Employment in Kentucky’s three largest counties showed mixed results from March 2024 to March 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Boone County saw a 1.3 percent increase in employment, the highest among these counties.
Jefferson County reported the highest number of employees at 478,100 as of March 2025. The three largest counties—Jefferson, Fayette, and Boone—made up nearly 40 percent of all covered employment in Kentucky. On a national scale, the largest counties account for more than 73 percent of total covered employment across the United States.
Average weekly wages rose in all three large Kentucky counties over the year. Fayette County led with a 3.1 percent increase, followed by Boone at 2.6 percent and Jefferson at 2.4 percent.
Despite these increases, average weekly wages in all three large counties remained below the national average of $1,589. Jefferson had the highest wage among them at $1,485 per week; Fayette followed with $1,300 and Boone reported $1,156.
For Kentucky’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees—wage data also trailed behind national figures. Of these 117 small counties, only Hancock exceeded the national average with an average weekly wage of $1,750; Nicholas recorded the lowest at $699.
Statewide figures show that out of all 120 Kentucky counties:
– Sixteen reported average weekly wages under $800,
– Thirty-four fell between $800 and $899,
– Twenty-seven ranged from $900 to $999,
– Nineteen were between $1,000 and $1,099,
– Twenty-four had wages above $1,100.
The next County Employment and Wages news release for second quarter 2025 is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
“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.”
Further details on county-level employment and wage statistics are available through official BLS releases and their Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
