Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New York

Written by:
November 15, 2022
Gryffindor // Wikimedia Commons

Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New York

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 October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% 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 York using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

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Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons

#50. Hamilton County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 2,322 (63 unemployed)
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littlenySTOCK // Shutterstock

#49. Nassau County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 731,861 (19,554 unemployed)
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James Kirkikis // Shutterstock

#48. Putnam County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 51,731 (1,389 unemployed)
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Lamar Gore/USFWS // Wikimedia Commons

#47. Schuyler County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,235 (226 unemployed)
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Gbklyn // Wikimedia Commons

#46. Warren County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 31,491 (852 unemployed)

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Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons

#45. Wayne County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 43,990 (1,198 unemployed)
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#44. Albany County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 159,505 (4,497 unemployed)
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Colin D. Young // Shutterstock

#43. Dutchess County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 145,903 (4,097 unemployed)
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tomtsya// Shutterstock

#42. Essex County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 16,790 (462 unemployed)
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North woodsman // Shutterstock

#41. Lewis County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 11,851 (337 unemployed)

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Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham) // Wikimedia Commons

#40. Livingston County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 30,614 (845 unemployed)
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Colgate University // Wikimedia Commons

#39. Madison County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 33,037 (915 unemployed)
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Kenneth Sponsler // Shutterstock

#38. Otsego County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 27,840 (777 unemployed)
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Matt H. Wade // Wikimedia Commons

#37. Rensselaer County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 82,232 (2,315 unemployed)
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Reilchey27 // Wikimedia Commons

#36. Schoharie County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 14,749 (417 unemployed)

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Tim Hettler from New York, NY, USA // Wikimedia Commons

#35. Suffolk County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 803,341 (22,499 unemployed)
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Fred Hsu // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Ulster County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 88,833 (2,455 unemployed)
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PQK // Shuterstock

#33. Cayuga County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 35,616 (1,035 unemployed)
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Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons

#32. Orange County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 191,107 (5,597 unemployed)
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Eric Richards // Wikimedia Commons

#31. Sullivan County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 38,208 (1,091 unemployed)

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#30. Westchester County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 496,006 (14,470 unemployed)
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Richard Cavalleri // Shutterstock

#29. Clinton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 35,206 (1,060 unemployed)
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Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Franklin County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 19,006 (568 unemployed)
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littlenySTOCK // Shutterstock

#27. Onondaga County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 225,305 (6,864 unemployed)
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Marduk // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Steuben County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 41,681 (1,266 unemployed)

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Stef Ko // Shutterstock

#25. Cortland County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 22,799 (698 unemployed)
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Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Delaware County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 19,089 (588 unemployed)
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Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

#23. Greene County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 20,509 (640 unemployed)
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UpstateNYer // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Schenectady County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 77,983 (2,437 unemployed)
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Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Allegany County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 19,674 (631 unemployed)

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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#20. Jefferson County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 45,042 (1,459 unemployed)
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Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#19. Monroe County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 368,504 (11,921 unemployed)
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Nina Alizada // Shutterstock

#18. Oneida County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 101,849 (3,258 unemployed)
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Jimmy Emerson // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Orleans County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 17,398 (550 unemployed)
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Canva

#16. Broome County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 83,390 (2,741 unemployed)

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Canva

#15. Erie County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 448,797 (14,919 unemployed)
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Doug Kerr from Upstate New York // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Herkimer County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 27,757 (907 unemployed)
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Lvklock // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Chemung County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 34,901 (1,193 unemployed)
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Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock

#12. Niagara County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 98,938 (3,315 unemployed)
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P199 // Wikimedia Commons

#11. St. Lawrence County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 43,006 (1,463 unemployed)

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Pubdog // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Cattaraugus County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 32,970 (1,146 unemployed)
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Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Chautauqua County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 52,623 (1,835 unemployed)
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Beyond My Ken // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Fulton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 22,723 (795 unemployed)
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#7. Oswego County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 53,050 (1,888 unemployed)
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Jwilson855 // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Montgomery County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 22,332 (825 unemployed)

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pisaphotography // Shutterstock

#5. Manhattan

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 887,819 (36,945 unemployed)
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Bjoertvedt // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Queens

- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -3.1%
- Total labor force: 1,102,523 (52,477 unemployed)
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Roman Babakin // Shutterstock

#3. Staten Island

- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 219,407 (10,667 unemployed)
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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

#2. Brooklyn

- Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -3.0%
- Total labor force: 1,167,521 (63,177 unemployed)
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Gryffindor // Wikimedia Commons

#1. The Bronx

- Current unemployment rate: 7.2%
--- 1 month change: -2.3%
--- 1 year change: -4.2%
- Total labor force: 582,691 (41,776 unemployed)

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