Counties in Georgia by covered employment (QCEW)

Fulton County had the highest covered employment (QCEW) of 159 counties in 2021, at 878,223 jobs. Taliaferro County had the lowest, at 197 jobs. The median was 6,424 jobs and the figure for Georgia was 4,475,118 jobs. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest878,223Fulton County
Median6,424159 counties
Georgia4,475,118History

Map of counties, 2021

Appling County: 6,988 jobsAtkinson County: 2,259 jobsBacon County: 3,596 jobsBaker County: 432 jobsBaldwin County: 15,319 jobsBanks County: 4,126 jobsBarrow County: 21,112 jobsBartow County: 41,213 jobsBen Hill County: 5,485 jobsBerrien County: 3,590 jobsBibb County: 80,353 jobsBleckley County: 2,614 jobsBrantley County: 2,560 jobsBrooks County: 3,253 jobsBryan County: 9,412 jobsBulloch County: 25,702 jobsBurke County: 12,634 jobsButts County: 7,473 jobsCalhoun County: 1,013 jobsCamden County: 14,586 jobsCandler County: 3,469 jobsCarroll County: 41,394 jobsCatoosa County: 15,465 jobsCharlton County: 1,944 jobsChatham County: 159,768 jobsChattahoochee County: 2,334 jobsChattooga County: 5,016 jobsCherokee County: 64,546 jobsClarke County: 67,980 jobsClay County: 668 jobsClayton County: 113,235 jobsClinch County: 2,379 jobsCobb County: 365,029 jobsCoffee County: 17,102 jobsColquitt County: 14,924 jobsColumbia County: 37,635 jobsCook County: 4,336 jobsCoweta County: 42,297 jobsCrawford County: 1,254 jobsCrisp County: 8,256 jobsDade County: 3,908 jobsDawson County: 9,361 jobsDecatur County: 8,207 jobsDeKalb County: 293,810 jobsDodge County: 4,775 jobsDooly County: 3,242 jobsDougherty County: 45,899 jobsDouglas County: 43,867 jobsEarly County: 3,991 jobsEchols County: 646 jobsEffingham County: 10,994 jobsElbert County: 5,603 jobsEmanuel County: 6,742 jobsEvans County: 4,638 jobsFannin County: 6,707 jobsFayette County: 44,805 jobsFloyd County: 38,947 jobsForsyth County: 77,791 jobsFranklin County: 7,740 jobsFulton County: 878,223 jobsGilmer County: 7,048 jobsGlascock County: 388 jobsGlynn County: 37,575 jobsGordon County: 23,559 jobsGrady County: 6,156 jobsGreene County: 6,338 jobsGwinnett County: 358,314 jobsHabersham County: 13,209 jobsHall County: 90,960 jobsHancock County: 1,401 jobsHaralson County: 6,863 jobsHarris County: 4,990 jobsHart County: 6,631 jobsHeard County: 2,125 jobsHenry County: 69,863 jobsHouston County: 62,610 jobsIrwin County: 2,146 jobsJackson County: 35,081 jobsJasper County: 2,327 jobsJeff Davis County: 4,201 jobsJefferson County: 4,758 jobsJenkins County: 1,344 jobsJohnson County: 1,399 jobsJones County: 3,800 jobsLamar County: 3,884 jobsLanier County: 1,366 jobsLaurens County: 18,804 jobsLee County: 6,933 jobsLiberty County: 19,362 jobsLincoln County: 1,324 jobsLong County: 1,101 jobsLowndes County: 48,353 jobsLumpkin County: 7,786 jobsMcDuffie County: 6,818 jobsMcIntosh County: 1,667 jobsMacon County: 2,681 jobsMadison County: 3,603 jobsMarion County: 1,176 jobsMeriwether County: 4,292 jobsMiller County: 1,732 jobsMitchell County: 6,424 jobsMonroe County: 7,560 jobsMontgomery County: 1,388 jobsMorgan County: 8,217 jobsMurray County: 7,771 jobsMuscogee County: 90,866 jobsNewton County: 24,313 jobsOconee County: 14,298 jobsOglethorpe County: 1,858 jobsPaulding County: 26,424 jobsPeach County: 9,661 jobsPickens County: 7,858 jobsPierce County: 4,284 jobsPike County: 2,981 jobsPolk County: 11,000 jobsPulaski County: 2,656 jobsPutnam County: 5,902 jobsQuitman County: 320 jobsRabun County: 5,426 jobsRandolph County: 1,709 jobsRichmond County: 101,953 jobsRockdale County: 32,883 jobsSchley County: 1,020 jobsScreven County: 3,002 jobsSeminole County: 2,332 jobsSpalding County: 22,373 jobsStephens County: 8,365 jobsStewart County: 1,469 jobsSumter County: 10,155 jobsTalbot County: 750 jobsTaliaferro County: 197 jobsTattnall County: 5,575 jobsTaylor County: 1,601 jobsTelfair County: 2,262 jobsTerrell County: 2,004 jobsThomas County: 20,321 jobsTift County: 21,185 jobsToombs County: 12,017 jobsTowns County: 3,419 jobsTreutlen County: 996 jobsTroup County: 38,007 jobsTurner County: 1,830 jobsTwiggs County: 1,808 jobsUnion County: 7,285 jobsUpson County: 6,714 jobsWalker County: 13,955 jobsWalton County: 24,095 jobsWare County: 15,166 jobsWarren County: 1,427 jobsWashington County: 6,045 jobsWayne County: 8,406 jobsWebster County: 505 jobsWheeler County: 1,103 jobsWhite County: 9,113 jobsWhitfield County: 55,391 jobsWilcox County: 1,091 jobsWilkes County: 2,542 jobsWilkinson County: 3,112 jobsWorth County: 2,832 jobs
  • Under 2,000
  • 2,000 to 3,000
  • 3,000 to 6,000
  • 6,000 to 10K
  • 10K to 37K
  • 37K and over
jobs, 2021. 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, 2021

