Counties with the highest unemployment in New Jersey
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates New Jersey, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, 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 reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New Jersey.
21. Hunterdon County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,005 people (2,199 unemployed)
20. Morris County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 272,384 people (9,228 unemployed)
19. Bergen County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 510,370 people (17,967 unemployed)
17. Somerset County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 181,835 people (6,582 unemployed)
17. Monmouth County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 349,134 people (12,422 unemployed)
15. Mercer County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 218,198 people (7,972 unemployed)
15. Burlington County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 253,257 people (9,414 unemployed)
13. Middlesex County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 464,032 people (18,013 unemployed)
13. Warren County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 60,253 people (2,325 unemployed)
11. Gloucester County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 164,700 people (6,596 unemployed)
11. Ocean County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 299,539 people (11,952 unemployed)
10. Sussex County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 78,758 people (3,203 unemployed)
9. Hudson County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 382,889 people (15,907 unemployed)
7. Camden County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 276,944 people (12,513 unemployed)
7. Union County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 293,798 people (13,176 unemployed)
6. Passaic County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 256,944 people (13,445 unemployed)
5. Essex County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 395,473 people (21,208 unemployed)
4. Salem County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,060 people (1,725 unemployed)
3. Atlantic County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 122,174 people (7,479 unemployed)
2. Cumberland County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 68,879 people (4,453 unemployed)
1. Cape May County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,042 people (4,124 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.
