First Quarter — 2026-08-28

From March 2025 to March 2026, employment increased in 151 of the 376 largest U.S. counties, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In March 2026, national employment increased to 154.8 million, a 0.1-percent increase over the year, as measured by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. Licking, OH, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.6 percent. Employment data in this release are presented for March 2026, and average weekly wage data are presented for first quarter 2026. Among the 376 largest counties, 358 had over-the-year increases in average weekly wages. In the first quarter of 2026, average weekly wages for the nation increased to $1,654, a 3.9-percent increase over the year. St. Tammany, LA, had the largest first quarter over-the-year wage gain at 23.4 percent. (See table 1.) Licking, OH, had the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+3.6 percent).