County Employment and Wages in Ohio — First Quarter 2024

Employment rose in 11 of the 14 largest counties in Ohio from March 2023 to March 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Stark County (+2.5 percent), Butler County (+2.4 percent), and Greene County (+2.4 percent) had the largest over-the-year increases in employment. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

National employment increased 1.3 percent over the year, with 300 of the 369 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Monterey, CA, and St. Johns, FL, had the largest over-the-year increases in employment, with gains of 4.8 percent each. Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-4.9 percent).

Among the 14 largest counties in Ohio, employment was highest in Franklin (769,600) in March 2024. Within Franklin County's private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 14 largest Ohio counties accounted for 65.2 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties made up 73.3 percent of total covered U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 74 counties in Ohio with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in all 74 of the smaller counties were below the national average of $1,527 in the first quarter of 2024. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

All 14 large Ohio counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. (See chart 2.) Warren County had the largest gain (+8.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Ohio's other 13 large counties ranged from 6.5 percent to 2.4 percent.

Nationwide, wages increased by 4.2 percent over the year. Among the 369 largest counties in the United States, 357 had over-the-year wage increases. Santa Clara, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+14.6 percent). Saginaw, MI, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-3.4 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Average weekly wages in Hamilton County and Cuyahoga County were above the national average of $1,527 in the first quarter of 2024. Average weekly wages in 3 of the 14 large counties ranked among the top 100 nationwide: Hamilton ($1,572, 74^th), Cuyahoga ($1,528, 85^th), and Delaware ($1,517, 87^th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages at or above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2024. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage ($4,385). Average weekly wages were below the national average in the remaining 284 counties. Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage ($807).

Smaller county average weekly wages

All 74 smaller counties in Ohio-those with employment below 75,000- reported an average weekly wage below the national average. Hocking County ($740) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 88 counties in Ohio were considered, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $850, 16 registered wages from $850 to $949, 30 had wages from $950 to $1,049, 17 had wages from $1,050 to $1,149, and 19 had average weekly wages of $1,150 or higher. (See map 1.)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release or visit the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update.

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 the second quarter 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2024 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 5, 2024.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 14 largest counties in Ohio, first quarter 2024

Area	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment	Average weekly wage (1)
March 2024 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2023-24 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)	First quarter 2024 ($)	National ranking by level (3)	Percent change, first quarter 2023-24 (2)	National ranking by percent change (3)
United States (4)	12,169.0	153,585.6	1.3	--	1,527	--	4.2	--
Ohio	337.0	5,452.8	0.8	--	1,315	25	4.0	24
Butler	9.0	161.3	2.4	46	1,290	191	6.5	21
Cuyahoga	38.8	698.8	0.6	245	1,528	85	5.4	40
Delaware	7.1	94.9	1.7	109	1,517	87	2.8	270
Franklin	39.3	769.6	1.2	173	1,457	104	3.6	200
Greene	4.1	79.4	2.4	46	1,433	115	5.1	55
Hamilton	26.8	511.1	0.1	295	1,572	74	3.9	165
Lake	6.7	96.6	-0.1	308	1,151	295	4.4	117
Lorain	6.9	96.7	0.7	234	1,084	332	3.5	209
Lucas	10.8	194.2	-1.0	357	1,261	211	3.2	236
Mahoning	6.2	92.9	0.7	234	1,005	355	4.7	92
Montgomery	13.1	248.6	0.8	217	1,208	246	2.4	300
Stark	9.4	156.0	2.5	41	1,085	331	3.2	236
Summit	15.6	258.3	-0.5	336	1,288	192	5.1	55
Warren	6.4	98.9	1.1	187	1,357	153	8.0	8
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. Covered employment and wages includes 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 Ohio, first quarter 2024

