Counties with the highest unemployment in New York

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 York, 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 York.

48. Ulster County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 86,363 people (2,743 unemployed)

48. Suffolk County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 786,173 people (24,995 unemployed)

48. Orange County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 188,818 people (6,085 unemployed)

45. Onondaga County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 219,613 people (7,225 unemployed)

45. Yates County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,737 people (385 unemployed)

45. Washington County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,264 people (874 unemployed)

40. Schenectady County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,929 people (2,583 unemployed)

40. Genesee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,227 people (981 unemployed)

40. Wayne County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,089 people (1,460 unemployed)

40. Chenango County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,436 people (726 unemployed)

40. Tioga County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,030 people (757 unemployed)

38. Cayuga County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,149 people (1,221 unemployed)

38. Monroe County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 358,529 people (12,419 unemployed)

31. Livingston County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,096 people (1,076 unemployed)

31. Essex County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,522 people (591 unemployed)

31. Oneida County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 97,350 people (3,524 unemployed)

31. Franklin County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,493 people (674 unemployed)

31. Seneca County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,104 people (507 unemployed)

31. Greene County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,843 people (716 unemployed)

31. Madison County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,494 people (1,159 unemployed)

29. Schoharie County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,532 people (538 unemployed)

29. Clinton County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,654 people (1,270 unemployed)

27. Otsego County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,203 people (1,000 unemployed)

27. Chemung County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,617 people (1,271 unemployed)

25. Erie County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 436,460 people (17,064 unemployed)

25. Delaware County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,081 people (700 unemployed)

21. Warren County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,681 people (1,183 unemployed)

21. Steuben County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,316 people (1,555 unemployed)

21. Orleans County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,096 people (692 unemployed)

21. Broome County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,299 people (3,229 unemployed)

18. Allegany County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,404 people (802 unemployed)

18. Herkimer County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,728 people (1,104 unemployed)

18. Cattaraugus County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,355 people (1,329 unemployed)

14. Montgomery County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,670 people (910 unemployed)

14. Cortland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,456 people (935 unemployed)

14. Chautauqua County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,285 people (2,208 unemployed)

14. Oswego County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,998 people (2,185 unemployed)

10. Wyoming County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,771 people (716 unemployed)

10. St. Lawrence County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,582 people (1,826 unemployed)

10. Niagara County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 96,673 people (4,178 unemployed)

10. Fulton County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,762 people (939 unemployed)

9. Lewis County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,906 people (519 unemployed)

8. Jefferson County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,740 people (1,937 unemployed)

5. New York County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 934,487 people (42,764 unemployed)

5. Queens County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,152,724 people (53,015 unemployed)

5. Richmond County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 228,690 people (10,617 unemployed)

4. Schuyler County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,783 people (374 unemployed)

3. Kings County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,224,606 people (67,612 unemployed)

2. Hamilton County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: +1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,990 people (116 unemployed)

1. Bronx County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 607,110 people (41,057 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.