Counties with the highest unemployment in New York
The first jobs report fully under the new Trump administration showed a softening job market, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.1% in February, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released March 7.
Job growth increased but fell below expectations, one of several possible fissures appearing in the once rock-solid labor market. Businesses are pulling back on hiring as the economic forecast and policy outlook grow murkier due to volatile trade policies and large cuts to the federal workforce.
Federal government employment fell by 10,000 in February, pushing up total cuts to the federal workforce. In the first two months of 2025, 62,530 federal workers were let go. However, the most recent cuts, including the Department of Education's workforce getting slashed by nearly half, have not yet appeared in official jobs data. Retail employment also fell by 6,000.
The broader unemployment index, known as the U-6, which also includes laborers working part-time because they can't find full-time work, and those who want to work but have given up searching, rose to 8%, its highest since October 2021.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New York, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in January 2025, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Key takeaways: Jobs report shows softening labor market
February's job growth of 151,000 fell below economists' expected gains of 160,000, showing the labor market is cooling faster than predicted. Experts say many companies weighing policy changes and economic uncertainty are deciding it's safer to hold off on hiring decisions for now.
"If you were a company and you were saying, 'I'm looking to expand, or I'm looking to hire,' you would have investors in those companies saying, 'Are you crazy?'" Ron Hetrick, senior labor economist at Lightcast, told Marketplace.
Consumer spending fell in January for the first time in two years, which may have led to layoffs or hiring slowdowns, Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist, told NBC News.
The big story: From bold promises to frozen labor market
After an initial market pop following Trump's electoral win, indexes have slumped to below when he took office, and uncertainty about the future of the markets is a common theme. Are threatened tariffs in place, delayed, reversed, or ramped up? Has that federal worker been fired or given their job back? Are those federal dollars slashed or reinstated? It's a question mark that changes daily.
Research shows that uncertainty invites lower investment, slows employment, and increases financial market volatility. The word "uncertain" showed up 47 times in the March edition of the Beige Book, the Federal Reserve's snapshot of reports from across the nation, compared to 17 times in the previous report from January.
The new administration's blitz of executive orders and trade policy waffling have cast a dense fog over the short-term economic outlook. One thing that is known? Uncertainty isn't good for business planning, job creation, or hiring.
In a March 12 interview with Semafor, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon noted that average consumers likely don't change "what they're going to do because they read about tariffs," but "companies might."
"Uncertainty is not a good thing," Dimon added.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New York.
47. Suffolk County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 783,488 people (31,128 unemployed)
47. Ontario County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 53,969 people (2,181 unemployed)
47. Greene County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,585 people (873 unemployed)
47. Monroe County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 364,540 people (14,664 unemployed)
44. Orange County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 186,620 people (7,666 unemployed)
44. Sullivan County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,350 people (1,486 unemployed)
44. Schenectady County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,920 people (3,095 unemployed)
43. Wayne County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,402 people (1,824 unemployed)
40. Oneida County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 98,144 people (4,263 unemployed)
40. Washington County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,024 people (1,175 unemployed)
40. Genesee County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,988 people (1,259 unemployed)
37. Chenango County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,899 people (910 unemployed)
37. Chemung County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,006 people (1,533 unemployed)
37. Yates County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,250 people (491 unemployed)
35. Erie County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 456,189 people (20,711 unemployed)
35. Tioga County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,291 people (948 unemployed)
31. Cayuga County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,757 people (1,547 unemployed)
31. Seneca County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,533 people (629 unemployed)
31. Livingston County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,710 people (1,334 unemployed)
31. Richmond County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 243,640 people (11,148 unemployed)
28. Queens County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,180,973 people (55,667 unemployed)
28. Essex County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,311 people (822 unemployed)
28. Clinton County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,596 people (1,570 unemployed)
25. New York County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 935,624 people (44,887 unemployed)
25. Franklin County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,072 people (859 unemployed)
25. Broome County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,127 people (4,019 unemployed)
21. Fulton County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,145 people (1,186 unemployed)
21. Delaware County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,321 people (892 unemployed)
21. Warren County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,006 people (1,513 unemployed)
21. Madison County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,889 people (1,501 unemployed)
19. Steuben County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,054 people (1,940 unemployed)
19. Schoharie County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,904 people (698 unemployed)
15. Orleans County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,694 people (910 unemployed)
15. Montgomery County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,313 people (1,142 unemployed)
15. Chautauqua County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,263 people (2,690 unemployed)
15. Cattaraugus County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,862 people (1,675 unemployed)
14. Oswego County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,185 people (2,830 unemployed)
13. Otsego County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,549 people (1,354 unemployed)
8. Cortland County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,576 people (1,171 unemployed)
8. Herkimer County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,236 people (1,466 unemployed)
8. Kings County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,316,907 people (71,575 unemployed)
8. Wyoming County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,703 people (951 unemployed)
8. Niagara County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 98,577 people (5,349 unemployed)
7. Allegany County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: +1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,657 people (1,025 unemployed)
6. St. Lawrence County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: +1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 40,668 people (2,314 unemployed)
5. Jefferson County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,300 people (2,561 unemployed)
4. Schuyler County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,823 people (473 unemployed)
3. Lewis County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: +1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,378 people (761 unemployed)
2. Hamilton County (tie)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 7%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,027 people (141 unemployed)
1. Bronx County
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 608,338 people (43,122 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
