By Carrie Ghose, Columbus Business First
Columbus has the fastest job growth of any metropolitan area in the Midwest and ranks fourth nationally among large cities, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The metro region added 20,607 jobs in 2025 for a 1.9% growth rate – 10 times the national rate of 0.2%, according to Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data from the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Columbus MSA covers 10 counties.
Among the 55 metros with a population of more than 1 million, only Raleigh, Austin and Las Vegas had faster growth in the 12 months that ended Dec. 31, 2025, according to data the Partnership economists pulled from BLS.
Wages grew by 6% over 2025 to a combined $81 billion, also the fastest among large Midwest metros, according to the analysis.
“This is the kind of data that should make people stop and pay attention,”Partnership CEO Jason Hall said in a press release. “Those numbers mean bettercareer opportunity and momentum people can actually feel. Growth at this levelis creating room for more people to build a future here, and that’s exactly whatis happening.”
The quarterly census relies on unemployment insurance records encompassingabout 95% of U.S. jobs, including the small businesses that make up the bulkof employers.
Industries contributing to employment growth were led by education, healthcare,finance, professional services and trade, transportation and utilities.
The momentum is expected to continue.
Large, out-of-state companies are establishing Central Ohio operations andbringing thousands of jobs, including Anduril Industries in Pickaway County,Amgen in New Albany and – in a few years – Intel Corp. in New Albany.Homegrown businesses also are growing, such as Worthington-based Opoc.us,which plans to double to 400 employees.
In keeping with employment growth, Columbus also is the only metro areastatewide to consistently outpace the national average for population growth overthe past five years, according to a Business Journals analysis of U.S. CensusBureau data.
