Employment increased in half of Georgia’s 12 largest counties between March 2024 and March 2025, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Henry County recorded the largest employment gain at 1.4 percent, while Clayton County saw the biggest decline at 2.3 percent.
Fulton County had the highest total employment among large counties in March 2025, with 944,900 jobs. The state’s 12 largest counties made up nearly 59 percent of all covered employment in Georgia. Nationally, large counties account for about three-quarters of covered employment across the United States.
Wages rose over the year in most of Georgia’s largest counties. DeKalb County led with a wage increase of 6.4 percent. Ten other large counties reported gains ranging from 0.1 to 5.6 percent, while Muscogee County posted a decrease of one percent.
Three large Georgia counties—Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett—had average weekly wages above the national average of $1,589 during this period. Fulton had the highest at $2,284 per week; Henry had the lowest among large counties at $1,018.
The BLS also provided wage and employment figures for Georgia’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 jobs in 2024. Most small counties paid less than the national average; Burke County was an exception with an average weekly wage of $2,054. Clay County reported the lowest weekly wage statewide at $655.
Across all Georgia’s 159 counties, wages varied widely: Forty-four reported average weekly wages below $875; forty-two ranged from $875 to $949; twenty-four fell between $950 and $1,024; seventeen were between $1,025 and $1,099; and thirty-two had wages above $1,100.
Additional information on quarterly employment and wage data is available through BLS resources such as technical notes and its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website (https://www.bls.gov/cew/).
“The County Employment and Wages news release for second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).”
Individuals needing information in accessible formats can contact BLS by phone or through Telecommunications Relay Service.
