Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW)

Fulton County had the highest covered employment (QCEW) of 159 counties in 2016, at 823,703 jobs. Taliaferro County had the lowest, at 189 jobs. The median was 6,321 jobs and the figure for Georgia was 4,262,937 jobs. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest823,703Fulton County
Median6,321159 counties
Georgia4,262,937History

Map of counties, 2016

Appling County: 7,083 jobsAtkinson County: 2,004 jobsBacon County: 4,010 jobsBaker County: 435 jobsBaldwin County: 15,356 jobsBanks County: 4,053 jobsBarrow County: 17,702 jobsBartow County: 35,317 jobsBen Hill County: 5,616 jobsBerrien County: 3,551 jobsBibb County: 81,413 jobsBleckley County: 2,629 jobsBrantley County: 2,249 jobsBrooks County: 3,076 jobsBryan County: 7,781 jobsBulloch County: 25,179 jobsBurke County: 10,259 jobsButts County: 6,089 jobsCalhoun County: 1,057 jobsCamden County: 13,760 jobsCandler County: 2,881 jobsCarroll County: 39,036 jobsCatoosa County: 14,092 jobsCharlton County: 2,152 jobsChatham County: 149,090 jobsChattahoochee County: 2,234 jobsChattooga County: 6,200 jobsCherokee County: 55,973 jobsClarke County: 68,723 jobsClay County: 542 jobsClayton County: 120,544 jobsClinch County: 2,391 jobsCobb County: 345,651 jobsCoffee County: 16,713 jobsColquitt County: 14,674 jobsColumbia County: 32,173 jobsCook County: 4,118 jobsCoweta County: 37,140 jobsCrawford County: 1,379 jobsCrisp County: 8,007 jobsDade County: 3,302 jobsDawson County: 8,315 jobsDecatur County: 8,384 jobsDeKalb County: 294,582 jobsDodge County: 5,025 jobsDooly County: 3,654 jobsDougherty County: 47,030 jobsDouglas County: 41,519 jobsEarly County: 4,285 jobsEchols County: 778 jobsEffingham County: 9,534 jobsElbert County: 5,713 jobsEmanuel County: 6,683 jobsEvans County: 4,455 jobsFannin County: 6,321 jobsFayette County: 42,350 jobsFloyd County: 38,726 jobsForsyth County: 71,247 jobsFranklin County: 7,813 jobsFulton County: 823,703 jobsGilmer County: 7,030 jobsGlascock County: 425 jobsGlynn County: 37,606 jobsGordon County: 20,047 jobsGrady County: 5,548 jobsGreene County: 5,777 jobsGwinnett County: 342,828 jobsHabersham County: 14,565 jobsHall County: 82,224 jobsHancock County: 1,537 jobsHaralson County: 6,400 jobsHarris County: 4,599 jobsHart County: 6,381 jobsHeard County: 2,102 jobsHenry County: 56,802 jobsHouston County: 58,776 jobsIrwin County: 1,882 jobsJackson County: 24,698 jobsJasper County: 2,045 jobsJeff Davis County: 4,352 jobsJefferson County: 4,769 jobsJenkins County: 1,377 jobsJohnson County: 1,574 jobsJones County: 4,628 jobsLamar County: 3,701 jobsLanier County: 1,598 jobsLaurens County: 18,015 jobsLee County: 6,387 jobsLiberty County: 18,039 jobsLincoln County: 1,359 jobsLong County: 925 jobsLowndes County: 49,061 jobsLumpkin County: 7,281 jobsMcDuffie County: 6,801 jobsMcIntosh County: 1,696 jobsMacon County: 2,763 jobsMadison County: 3,340 jobsMarion County: 1,125 jobsMeriwether County: 4,680 jobsMiller County: 1,686 jobsMitchell County: 7,137 jobsMonroe County: 7,588 jobsMontgomery County: 1,576 jobsMorgan County: 6,720 jobsMurray County: 10,074 jobsMuscogee County: 93,050 jobsNewton County: 23,510 jobsOconee County: 10,705 jobsOglethorpe County: 1,647 jobsPaulding County: 22,760 jobsPeach County: 9,090 jobsPickens County: 7,535 jobsPierce County: 4,079 jobsPike County: 2,878 jobsPolk County: 10,874 jobsPulaski County: 2,824 jobsPutnam County: 5,513 jobsQuitman County: 375 jobsRabun County: 4,868 jobsRandolph County: 1,849 jobsRichmond County: 104,303 jobsRockdale County: 32,051 jobsSchley County: 958 jobsScreven County: 3,386 jobsSeminole County: 2,304 jobsSpalding County: 22,302 jobsStephens County: 9,216 jobsStewart County: 1,156 jobsSumter County: 10,793 jobsTalbot County: 751 jobsTaliaferro County: 189 jobsTattnall County: 5,768 jobsTaylor County: 2,292 jobsTelfair County: 3,467 jobsTerrell County: 2,353 jobsThomas County: 21,093 jobsTift County: 19,054 jobsToombs County: 11,601 jobsTowns County: 3,577 jobsTreutlen County: 1,133 jobsTroup County: 39,276 jobsTurner County: 2,177 jobsTwiggs County: 2,125 jobsUnion County: 7,091 jobsUpson County: 6,516 jobsWalker County: 12,976 jobsWalton County: 21,842 jobsWare County: 15,425 jobsWarren County: 1,509 jobsWashington County: 6,644 jobsWayne County: 7,801 jobsWebster County: 464 jobsWheeler County: 1,173 jobsWhite County: 7,559 jobsWhitfield County: 56,662 jobsWilcox County: 1,119 jobsWilkes County: 3,033 jobsWilkinson County: 3,235 jobsWorth County: 3,097 jobs
  • Under 2,000
  • 2,000 to 3,000
  • 3,000 to 6,000
  • 6,000 to 10K
  • 10K to 32K
  • 32K and over
jobs, 2016. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2016