Area	Establishments	Employment March 2024	Average weekly wage ($) (1)
United States (2)	12,169,000	153,585,576	1,527
Ohio	336,986	5,452,794	1,315
Adams	658	6,657	1,010
Allen	2,550	49,152	1,146
Ashland	1,221	18,631	925
Ashtabula	2,235	29,289	917
Athens	1,339	20,853	913
Auglaize	1,110	21,831	1,117
Belmont	1,634	20,285	950
Brown	746	7,929	809
Butler	9,019	161,293	1,290
Carroll	554	6,063	916
Champaign	738	10,528	993
Clark	2,590	47,113	1,004
Clermont	4,998	61,545	1,152
Clinton	954	19,047	1,253
Columbiana	2,215	28,102	938
Coshocton	736	9,678	995
Crawford	943	12,577	935
Cuyahoga	38,765	698,768	1,528
Darke	1,345	17,986	950
Defiance	937	15,397	1,063
Delaware	7,057	94,877	1,517
Erie	2,042	34,053	1,021
Fairfield	3,438	46,399	977
Fayette	682	11,185	962
Franklin	39,346	769,635	1,457
Fulton	1,136	17,911	1,060
Gallia	741	11,398	939
Geauga	3,181	35,628	1,097
Greene	4,114	79,437	1,433
Guernsey	975	14,422	998
Hamilton	26,817	511,129	1,572
Hancock	1,944	44,178	1,428
Hardin	558	7,662	956
Harrison	340	3,730	1,191
Henry	684	10,384	1,013
Highland	834	11,123	842
Hocking	578	7,401	740
Holmes	1,521	21,164	980
Huron	1,403	21,154	980
Jackson	739	10,301	859
Jefferson	1,389	20,313	926
Knox	1,315	20,506	1,039
Lake	6,735	96,569	1,151
Lawrence	998	13,664	921
Licking	3,921	68,986	1,101
Logan	1,018	19,135	1,004
Lorain	6,861	96,713	1,084
Lucas	10,836	194,177	1,261
Madison	1,033	23,195	1,009
Mahoning	6,197	92,911	1,005
Marion	1,238	23,006	1,040
Medina	5,139	61,641	1,141
Meigs	356	3,455	777
Mercer	1,206	20,283	945
Miami	2,581	41,091	1,053
Monroe	375	2,906	882
Montgomery	13,098	248,551	1,208
Morgan	232	2,936	927
Morrow	569	5,285	843
Muskingum	1,940	34,664	1,012
Noble	284	3,055	1,001
Ottawa	1,212	12,817	1,165
Paulding	412	4,910	943
Perry	589	6,236	952
Pickaway	1,062	15,726	1,073
Pike	591	10,400	1,214
Portage	3,709	56,391	1,121
Preble	796	11,357	1,074
Putnam	860	12,456	963
Richland	2,879	48,753	957
Ross	1,521	29,527	1,109
Sandusky	1,451	24,938	1,013
Scioto	1,490	25,036	935
Seneca	1,238	18,976	978
Shelby	1,119	26,421	1,110
Stark	9,354	155,972	1,085
Summit	15,634	258,343	1,288
Trumbull	4,413	64,888	1,000
Tuscarawas	2,418	36,801	978
Union	1,545	33,497	1,241
Van Wert	653	11,560	938
Vinton	209	2,226	845
Warren	6,353	98,910	1,357
Washington	1,639	24,916	1,140
Wayne	2,984	48,088	1,056
Williams	908	16,170	1,006
Wood	3,424	75,621	1,162
Wyandot	587	10,217	1,037
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 includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2024

