Employment in Kentucky’s three largest counties showed growth in two of them between March 2024 and March 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Boone County led with a 1.3 percent increase in employment over the year.
Jefferson County reported the highest employment figure among the state’s largest counties, with 478,100 jobs as of March 2025. Combined, Boone, Fayette, and Jefferson counties represented nearly 40 percent of all covered employment within Kentucky. Across the United States, large counties—those with at least 75,000 employees—make up more than 70 percent of total covered employment.
Average weekly wages rose in all three large Kentucky counties during this period. Fayette County had the largest wage increase at 3.1 percent, followed by Boone at 2.6 percent and Jefferson at 2.4 percent.
Despite these increases, average weekly wages in each of these counties remained below the national average of $1,589 per week. Jefferson County recorded the highest local average weekly wage at $1,485, with Fayette and Boone following at $1,300 and $1,156 respectively.
For Kentucky’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees—employment and wage levels are also available. Of these 117 small counties, all but one reported average weekly wages below the national level; Hancock County was an exception with an average weekly wage of $1,750. Nicholas County had the lowest average weekly wage statewide at $699.
Out of all Kentucky’s 120 counties, sixteen had average weekly wages under $800; thirty-four ranged from $800 to $899; twenty-seven were between $900 and $999; nineteen fell between $1,000 and $1,099; and twenty-four reported averages above $1,100.
Further details on quarterly county-level employment and wages can be found on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website. The next update for second quarter data is scheduled for release on December 3, 2025.
“Employment increased in 2 of the 3 largest counties in Kentucky from March 2024 to March 2025,” said Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee. “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.”
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