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- calendar_today November 2, 2026
Employment and wage trends in Georgia's largest counties have experienced notable shifts over the past year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data from both the third quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 provide insights into how Georgia's top labor markets are evolving and how they compare to national trends.
Employment Changes
Between March 2025 and March 2026, employment declined in 9 of Georgia's 12 largest counties, despite state-level employment remaining essentially unchanged. Muscogee County recorded the largest decline at -2.1%. Other counties with employment decreases included Bibb, Hall, and Richmond (each at -1.2%), as well as Chatham, Clayton, Henry, Gwinnett, and DeKalb. In contrast, Cobb County saw the largest increase at 1.0%, followed by Forsyth (0.8%) and Fulton (0.3%). Fulton County retained the highest employment level, with 933,900 jobs as of March 2026, and the 12 largest counties collectively accounted for 58.5% of the state’s covered employment.[Full BLS report, Q1 2026]
Looking at the previous period from September 2024 to September 2025, employment had risen in 8 of the largest counties. Cobb County topped the list for job growth with a 0.9% increase, and Bibb, Richmond, Henry, and others also showed modest growth. However, Gwinnett, Muscogee, and Clayton reported declines.[Full BLS report, Q3 2025]
Trends in Average Weekly Wages
All 12 large counties in Georgia reported wage gains over the year ending September 2025. Chatham led with the largest increase of 5.7%, followed by Muscogee (4.3%) and DeKalb (3.9%). The lowest gains were recorded in Hall (1.8%), Henry (2.0%), and Forsyth (2.1%).[Full BLS report, Q3 2025]
Data from the first quarter of 2026 show Muscogee with the largest wage increase at 6.8%. Other counties experienced wage growth ranging from 5.5% in Clayton to 1.1% in Forsyth. Seven of the largest Georgia counties had wage gains below the 3.9% national average.[Full BLS report, Q1 2026]
Wage Levels Among Counties
In Q3 2025, Fulton County posted the highest average weekly wage among Georgia's large counties at $1,879, exceeding the national average of $1,459. Cobb was next highest at $1,456. By Q1 2026, Fulton's wage figure increased substantially to $2,355. Only three counties—Fulton ($2,355), Clayton ($1,885), and Cobb ($1,717)—had average weekly wages above the national average of $1,654. Other large counties reported average weekly wages ranging from $1,650 (DeKalb) down to $1,072 (Henry).[Full BLS report, Q1 2026]
Statewide Context
Statewide, Georgia's average weekly wage increased 3.3% to $1,539 in Q1 2026, ranking the state 17th among all states and the District of Columbia.[Full BLS report, Q1 2026] For smaller counties, average weekly wages remained below the national average, with Burke County reporting the highest ($2,159 in Q1 2026) and Quitman County the lowest ($720 in Q1 2026).
Overall, Georgia's largest counties experienced sluggish or declining employment over the past year, while wage growth was generally positive but varied between counties and lagged behind national figures in many areas.
