Employment rose in 20 of the 26 largest counties in California with published data from March 2025 to March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. California employment increased 0.9 percent over the year to 18,211,800 in March 2026, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Monterey County (+3.4 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (See chart 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among selected large counties in California, March 2026

County	Percent change, March 2026
Monterey	3.4
Kern	2.3
Placer	2.2
San Francisco	2.0
Santa Cruz	1.7
Fresno	1.6
Santa Clara	1.5
Santa Barbara	1.4
Merced	1.2
San Joaquin	1.1
San Bernardino	0.7
San Luis Obispo	0.7
Stanislaus	0.3
Marin	0.1
San Diego	0.0
Sonoma	-0.3
Ventura	-0.5
Solano	-0.7
Yolo	-1.4
Napa	-1.7

Los Angeles County (4,548,000) had the highest employment level in California in March 2026. Together, the 29 largest counties accounted for 93.1 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 376 largest counties comprise 73.5 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 2025.)

Average weekly wage changes in 21 of the 28 large counties in California with published data were below the national average of 3.9 percent. (See chart 2.) Santa Clara had the largest gain (+7.8 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among the other 27 large California counties ranged from 7.0 percent to -9.6 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among selected large counties in California, first quarter 2026

County	Percent change, first quarter 2026
Santa Clara	7.8
San Diego	7.0
San Mateo	6.1
Alameda	4.4
Orange	4.3
San Luis Obispo	4.3
Ventura	4.1
Solano	3.5
Tulare	3.5
Placer	3.1
Riverside	1.9
Santa Barbara	1.7
Yolo	1.7
Contra Costa	1.6
Los Angeles	1.5
Monterey	1.5
San Bernardino	1.5
Stanislaus	1.4
Marin	1.1
San Francisco	-9.6

Weekly wages in 9 of the 29 largest counties in California were above the national average of $1,654. Average weekly wages ranged from $4,650 in San Mateo to $1,062 in Tulare.

Statewide, average weekly wages increased 2.7 percent over the year to $1,986. California ranked 6th in average weekly wages among the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 44th in wage growth.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 29 smaller counties in California, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2025. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all of the smaller counties were below the national average. Nevada reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,505) among small counties. Alpine reported the lowest average weekly wage ($936) in the state.

Among all 58 California counties, 9 reported average weekly wages less than $1,075, 21 had wages from $1,075 to $1,224, 9 had wages from $1,225 to $1,374, 8 had wages from $1,375 to $1,524, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,525 or higher. (See map1 and table 2.)