Fulton County: 878,223 jobsFulton County878,223Cobb County: 365,029 jobsCobb County365,029Gwinnett County: 358,314 jobsGwinnett County358,314DeKalb County: 293,810 jobsDeKalb County293,810Chatham County: 159,768 jobsChatham County159,768Clayton County: 113,235 jobsClayton County113,235Richmond County: 101,953 jobsRichmond County101,953Hall County: 90,960 jobsHall County90,960Muscogee County: 90,866 jobsMuscogee County90,866Bibb County: 80,353 jobsBibb County80,353Forsyth County: 77,791 jobsForsyth County77,791Henry County: 69,863 jobsHenry County69,863Clarke County: 67,980 jobsClarke County67,980Cherokee County: 64,546 jobsCherokee County64,546Houston County: 62,610 jobsHouston County62,610Whitfield County: 55,391 jobsWhitfield County55,391Lowndes County: 48,353 jobsLowndes County48,353Dougherty County: 45,899 jobsDougherty County45,899Fayette County: 44,805 jobsFayette County44,805Douglas County: 43,867 jobsDouglas County43,867Coweta County: 42,297 jobsCoweta County42,297Carroll County: 41,394 jobsCarroll County41,394Bartow County: 41,213 jobsBartow County41,213Floyd County: 38,947 jobsFloyd County38,947Troup County: 38,007 jobsTroup County38,007Columbia County: 37,635 jobsColumbia County37,635Glynn County: 37,575 jobsGlynn County37,575Jackson County: 35,081 jobsJackson County35,081Rockdale County: 32,883 jobsRockdale County32,883Paulding County: 26,424 jobsPaulding County26,424Bulloch County: 25,702 jobsBulloch County25,702Newton County: 24,313 jobsNewton County24,313Walton County: 24,095 jobsWalton County24,095Gordon County: 23,559 jobsGordon County23,559Spalding County: 22,373 jobsSpalding County22,373Tift County: 21,185 jobsTift County21,185Barrow County: 21,112 jobsBarrow County21,112Thomas County: 20,321 jobsThomas County20,321Liberty County: 19,362 jobsLiberty County19,362Laurens County: 18,804 jobsLaurens County18,804Fulton County: 878,223 jobsFulton County878,223Cobb County: 365,029 jobsCobb County365,029Gwinnett County: 358,314 jobsGwinnett County358,314DeKalb County: 293,810 jobsDeKalb County293,810Chatham County: 159,768 jobsChatham County159,768Clayton County: 113,235 jobsClayton County113,235Richmond County: 101,953 jobsRichmond County101,953Hall County: 90,960 jobsHall County90,960Muscogee County: 90,866 jobsMuscogee County90,866Bibb County: 80,353 jobsBibb County80,353Forsyth County: 77,791 jobsForsyth County77,791Henry County: 69,863 jobsHenry County69,863Clarke County: 67,980 jobsClarke County67,980Cherokee County: 64,546 jobsCherokee County64,546Houston County: 62,610 jobsHouston County62,610Whitfield County: 55,391 jobsWhitfield County55,391Lowndes County: 48,353 jobsLowndes County48,353Dougherty County: 45,899 jobsDougherty County45,899Fayette County: 44,805 jobsFayette County44,805Douglas County: 43,867 jobsDouglas County43,867Coweta County: 42,297 jobsCoweta County42,297Carroll County: 41,394 jobsCarroll County41,394Bartow County: 41,213 jobsBartow County41,213Floyd County: 38,947 jobsFloyd County38,947Troup County: 38,007 jobsTroup County38,007Columbia County: 37,635 jobsColumbia County37,635Glynn County: 37,575 jobsGlynn County37,575Jackson County: 35,081 jobsJackson County35,081Rockdale County: 32,883 jobsRockdale County32,883Paulding County: 26,424 jobsPaulding County26,424Bulloch County: 25,702 jobsBulloch County25,702Newton County: 24,313 jobsNewton County24,313Walton County: 24,095 jobsWalton County24,095Gordon County: 23,559 jobsGordon County23,559Spalding County: 22,373 jobsSpalding County22,373Tift County: 21,185 jobsTift County21,185Barrow County: 21,112 jobsBarrow County21,112Thomas County: 20,321 jobsThomas County20,321Liberty County: 19,362 jobsLiberty County19,362Laurens County: 18,804 jobsLaurens County18,804
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

