Employment in three of Alabama’s seven largest counties increased between March 2024 and March 2025, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated, “Baldwin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.1 percent.”
Jefferson County reported the highest employment among large counties in Alabama, with 365,200 jobs as of March 2025. The seven largest counties together represented 55.7 percent of all covered employment in the state. On a national scale, the 372 largest counties account for 73.4 percent of total covered employment across the United States.
All six large Alabama counties with available data experienced increases in average weekly wages over the year. Jefferson County saw the highest wage growth at 5.4 percent, while other large counties recorded gains ranging from 3.4 percent to 0.7 percent.
Despite these increases, average weekly wages in all large Alabama counties remained below the national average of $1,589 per week. Madison County had the highest average weekly wage among large Alabama counties at $1,514; Baldwin County had the lowest at $996.
Data on employment and wage levels are also available for Alabama’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees in 2024—but only wage levels are published for these areas. Of these small counties, Washington reported the highest average weekly wage at $1,886 and Geneva had the lowest at $825.
Across all 67 Alabama counties, fifteen reported average weekly wages below $925; twenty-one fell between $925 and $999; twelve ranged from $1,000 to $1,074; six were between $1,075 and $1,149; and thirteen reported wages of $1,150 or higher.
Further details about quarterly employment and wage data can be found through resources such as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website. The next release covering second quarter data is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
“Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request,” according to BLS officials.
