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. Baldwin County recorded the highest employment growth among these counties, with a 2.1 percent increase.
Jefferson County reported the highest level of employment in March 2025, with 365,200 jobs. The seven largest counties together represented more than half—55.7 percent—of all covered employment in Alabama during this period. In comparison, the nation’s 372 largest counties accounted for nearly three-quarters (73.4 percent) of total covered employment across the United States.
The report defines large counties as those with an annual average employment level of at least 75,000 in 2024.
All six large Alabama counties for which wage data were published experienced increases in average weekly wages over the year. Jefferson County saw the largest wage gain at 5.4 percent, while other large counties posted increases ranging from 3.4 percent to 0.7 percent.
Despite these gains, 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 them 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 for current levels rather than changes over time. Among these smaller areas, Washington County reported the state’s highest average weekly wage ($1,886), while Geneva County had the lowest ($825). Wage levels in all but one small county were below the national average.
Across all of Alabama’s 67 counties:
– Fifteen reported average weekly wages under $925.
– Twenty-one fell between $925 and $999.
– Twelve ranged from $1,000 to $1,074.
– Six ranged from $1,075 to $1,149.
– Thirteen had average weekly wages above $1,150.
Additional details about quarterly employment and wage data can be found through resources provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
“Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Baldwin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.1 percent.”
The next release covering second quarter data is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
