Employment figures for Kentucky’s largest counties showed increases in two out of three from March 2024 to March 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Boone County recorded the highest employment growth among them, with a 1.3 percent rise.
Jefferson County reported the highest employment total in March 2025 at 478,100 jobs. The combined employment of Jefferson, Fayette, and Boone counties made up nearly 40 percent of all covered jobs in Kentucky during this period. Across the United States, large counties—those with annual average employment levels above 75,000—accounted for more than 73 percent of national covered employment.
Average weekly wages increased over the year in all three large Kentucky counties. Fayette led with a 3.1 percent wage increase, followed by Boone at 2.6 percent and Jefferson at 2.4 percent.
Despite these gains, average weekly wages in each of these large Kentucky counties remained below the national average of $1,589 for the quarter ending March 2025. Jefferson had the highest county-level wage at $1,485 per week; Fayette followed at $1,300 and Boone at $1,156.
The report also provided data on Kentucky’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees in 2024—showing that almost all fell below the national average wage level except Hancock County ($1,750). Nicholas County had the state’s lowest average weekly wage at $699.
Wage distribution across all Kentucky counties revealed that most paid less than $1,100 per week on average: sixteen reported under $800; thirty-four ranged from $800 to $899; twenty-seven from $900 to $999; nineteen from $1,000 to $1,099; and twenty-four exceeded or equaled an average weekly wage of $1,100.
“Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Boone County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 1.3 percent.”
Information about quarterly county-level employment and wages is available through BLS resources such as its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website. Additional nationwide data can be found via regular County Employment and Wages news releases.
The next scheduled release covering second quarter data is set for December 3, 2025.