RankCounties2021
jobs
Change on 2020
1Fulton County878,223+4%
2Cobb County365,029+3.2%
3Gwinnett County358,314+3.9%
4DeKalb County293,810+2.4%
5Chatham County159,768+5.3%
6Clayton County113,235+1.7%
7Richmond County101,953+1.9%
8Hall County90,960+3.5%
9Muscogee County90,866+0.4%
10Bibb County80,353+1.4%
11Forsyth County77,791+4.5%
12Henry County69,863+7.1%
13Clarke County67,980+3.3%
14Cherokee County64,546+0.3%
15Houston County62,610+2.3%
16Whitfield County55,391+2.8%
17Lowndes County48,353+0.9%
18Dougherty County45,899+0.3%
19Fayette County44,805+3.7%
20Douglas County43,867+4.2%
21Coweta County42,297+8%
22Carroll County41,394+2.2%
23Bartow County41,213+3.7%
24Floyd County38,947+2.9%
25Troup County38,007+0.5%
26Columbia County37,635+4.4%
27Glynn County37,575+4.7%
28Jackson County35,081+8.4%
29Rockdale County32,883+3.1%
30Paulding County26,424+6.2%
31Bulloch County25,702+3.3%
32Newton County24,313-3%
33Walton County24,095+5.4%
34Gordon County23,559+3.7%
35Spalding County22,373+2.8%
36Tift County21,185+3.3%
37Barrow County21,112+3.5%
38Thomas County20,321+4.1%
39Liberty County19,362+4.8%
40Laurens County18,804+4.9%
41Coffee County17,102-0.2%
42Catoosa County15,465+3.1%
43Baldwin County15,319+1.8%
44Ware County15,166+1.2%
45Colquitt County14,924+1.3%
46Camden County14,586+2.6%
47Oconee County14,298+8.2%
48Walker County13,955+7.9%
49Habersham County13,209-1.2%
50Burke County12,634-9.8%
51Toombs County12,017+1.7%
52Polk County11,000+0.4%
53Effingham County10,994+4.3%
54Sumter County10,155-2%
55Peach County9,661+0.3%
56Bryan County9,412+6.8%
57Dawson County9,361+8.4%
58White County9,113+3.8%
59Wayne County8,406+3.8%
60Stephens County8,365+1%
61Crisp County8,256+3.6%
62Morgan County8,217+12.8%
63Decatur County8,207-1.2%
64Pickens County7,858+2.8%
65Lumpkin County7,786+7.6%
66Murray County7,771+3.9%
67Franklin County7,740+2%
68Monroe County7,560+1%
69Butts County7,473+4.4%
70Union County7,285+6.2%
71Gilmer County7,048+1.5%
72Appling County6,988+1.7%
73Lee County6,933+3%
74Haralson County6,863+3%
75McDuffie County6,818+3.6%
76Emanuel County6,742+2.3%
77Upson County6,714+3.5%
78Fannin County6,707+8.1%
79Hart County6,631+2.7%
80Mitchell County6,424-0.8%
81Greene County6,338+1.8%
82Grady County6,156+4.1%
83Washington County6,045-1%
84Putnam County5,902+8.2%
85Elbert County5,603-0.8%
86Tattnall County5,575-2.2%
87Ben Hill County5,485+0.3%
88Rabun County5,426+5.2%
89Chattooga County5,016-1.1%
90Harris County4,990-2.7%
91Dodge County4,775+0.5%
92Jefferson County4,758+1.3%
93Evans County4,638+2.7%
94Cook County4,336-0.1%
95Meriwether County4,292+1.2%
96Pierce County4,284+3%
97Jeff Davis County4,201-0.1%
