County data show uneven U.S. job growth and rising wages in early 2026
U.S. employment grew only slightly through March 2026, but new county-level data show a labor market that varied sharply by location and industry.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, August 28, that employment covered by its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages reached 154.8 million in March, up 0.1% from March 2025. Average weekly wages rose 3.9% in the first quarter to $1,654.
The QCEW is based primarily on state unemployment-insurance records filed by employers. It provides quarterly information on covered employment, establishments and wages. Its figures differ from the monthly Current Employment Statistics payroll survey, which is based on a sample of establishments.
Wage growth was more widespread than job growth
Among the 376 largest counties covered in the news release, employment increased in 151. By contrast, 358 counties recorded higher average weekly wages.
That split matters for workers and local officials. A county can post higher average wages even when employment is flat or falling, particularly when high-paying industries make up a larger share of the local job base. Average weekly wage growth is not the same as a typical worker’s raise.
The counties in the release had annual average employment of at least 75,000 in 2025. Table 1 is titled for 377 counties because it includes the United States aggregate row alongside the 376 counties.
Local results ranged from Ohio gains to Washington losses
Licking County, Ohio, recorded the largest employment percentage increase, at 3.6%. BLS said the largest increase within the county came in trade, transportation and utilities, which added 677 jobs, or 3.7%.
Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia, recorded the largest employment declines, down 4.5% each. Government accounted for Washington’s largest loss, with employment down 25,704, or 11.0%. Arlington’s largest decline came in professional and business services, which fell by 3,563 jobs, or 5.6%.
Some county-level movements were heavily influenced by individual industries. BLS said St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, had the largest wage increase, 23.4%, with an unusually large gain in natural resources and mining contributing substantially to the result. That figure should not be read as a broad-based change for every worker in the parish.
Among the 10 largest counties, only three recorded year-over-year employment increases. Orange County, California, led that group with a 0.7% gain, supported in part by education and health services.
Why another BLS jobs number appeared the same day
BLS also released a preliminary benchmark comparison for the March 2026 Current Employment Statistics series. The agency said the preliminary benchmark difference was 79,000 lower for total nonfarm employment and 178,000 lower for private employment.
That does not mean the official monthly payroll estimates have already been revised. BLS said the preliminary benchmark reflects the difference between two independently derived employment counts, each subject to its own sources of error. Official establishment-survey estimates are not updated using this preliminary figure.
The final benchmark revision is scheduled to be incorporated in February 2027 with the release of the January 2027 Employment Situation. Until then, the preliminary figure is best understood as a measurement warning rather than a finalized change to the monthly jobs series.
What readers can watch next
The QCEW release provides a detailed view of where covered jobs and wages were changing through March, but it does not measure unemployment, labor-force participation or household income. BLS also cautioned that adjusted year-over-year changes in the news release may differ from unadjusted figures in its data tools and interactive charts.
Readers can use the BLS county tables and the Census Business Builder to examine employment, establishments and wages in specific counties. The next QCEW release, covering the second quarter of 2026, is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
Sources
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