Fulton County: 823,703 jobsFulton County823,703Cobb County: 345,651 jobsCobb County345,651Gwinnett County: 342,828 jobsGwinnett County342,828DeKalb County: 294,582 jobsDeKalb County294,582Chatham County: 149,090 jobsChatham County149,090Clayton County: 120,544 jobsClayton County120,544Richmond County: 104,303 jobsRichmond County104,303Muscogee County: 93,050 jobsMuscogee County93,050Hall County: 82,224 jobsHall County82,224Bibb County: 81,413 jobsBibb County81,413Forsyth County: 71,247 jobsForsyth County71,247Clarke County: 68,723 jobsClarke County68,723Houston County: 58,776 jobsHouston County58,776Henry County: 56,802 jobsHenry County56,802Whitfield County: 56,662 jobsWhitfield County56,662Cherokee County: 55,973 jobsCherokee County55,973Lowndes County: 49,061 jobsLowndes County49,061Dougherty County: 47,030 jobsDougherty County47,030Fayette County: 42,350 jobsFayette County42,350Douglas County: 41,519 jobsDouglas County41,519Troup County: 39,276 jobsTroup County39,276Carroll County: 39,036 jobsCarroll County39,036Floyd County: 38,726 jobsFloyd County38,726Glynn County: 37,606 jobsGlynn County37,606Coweta County: 37,140 jobsCoweta County37,140Bartow County: 35,317 jobsBartow County35,317Columbia County: 32,173 jobsColumbia County32,173Rockdale County: 32,051 jobsRockdale County32,051Bulloch County: 25,179 jobsBulloch County25,179Jackson County: 24,698 jobsJackson County24,698Newton County: 23,510 jobsNewton County23,510Paulding County: 22,760 jobsPaulding County22,760Spalding County: 22,302 jobsSpalding County22,302Walton County: 21,842 jobsWalton County21,842Thomas County: 21,093 jobsThomas County21,093Gordon County: 20,047 jobsGordon County20,047Tift County: 19,054 jobsTift County19,054Liberty County: 18,039 jobsLiberty County18,039Laurens County: 18,015 jobsLaurens County18,015Barrow County: 17,702 jobsBarrow County17,702Fulton County: 823,703 jobsFulton County823,703Cobb County: 345,651 jobsCobb County345,651Gwinnett County: 342,828 jobsGwinnett County342,828DeKalb County: 294,582 jobsDeKalb County294,582Chatham County: 149,090 jobsChatham County149,090Clayton County: 120,544 jobsClayton County120,544Richmond County: 104,303 jobsRichmond County104,303Muscogee County: 93,050 jobsMuscogee County93,050Hall County: 82,224 jobsHall County82,224Bibb County: 81,413 jobsBibb County81,413Forsyth County: 71,247 jobsForsyth County71,247Clarke County: 68,723 jobsClarke County68,723Houston County: 58,776 jobsHouston County58,776Henry County: 56,802 jobsHenry County56,802Whitfield County: 56,662 jobsWhitfield County56,662Cherokee County: 55,973 jobsCherokee County55,973Lowndes County: 49,061 jobsLowndes County49,061Dougherty County: 47,030 jobsDougherty County47,030Fayette County: 42,350 jobsFayette County42,350Douglas County: 41,519 jobsDouglas County41,519Troup County: 39,276 jobsTroup County39,276Carroll County: 39,036 jobsCarroll County39,036Floyd County: 38,726 jobsFloyd County38,726Glynn