Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

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.

Https

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.

News Release Information

25-936-ATL
Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

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.)


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).


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.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

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
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 -- 1,189 46 3.8 39

Boone

6.3 106.1 -0.6 323 1,175 305 4.9 121

Fayette

15.2 207.3 1.0 106 1,265 227 2.7 318

Jefferson

34.0 484.0 -0.7 329 1,393 148 3.6 242

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
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

Kentucky

159,012 2,008,418 1,189

Adair

509 5,093 865

Allen

428 5,093 913

Anderson

571 5,095 966

Ballard

227 1,982 1,245

Barren

1,311 15,738 953

Bath

298 1,957 924

Bell

616 8,383 849

Boone

6,302 106,077 1,175

Bourbon

644 7,061 1,066

Boyd

1,799 26,659 1,185

Boyle

1,072 14,568 1,046

Bracken

222 1,585 952

Breathitt

352 2,720 894

Breckinridge

438 3,876 862

Bullitt

1,811 30,400 1,053

Butler

310 2,887 960

Caldwell

375 4,826 829

Calloway

1,344 15,724 909

Campbell

3,490 32,240 1,141

Carlisle

142 1,072 929

Carroll

366 7,761 1,420

Carter

648 5,725 827

Casey

367 3,922 878

Christian

2,203 31,361 1,068

Clark

1,081 14,003 1,114

Clay

421 4,126 871

Clinton

301 3,514 836

Crittenden

214 1,924 873

Cumberland

192 2,430 980

Daviess

3,569 47,850 1,076

Edmonson

189 1,659 848

Elliott

95 871 906

Estill

262 2,230 897

Fayette

15,202 207,313 1,265

Fleming

442 3,306 929

Floyd

1,174 11,362 962

Franklin

2,784 35,048 1,176

Fulton

215 2,327 831

Gallatin

160 2,491 1,298

Garrard

425 2,732 968

Grant

630 5,639 1,030

Graves

1,043 12,049 1,027

Grayson

692 7,540 867

Green

249 1,892 920

Greenup

791 7,183 959

Hancock

236 3,668 1,593

Hardin

3,727 49,455 1,076

Harlan

523 6,385 855

Harrison

428 5,398 942

Hart

417 5,445 1,029

Henderson

1,446 18,881 1,105

Henry

409 3,031 974

Hickman

114 948 856

Hopkins

1,216 17,679 1,098

Jackson

203 1,829 829

Jefferson

33,960 484,029 1,393

Jessamine

1,995 19,127 1,087

Johnson

639 5,375 857

Kenton

6,017 76,053 1,457

Knott

308 2,306 835

Knox

620 7,834 854

Larue

329 2,691 876

Laurel

1,795 26,297 978

Lawrence

355 3,918 903

Lee

161 1,628 926

Leslie

173 1,579 901

Letcher

499 4,232 899

Lewis

275 1,849 858

Lincoln

512 3,844 878

Livingston

262 3,442 1,285

Logan

793 8,968 1,105

Lyon

289 2,555 954

McCracken

2,905 41,222 1,140

McCreary

305 2,974 906

McLean

246 1,807 900

Madison

3,146 37,710 1,037

Magoffin

290 1,967 774

Marion

539 9,068 969

Marshall

1,055 11,379 1,211

Martin

220 1,848 958

Mason

725 7,981 987

Meade

546 5,671 1,188

Menifee

132 981 799

Mercer

589 6,490 1,154

Metcalfe

261 2,236 839

Monroe

305 3,255 1,065

Montgomery

897 10,343 986

Morgan

290 3,298 955

Muhlenberg

748 8,027 1,100

Nelson

1,539 18,575 1,163

Nicholas

126 978 710

Ohio

521 7,435 858

Oldham

2,517 17,209 1,278

Owen

184 1,587 974

Owsley

92 735 834

Pendleton

291 2,208 1,049

Perry

948 11,488 1,036

Pike

1,623 20,663 1,003

Powell

302 2,929 834

Pulaski

2,185 26,451 960

Robertson

59 322 720

Rockcastle

283 3,943 805

Rowan

819 10,685 966

Russell

553 6,102 900

Scott

1,832 31,471 1,380

Shelby

1,600 16,952 1,127

Simpson

708 9,186 1,064

Spencer

447 2,356 890

Taylor

921 12,109 899

Todd

328 2,944 916

Trigg

348 2,876 821

Trimble

162 1,072 1,208

Union

388 5,330 1,201

Warren

5,373 72,591 1,081

Washington

364 3,724 1,024

Wayne

457 5,234 775

Webster

294 2,748 1,040

Whitley

1,043 14,605 915

Wolfe

187 1,554 789

Woodford

1,096 10,013 1,069

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
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025