98Banks County4,1260%
99Early County3,991-2.9%
100Dade County3,908+4.7%
101Lamar County3,884+5.5%
102Jones County3,800-4.8%
103Madison County3,603+3%
104Bacon County3,596-1.9%
105Berrien County3,590+6.3%
106Candler County3,469+8.1%
107Towns County3,419+6.2%
108Brooks County3,253-0.6%
109Dooly County3,242-2.2%
110Wilkinson County3,112-7.9%
111Screven County3,002+1.7%
112Pike County2,981+1.4%
113Worth County2,832-3.8%
114Macon County2,681+0.6%
115Pulaski County2,656-1.2%
116Bleckley County2,614+3.2%
117Brantley County2,560+1.8%
118Wilkes County2,542+1.3%
119Clinch County2,379+1.5%
120Chattahoochee County2,334+6.3%
121Seminole County2,332-1.2%
122Jasper County2,327+2.9%
123Telfair County2,262+0.3%
124Atkinson County2,259+0.1%
125Irwin County2,146+5.3%
126Heard County2,125+7.8%
127Terrell County2,004+6.7%
128Charlton County1,944-0.6%
129Oglethorpe County1,858-1.4%
130Turner County1,830-2.3%
131Twiggs County1,808-2.4%
132Miller County1,732+3.6%
133Randolph County1,709-6.6%
134McIntosh County1,667+3.2%
135Taylor County1,601+7.7%
136Stewart County1,469+3.4%
137Warren County1,427+6.9%
138Hancock County1,401-2.1%
139Johnson County1,399-3.2%
140Montgomery County1,388-11.8%
141Lanier County1,366-1.9%
142Jenkins County1,344-1%
143Lincoln County1,324+2.2%
144Crawford County1,254-1.4%
145Marion County1,176+6.6%
146Wheeler County1,103+4.8%
147Long County1,101+5.6%
148Wilcox County1,091-2.3%
149Schley County1,020+5.5%
150Calhoun County1,013-2%
151Treutlen County996-5.3%
152Talbot County750+2.3%
153Clay County668+1.1%
154Echols County646+16.8%
155Webster County505-1.4%
156Baker County432-1.1%
157Glascock County388-2%
158Quitman County320-5.9%
159Taliaferro County197-4.8%

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/2021/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), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021. 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), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021.

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), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_georgia_by_2021,
  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), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/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), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/georgia-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/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 878,223 jobs in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest covered employment (QCEW)?

Taliaferro County, with 197 jobs in 2021.

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