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Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Employment fell 0.2 percent in Hawaii’s only large county, Honolulu, from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the rate of employment change in Honolulu ranked 199th among the 364 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)
Employment in Honolulu stood at 452,100 in September 2025, accounting for 70.6 percent of total employment in Hawaii. 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.)
Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025The average weekly wage in Honolulu increased 3.0 percent over the year to $1,391. The national average was $1,459, up 4.7 percent over the year. Honolulu’s weekly wage ranked 125th nationally, and the percent change ranked 288th among the largest U.S. counties.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2025Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the three small counties in Hawaii, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels for all three smaller counties were below the national average. Maui + Kalawao reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,210), followed by Kauai ($1,201). Hawaii reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,180) in the state. (See map 1 and table 2.)
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
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The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
| Area | Establishments, third quarter (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 (thousands) | Percent change, September 2024–25 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | Third quarter 2025 ($) | National ranking by level (3) | Percent change, third quarter 2024–25 (2) | National ranking by percent change (3) | ||
United States (4) | 12,353.8 | 155,767.7 | 0.1 | -- | 1,459 | -- | 4.7 | -- |
Hawaii | 62.1 | 640.1 | 0.1 | -- | 1,342 | 21 | 3.1 | 48 |
Honolulu | 32.2 | 452.1 | -0.2 | 199 | 1,391 | 125 | 3.0 | 288 |
Footnotes: | ||||||||
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. | ||||||||
| Area | Establishments | Employment September 2025 | Average weekly wage ($) (1) |
|---|---|---|---|
United States (2) | 12,353,804 | 155,767,691 | 1,459 |
Hawaii | 62,087 | 640,088 | 1,342 |
Hawaii | 7,453 | 73,657 | 1,180 |
Honolulu | 32,213 | 452,145 | 1,391 |
Kauai | 3,524 | 33,052 | 1,201 |
Maui + Kalawao | 7,899 | 73,604 | 1,210 |
Footnotes: | |||
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs. | |||
| State | Establishments, third quarter (thousands) | Employment | Average weekly wage (1) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 (thousands) | Percent change, September 2024–25 | Third quarter 2025 ($) | National ranking by level | Percent change, third quarter 2024–25 | National ranking by percent change | ||
United States (2) | 12,353.8 | 155,767.7 | 0.1 | 1,459 | -- | 4.7 | -- |
Alabama | 165.7 | 2,119.0 | 0.6 | 1,212 | 36 | 3.6 | 38 |
Alaska | 25.3 | 342.4 | -0.1 | 1,455 | 13 | 5.3 | 7 |
Arizona | 228.4 | 3,215.4 | -0.2 | 1,360 | 19 | 4.0 | 31 |
