Hancock reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,593). Nicholas reported the lowest average weekly wage ($710) in the state.
Among all 120 Kentucky counties, 30 reported average weekly wages of less than $875, 24 registered wages from $875 to $949, 21 had wages from $950 to $1,024, 19 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, and 26 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Kentucky, fourth quarter 2024
(U.S. average = $ 1,507)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
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 first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the three largest counties in Kentucky, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Kentucky, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
Footnotes: (1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
