Employment in Idaho’s two largest counties increased between March 2024 and March 2025, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ada County saw employment rise by 1.6 percent, while Canyon County experienced a 0.9 percent increase during this period.
Ada County recorded the highest employment among the state’s counties, with 287,800 jobs as of March 2025. Combined, Ada and Canyon counties made up 44.3 percent of Idaho’s total covered employment. For comparison, the nation’s 372 largest counties account for about 73.4 percent of all covered employment in the United States.
Both Ada and Canyon counties reported average weekly wage increases of 3.9 percent over the year. Despite these gains, average weekly wages in both counties remained below the national average of $1,589; Ada County averaged $1,386 per week and Canyon County averaged $1,013.
Data on employment and wage levels are also available for Idaho’s smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees in 2024. In these areas, wage levels were generally lower than the national average. Butte County had the highest average weekly wage at $2,275, while Boise County reported the lowest at $652.
Across all Idaho counties in March 2025: twelve had average weekly wages below $900; nine fell between $900 and $974; thirteen ranged from $975 to $1,049; and ten had wages of $1,050 or more.
Additional details on quarterly employment and wages can be found through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website. The next release covering data for the second quarter of 2025 is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
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