Arkansas | 111.2 | 1,310.5 | 0.5 | 1,135 | 49 | 3.8 | 33 |
California | 1,986.7 | 18,281.7 | 0.3 | 1,815 | 4 | 7.2 | 2 |
Colorado | 252.9 | 2,886.4 | -0.6 | 1,570 | 7 | 5.7 | 3 |
Connecticut | 149.6 | 1,693.8 | 0.1 | 1,604 | 6 | 3.8 | 33 |
Delaware | 46.7 | 480.8 | 0.0 | 1,394 | 17 | 4.8 | 13 |
District of Columbia | 51.5 | 737.4 | -3.1 | 2,393 | 1 | 5.7 | 3 |
Florida | 892.1 | 9,818.1 | -0.2 | 1,342 | 21 | 5.1 | 8 |
Georgia | 397.2 | 4,874.5 | 0.4 | 1,349 | 20 | 3.5 | 43 |
Hawaii | 62.1 | 640.1 | 0.1 | 1,342 | 21 | 3.1 | 48 |
Idaho | 103.7 | 879.8 | 1.3 | 1,180 | 44 | 4.9 | 11 |
Illinois | 386.5 | 6,086.3 | -0.1 | 1,457 | 12 | 4.3 | 23 |
Indiana | 197.1 | 3,198.4 | 0.1 | 1,214 | 35 | 4.3 | 23 |
Iowa | 109.6 | 1,549.3 | -0.9 | 1,194 | 39 | 3.6 | 38 |
Kansas | 102.2 | 1,431.7 | 0.1 | 1,179 | 45 | 3.8 | 33 |
Kentucky | 160.7 | 1,995.4 | -0.4 | 1,176 | 46 | 4.3 | 23 |
Louisiana | 158.7 | 1,913.1 | -0.1 | 1,187 | 42 | 3.3 | 46 |
Maine | 67.4 | 659.2 | -0.2 | 1,231 | 33 | 5.0 | 10 |
Maryland | 199.5 | 2,739.5 | -1.3 | 1,526 | 9 | 3.8 | 33 |
Massachusetts | 293.2 | 3,625.0 | -0.9 | 1,818 | 3 | 4.8 | 13 |
Michigan | 316.0 | 4,423.8 | -0.4 | 1,323 | 25 | 4.5 | 18 |
Minnesota | 214.3 | 2,958.6 | 0.2 | 1,438 | 15 | 3.6 | 38 |
Mississippi | 91.3 | 1,172.6 | 0.0 | 1,005 | 51 | 4.7 | 15 |
Missouri | 256.0 | 2,903.7 | -0.4 | 1,249 | 31 | 4.4 | 21 |
Montana | 64.6 | 518.3 | -0.4 | 1,182 | 43 | 5.1 | 8 |
Nebraska | 78.6 | 1,021.8 | -0.1 | 1,190 | 40 | 3.1 | 48 |
Nevada | 109.5 | 1,581.0 | 1.4 | 1,314 | 27 | 4.3 | 23 |
New Hampshire | 67.3 | 687.8 | -0.6 | 1,481 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 |
New Jersey | 334.9 | 4,301.0 | 0.4 | 1,558 | 8 | 3.6 | 38 |
New Mexico | 69.0 | 876.4 | 0.3 | 1,190 | 40 | 3.2 | 47 |
New York | 720.8 | 9,808.4 | 0.4 | 1,757 | 5 | 4.7 | 15 |
North Carolina | 386.3 | 4,939.4 | 0.5 | 1,328 | 23 | 4.2 | 27 |
North Dakota | 36.7 | 433.8 | -0.5 | 1,291 | 29 | 2.8 | 50 |
Ohio | 346.6 | 5,537.8 | 0.1 | 1,279 | 30 | 3.4 | 44 |
Oklahoma | 128.8 | 1,697.9 | -0.3 | 1,143 | 48 | 4.5 | 18 |
Oregon | 180.5 | 1,994.7 | -1.3 | 1,409 | 16 | 4.2 | 27 |
Pennsylvania | 397.2 | 6,066.3 | 0.2 | 1,383 | 18 | 4.1 | 30 |
Rhode Island | 48.8 | 503.3 | 0.2 | 1,322 | 26 | 4.7 | 15 |
South Carolina | 190.8 | 2,312.3 | 0.7 | 1,198 | 38 | 4.9 | 11 |
South Dakota | 40.9 | 462.9 | 0.1 | 1,146 | 47 | 4.0 | 31 |
Tennessee | 224.2 | 3,255.5 | -1.2 | 1,327 | 24 | 5.7 | 3 |
Texas | 854.9 | 14,062.3 | 0.7 | 1,444 | 14 | 3.6 | 38 |
Utah | 142.4 | 1,745.9 | 1.2 | 1,297 | 28 | 3.8 | 33 |
Vermont | 34.1 | 307.2 | -0.7 | 1,243 | 32 | 4.4 | 21 |
Virginia | 324.0 | 4,142.4 | 0.7 | 1,504 | 10 | 4.2 | 27 |
Washington | 242.3 | 3,639.4 | -0.1 | 1,923 | 2 | 7.7 | 1 |
West Virginia | 62.1 | 701.1 | -0.1 | 1,121 | 50 | 3.4 | 44 |
Wisconsin | 211.6 | 2,949.1 | -0.4 | 1,228 | 34 | 4.5 | 18 |
Wyoming | 31.7 | 285.6 | -1.1 | 1,201 | 37 | 2.0 | 51 |
Puerto Rico | 52.8 | 945.5 | -0.6 | 687 | (3) | 2.7 | (3) |
Virgin Islands | 3.0 | 33.2 | -5.4 | 1,025 | (3) | 4.7 | (3) |
Footnotes: | |||||||
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, March 17, 2026