Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New Jersey
Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New Jersey
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of June of this year, national unemployment is at 3.5%, 0.1% lower than in May, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.8% in Minnesota, to 4.9% in New Mexico and 5.5% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in New Jersey using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in June 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.
You may also like: Zip codes with the most expensive homes in New Jersey
#21. Hunterdon County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
-Total Labor Force: 66,835 (1,754 unemployed)

#20. Morris County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.9%
-Total Labor Force: 264,554 (7,404 unemployed)
#19. Somerset County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.9%
-Total Labor Force: 176,513 (5,045 unemployed)
#18. Burlington County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.0%
-Total Labor Force: 244,640 (7,246 unemployed)

#17. Mercer County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.9%
-Total Labor Force: 207,746 (6,264 unemployed)
You may also like: Best private high schools in New Jersey
#16. Monmouth County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -3.2%
-Total Labor Force: 342,032 (10,361 unemployed)
#15. Middlesex County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.3%
-Total Labor Force: 456,324 (14,465 unemployed)
#14. Warren County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -3.0%
-Total Labor Force: 57,883 (1,859 unemployed)
#13. Sussex County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.1%
-Total Labor Force: 76,204 (2,556 unemployed)

#12. Bergen County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.5%
-Total Labor Force: 491,549 (16,493 unemployed)
You may also like: Counties with the lowest hospital bed capacity in New Jersey

#11. Ocean County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -3.2%
-Total Labor Force: 293,141 (9,906 unemployed)
#10. Gloucester County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -3.4%
-Total Labor Force: 159,556 (5,456 unemployed)

#9. Hudson County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -4.1%
-Total Labor Force: 368,405 (13,707 unemployed)

#8. Union County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.7%
-Total Labor Force: 285,532 (10,720 unemployed)

#7. Camden County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -3.9%
-Total Labor Force: 267,966 (10,280 unemployed)
You may also like: Most valuable crops grown in New Jersey

#6. Cape May County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -3.3%
-Total Labor Force: 53,925 (2,316 unemployed)
#5. Salem County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -3.9%
-Total Labor Force: 29,279 (1,328 unemployed)

#4. Essex County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -4.5%
-Total Labor Force: 383,271 (17,398 unemployed)
#3. Passaic County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -4.8%
-Total Labor Force: 246,920 (11,488 unemployed)

#2. Atlantic County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -5.6%
-Total Labor Force: 129,929 (6,122 unemployed)
You may also like: Counties with the most born-and-bred residents in New Jersey
#1. Cumberland County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -3.6%
-Total Labor Force: 66,617 (3,160 unemployed)