Counties with the highest unemployment rate in New York

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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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.

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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)

#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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