Large U.S. metro areas post limited employment gains in year to September 2026
Job growth remains narrow across the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas in the 12 months to September 2026, with most markets showing little change in nonfarm payrolls. Of 56 metro areas with populations of 1 million or more, six record employment increases, one posts a decline, and 49 are essentially unchanged.
Highlights
- Salt Lake City-Murray sees the strongest annual employment growth among large U.S. metros with a 2.7% increase from September 2025 to September 2026.
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is the only major metropolitan area to post a decline, with employment falling 1.8% year-over-year as of September 2026.
- Employment levels remain broadly flat in 49 out of 56 large metro areas, underscoring limited and uneven labor market momentum nationwide.
September metro employment trends
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the broadest annual employment gains are concentrated in a small number of large metropolitan areas between September 2025 and September 2026.Salt Lake City-Murray, Utah, records the largest percentage increase at 2.7%, followed by Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina, at 2.3%, and Fresno, California, at 1.9%. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, is the only large metropolitan area in the group to post a decline, with employment down 1.8% over the year.
Labor market signals across major regions
The figures indicate a largely flat hiring environment across major urban labor markets, as 49 of the 56 large metropolitan areas show employment that is essentially unchanged from a year earlier.The pattern suggests labor market momentum is uneven rather than broad-based, with a handful of metros driving the limited gains while most large regions see little movement in payroll levels.
Our earlier article on early-career job-hopping explained that switching jobs is often a key driver of wage growth and a pathway to better long-term job matches, despite its negative cultural reputation. It highlighted research finding that a significant share of workers’ early wage gains comes from moving between roles, suggesting that reduced mobility can limit earnings progression even when overall hiring is subdued.
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