State	Establishments, first quarter (thousands)	Employment	Average weekly wage (1)
March 2024 (thousands)	Percent change, March 2023-24	First quarter 2024 ($)	National ranking by level	Percent change, first quarter 2023-24	National ranking by percent change
United States (2)	12,169.0	153,585.6	1.3	1,527	--	4.2	--
Alabama	160.7	2,091.9	1.6	1,201	37	3.3	44
Alaska	25.2	318.1	2.2	1,374	22	5.6	2
Arizona	229.4	3,257.0	2.9	1,372	23	3.1	46
Arkansas	104.6	1,292.8	1.4	1,171	44	4.0	24
California	1,835.8	18,053.0	1.5	1,833	5	5.5	3
Colorado	264.4	2,851.4	0.3	1,613	8	3.5	38
Connecticut	149.5	1,661.9	1.0	1,908	4	4.4	18
Delaware	43.0	469.3	1.8	1,484	15	3.7	33
District of Columbia	52.3	759.8	0.7	2,434	1	4.0	24
Florida	898.9	9,863.2	2.1	1,384	20	4.2	20
Georgia	401.4	4,843.9	1.3	1,441	17	4.7	12
Hawaii	58.6	638.8	0.6	1,278	29	4.8	10
Idaho	98.5	835.8	1.9	1,130	47	4.1	22
Illinois	410.2	5,966.9	0.3	1,608	9	2.7	50
Indiana	195.2	3,148.3	0.6	1,271	30	5.7	1
Iowa	110.8	1,543.1	0.9	1,214	36	3.2	45
Kansas	100.7	1,415.7	0.7	1,199	38	3.8	32
Kentucky	155.8	1,987.2	1.4	1,178	42	3.4	43
Louisiana	154.5	1,904.2	0.7	1,195	39	4.0	24
Maine	65.0	626.4	1.3	1,249	34	5.2	4
Maryland	198.4	2,690.0	0.8	1,591	10	4.5	16
Massachusetts	287.4	3,599.0	0.5	2,015	3	4.9	8
Michigan	338.6	4,351.0	1.0	1,352	24	3.5	38
Minnesota	210.5	2,850.4	0.2	1,519	14	4.0	24
Mississippi	89.5	1,157.2	0.2	980	51	3.6	36
Missouri	257.5	2,882.5	1.0	1,269	31	3.7	33
Montana	61.8	503.1	1.2	1,126	49	4.4	18
Nebraska	76.0	1,007.3	1.5	1,195	39	2.6	51
Nevada	112.1	1,534.4	2.4	1,304	28	4.7	12
New Hampshire	65.9	680.0	1.1	1,531	13	4.7	12
New Jersey	335.6	4,218.8	1.3	1,761	7	3.5	38
New Mexico	67.9	861.5	1.6	1,159	45	4.8	10
New York	709.5	9,537.4	1.8	2,089	2	3.5	38
North Carolina	395.7	4,871.0	1.8	1,401	18	4.0	24
North Dakota	36.1	419.9	1.6	1,261	33	3.7	33
Ohio	337.0	5,452.8	0.8	1,315	25	4.0	24
Oklahoma	132.9	1,690.0	1.7	1,152	46	4.0	24
Oregon	198.9	1,971.9	-0.3	1,377	21	3.1	46
Pennsylvania	392.0	5,967.0	1.1	1,449	16	3.0	48
Rhode Island	48.5	483.9	1.1	1,387	19	4.0	24
South Carolina	184.6	2,265.9	2.1	1,194	41	4.9	8
South Dakota	39.9	449.7	2.0	1,129	48	4.2	20
Tennessee	230.1	3,261.3	1.9	1,311	27	3.5	38
Texas	839.6	13,826.9	1.7	1,540	12	4.1	22
Utah	135.7	1,699.6	1.9	1,313	26	5.2	4
Vermont	32.8	307.3	0.6	1,232	35	3.6	36
Virginia	318.3	4,072.6	1.6	1,554	11	5.2	4
Washington	224.3	3,577.3	1.3	1,815	6	5.1	7
West Virginia	60.8	694.0	1.6	1,110	50	4.6	15
Wisconsin	206.0	2,899.1	0.6	1,263	32	4.5	16
Wyoming	30.8	274.1	1.1	1,177	43	2.8	49
Puerto Rico	54.7	952.8	1.6	677	(3)	4.8	(3)
Virgin Islands	3.9	36.5	0.9	996	(3)	1.6	(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. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

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