Which counties in Massachusetts are adding jobs fastest?

Nantucket County (+14.9%), Suffolk County (+12.6%) and Middlesex County (+6.1%) added private-sector jobs fastest in Massachusetts between 2018 and 2023.

Data as of 2023 · updated November 5, 2026

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All 14 ranked Massachusetts counties

Massachusetts counties ranked by private-sector job growth
Rank	County	Change 2018–23	Private jobs 2023	Residents
1	Nantucket County	+14.9%	5,626	14,758
2	Suffolk County	+12.6%	720,353	791,891
3	Middlesex County	+6.1%	963,417	1,669,979
4	Dukes County	+5.0%	6,082	21,219
5	Plymouth County	+3.1%	180,733	546,829
6	Worcester County	+2.4%	319,255	888,502
7	Barnstable County	−0.2%	76,963	233,539
8	Norfolk County	−0.4%	337,287	739,749
9	Bristol County	−0.6%	201,320	593,640
10	Hampden County	−1.7%	168,744	464,338
11	Hampshire County	−2.5%	49,009	164,065
12	Essex County	−2.8%	287,960	826,653
13	Berkshire County	−6.3%	50,051	128,224
14	Franklin County	−6.5%	19,141	70,698

How this is ranked

The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in Massachusetts has the fastest job growth?

Nantucket County: +14.9%, ahead of Suffolk County (+12.6%) and Middlesex County (+6.1%), of 14 Massachusetts counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

More county rankings for Massachusetts

Private-sector job growth in other states

Across the U.S.