September 22, 2026
Low-Wage Workers’ Pay Grew Faster Than High Earners’ in All 55 Large U.S. Metros Since 2015; High Earners’ Wages Fell in Nearly Half of Metros
After a 2005–2015 period in which gains went mostly to the top, wage growth from 2015 to 2025 ran the other way. At the bottom 10th percentile, the U.S. wage rose 22% after inflation, while the 90th percentile rose just 3%… read more
September 21, 2026
Examining Population Growth Trends for Younger and Older Working Populations, 2020-2025
Our Population Growth by Age Group rankings dashboard is updated, and it now covers 20 years – every county, metro and state in the country. Find your community on the map, pick an age group, and see how you've grown… read more
September 21, 2026
Fastest Growing 25-44 Year-Old Populations in Large Metros Were in Austin, Raleigh and Dallas-Ft. Worth; Medium Metros in Florida Dominate Top 10
Among large metros (1 million or more), the population aged 25 to 44 (mostly Millennials with some older Gen Z) grew fastest from 2020 to 2025 in Austin (21%), Raleigh (16%) and Dallas-Ft. Worth (15%). Orlando, Jacksonville and San… read more
September 21, 2026
Fastest Growing 45-64 Year-Old Populations in Large Metros Were in Austin, Raleigh and Salt Lake City; Medium Metros Were Led by Provo, Lakeland-FL
Among large metros (1 million or more), the population aged 45 to 64 (Generation X, with the youngest Baby Boomers) grew fastest from 2020 to 2025 in Austin (11%), Raleigh (9%) and Salt Lake City (8%). Orlando, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and… read more
July 27, 2026
2025 US Job Growth Slowest in 30 Years; Only Health and State/Local Government Grew Faster than Their 10-Year Average
2025 is proving to be a “Year of the Jobs Crisis” for the US. Employment levels grew just 0.4%, the slowest growth rate in 30 years (outside of recessions). Federal job cuts shaved 0.1% from the growth rate, but… read more
July 23, 2026
Annual Economic Scorecard, Counties
Select your county to see your rankings and trends. Download a PDF of this Tableau by clicking the “Download” button in the bottom-right corner… read more
July 23, 2026
2025 County Job Growth Results: NYC, Houston, Tampa, and Austin Lead Among Large Counties
Headlight Data’s 2025 job growth calculations are now available in our Annual Economic Scorecard, showing a slight majority (52%) of all 3,000+ US counties with positive growth in 2025 (Note: employment in the US grew just 0.4%)… read more
May 11, 2026
From the Founder’s Desk: In the Age of AI and its Impact on Jobs, Should We Re-Prioritize Recruiting People?
By Chris Engle, CEO & Founder, Headlight Data… read more
May 6, 2026
Metro Job Growth Results – 2025 Year-end
After some delays due the federal shutdown, the BLS is releasing data regularly. Revised data for January 2026 now tells us the full story of job growth last year. US job growth registered just 0.2% in 2025 (Jan. ’26… read more
April 21, 2026
Monthly Economic Scorecard, Metros
Choose a size category and industry to generate the rankings. Download a PDF of this Tableau by clicking the download button in the bottom-right corner… read more