County: 37,606 jobsGlynn County37,606Coweta County: 37,140 jobsCoweta County37,140Bartow County: 35,317 jobsBartow County35,317Columbia County: 32,173 jobsColumbia County32,173Rockdale County: 32,051 jobsRockdale County32,051Bulloch County: 25,179 jobsBulloch County25,179Jackson County: 24,698 jobsJackson County24,698Newton County: 23,510 jobsNewton County23,510Paulding County: 22,760 jobsPaulding County22,760Spalding County: 22,302 jobsSpalding County22,302Walton County: 21,842 jobsWalton County21,842Thomas County: 21,093 jobsThomas County21,093Gordon County: 20,047 jobsGordon County20,047Tift County: 19,054 jobsTift County19,054Liberty County: 18,039 jobsLiberty County18,039Laurens County: 18,015 jobsLaurens County18,015Barrow County: 17,702 jobsBarrow County17,702
jobs. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016
jobs
Change on 2015
1Fulton County823,703+4.1%
2Cobb County345,651+3.9%
3Gwinnett County342,828+2.5%
4DeKalb County294,582+1.2%
5Chatham County149,090+2.5%
6Clayton County120,544+2.7%
7Richmond County104,303-0.3%
8Muscogee County93,050-0.9%
9Hall County82,224+3.2%
10Bibb County81,413-1.8%
11Forsyth County71,247+3%
12Clarke County68,723+2.8%
13Houston County58,776+3.2%
14Henry County56,802+5%
15Whitfield County56,662+3%
16Cherokee County55,973+5%
17Lowndes County49,061+1.2%
18Dougherty County47,030+1.2%
19Fayette County42,350+4.8%
20Douglas County41,519+4.2%
21Troup County39,276+2.6%
22Carroll County39,036+0.3%
23Floyd County38,726+1.3%
24Glynn County37,606+3.3%
25Coweta County37,140+1%
26Bartow County35,317+2.9%
27Columbia County32,173+3%
28Rockdale County32,051-0.6%
29Bulloch County25,179+1.8%
30Jackson County24,698+12%
31Newton County23,510+2.8%
32Paulding County22,760+4.7%
33Spalding County22,302+2.6%
34Walton County21,842+7.2%
35Thomas County21,093+3.5%
36Gordon County20,047-6.7%
37Tift County19,054-0.2%
38Liberty County18,039+0.1%
39Laurens County18,015+2.6%
40Barrow County17,702-0.3%
41Coffee County16,713+4.9%
42Ware County15,425+4%
43Baldwin County15,356+1.7%
44Colquitt County14,674+1.6%
45Habersham County14,565+0.2%
46Catoosa County14,092-6.6%
47Camden County13,760-14.6%
48Walker County12,976+3.8%
49Toombs County11,601-3.3%
50Polk County10,874-2.9%
51Sumter County10,793-1.2%
52Oconee County10,705+8.4%
53Burke County10,259+48.4%
54Murray County10,074+10.2%
55Effingham County9,534+1.2%
56Stephens County9,216+1.6%
57Peach County9,090+2.2%
58Decatur County8,384+0.3%
59Dawson County8,315+5.9%
60Crisp County8,007-2.7%
61Franklin County7,813+4.5%
62Wayne County7,801-2.9%
63Bryan County7,781+5.6%
64Monroe County7,588+1.8%
65White County7,559+6.2%
66Pickens County7,535+2.9%
67Lumpkin County7,281+5.5%
68Mitchell County7,137-5%
69Union County7,091+5.6%
70Appling County7,083+5%
71Gilmer County7,030-1.9%
72McDuffie County6,801+1%
73Morgan County6,720+2.6%
74Emanuel County6,683+0.6%
75Washington County6,644-0.4%
76Upson County6,516-2.4%
77Haralson County6,400+1.7%
