First Quarter — 2025-09-09

From March 2024 to March 2025, employment increased in 221 of the 372 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In March 2025, national employment increased to 154.5 million, a 0.4-percent increase over the year, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. Loudoun, VA, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.4 percent. Employment data in this release are presented for March 2025, and average weekly wage data are presented for first quarter 2025. Among the 372 largest counties, 340 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. In the first quarter of 2025, average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,589, a 4.1-percent increase over the year. Benton, AR, had the largest first quarter over-the-year wage gain at 14.6 percent. (See table 1.) Loudoun, VA, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+3.4 percent).