Employment rose in 8 of the 12 largest counties in Georgia from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Cobb County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 0.9 percent. (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 Georgia, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Cobb	0.9
Bibb	0.8
Richmond	0.5
Henry	0.4
Fulton	0.3
Chatham	0.2
DeKalb	0.2
Forsyth	0.2
Hall	0.0
Gwinnett	-0.3
Muscogee	-0.4
Clayton	-0.6

Among the 12 largest counties in Georgia, employment was highest in Fulton (940,800) in September 2025. Together, the 12 largest counties accounted for 58.8 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 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 12 large Georgia counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Chatham had the largest gain (+5.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Georgia’s other 11 large counties ranged from 4.3 percent to 1.8 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Georgia, third quarter 2025

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Chatham	5.7
Muscogee	4.3
DeKalb	3.9
Cobb	3.7
Clayton	3.5
Richmond	3.4
Bibb	3.3
Fulton	3.1
Gwinnett	2.7
Forsyth	2.1
Henry	2.0
Hall	1.8

Among Georgia’s largest counties, Fulton ($1,879) had a weekly wage above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages among Georgia’s other 11 large counties ranged from $1,456 in Cobb to $1,009 in Henry.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 147 small counties in Georgia, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 147 smaller counties were below the national average. Burke reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,303). Taliaferro reported the lowest average weekly wage ($697) in the state.

Among all 159 Georgia counties, 35 reported average weekly wages of less than $875, 48 registered wages from $875 to $949, 28 had wages from $950 to $1,024, 21 had wages from $1,025 to $1,099, and 27 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)