78Lee County6,387+9.2%
79Hart County6,381+5.3%
80Fannin County6,321+8.5%
81Chattooga County6,200-0.9%
82Butts County6,089+1.9%
83Greene County5,777+1.2%
84Tattnall County5,768-0.8%
85Elbert County5,713+1.6%
86Ben Hill County5,616+3.2%
87Grady County5,548-8.4%
88Putnam County5,513+1.5%
89Dodge County5,025+1.3%
90Rabun County4,868+2.7%
91Jefferson County4,769+5.2%
92Meriwether County4,680+7.3%
93Jones County4,628+5.4%
94Harris County4,599+2.1%
95Evans County4,455+2.2%
96Jeff Davis County4,352-4.5%
97Early County4,285-1.2%
98Cook County4,118+2.9%
99Pierce County4,079+3.4%
100Banks County4,053+8.4%
101Bacon County4,010-0.8%
102Lamar County3,701+2.3%
103Dooly County3,654+8.8%
104Towns County3,577+5.3%
105Berrien County3,551+2.6%
106Telfair County3,467-0.3%
107Screven County3,386+2.7%
108Madison County3,340+10.4%
109Dade County3,302-0.3%
110Wilkinson County3,235+2.3%
111Worth County3,097-4.6%
112Brooks County3,076+1.1%
113Wilkes County3,033+3.9%
114Candler County2,881+1.2%
115Pike County2,878+4%
116Pulaski County2,824+2.5%
117Macon County2,763-1.4%
118Bleckley County2,629+1.7%
119Clinch County2,391-2.2%
120Terrell County2,3530%
121Seminole County2,304+0.8%
122Taylor County2,292+37.1%
123Brantley County2,249+5.3%
124Chattahoochee County2,234-5.2%
125Turner County2,177+3.7%
126Charlton County2,152+5.7%
127Twiggs County2,125+94.8%
128Heard County2,102+0.3%
129Jasper County2,045-3%
130Atkinson County2,004+0.4%
131Irwin County1,882+1.3%
132Randolph County1,849-0.4%
133McIntosh County1,696-3%
134Miller County1,686+1.3%
135Oglethorpe County1,647+2.6%
136Lanier County1,598+3%
137Montgomery County1,576-0.1%
138Johnson County1,574-3.9%
139Hancock County1,537-2.6%
140Warren County1,509+3.2%
141Crawford County1,379+1.8%
142Jenkins County1,377+1.5%
143Lincoln County1,359+3.6%
144Wheeler County1,173+2.5%
145Stewart County1,156+0.6%
146Treutlen County1,133+2.1%
147Marion County1,125-9.7%
148Wilcox County1,119-3.7%
149Calhoun County1,057-2%
150Schley County958-3.2%
151Long County925+1%
152Echols County778-2.1%
153Talbot County751+6.8%
154Clay County542+4.8%
155Webster County464-4.5%
156Baker County435+1.6%
157Glascock County425+2.9%
158Quitman County375-1.6%
159Taliaferro County189-0.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

Counts jobs, not people: someone with two jobs counts twice. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools. A count of employer reports, not a survey estimate like oews_employment.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_georgia_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW), 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest covered employment (QCEW)?

Fulton County, with 823,703 jobs in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest covered employment (QCEW)?

Taliaferro County, with 189 jobs in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Covered employment (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Georgia: more rankings