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 — First Quarter 2025
Employment increased in 2 of the 3 largest counties in Kentucky from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Boone County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Kentucky, March 2025
County
Percent change, March 2025
Boone
1.3
Fayette
0.7
Jefferson
-0.5
Among the three largest counties in Kentucky, employment was highest in Jefferson (478,100) in March 2025. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 39.6 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.)
Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025
All three large Kentucky counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Fayette had the largest increase (+3.1 percent), followed by Boone (+2.6 percent) and Jefferson (+2.4 percent).
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2025
County
Percent change, first quarter 2025
Fayette
3.1
Boone
2.6
Jefferson
2.4
Weekly wages in all large counties in Kentucky were below the national average of $1,589. Jefferson had the highest average weekly wage ($1,485), followed by Fayette ($1,300) and Boone ($1,156).
Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025
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 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 116 of the 117 smaller counties were below the national average. Hancock reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,750). Nicholas reported the lowest average weekly wage ($699) in the state.
Among all 120 Kentucky counties, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 34 had wages from $800 to $899, 27 had wages from $900 to $999, 19 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 24 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Kentucky, first quarter 2025
(U.S. Average = $ 1,589)
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 news release for second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases
Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the three largest counties in Kentucky, first quarter 2025
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, first quarter 2025
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, first quarter 2025
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
