Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in New Jersey

Counties in New Jersey by unemployment rate

Cape May County had the highest unemployment rate of 21 counties in February 2026, at 12.1%. Morris County had the lowest, at 4.4%. The median was 5.3% and the figure for New Jersey was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest12.1Cape May County
Lowest4.4Morris County
Median5.321 counties
New Jersey5.1History

All counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Cape May CountyCape May County: 12.1 %12.1Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 8.7 %8.7Atlantic CountyAtlantic County: 7.3 %7.3Salem CountySalem County: 6.9 %6.9Essex CountyEssex County: 6.1 %6.1Passaic CountyPassaic County: 6 %6Camden CountyCamden County: 5.8 %5.8Ocean CountyOcean County: 5.7 %5.7Union CountyUnion County: 5.5 %5.5Sussex CountySussex County: 5.4 %5.4Warren CountyWarren County: 5.3 %5.3Gloucester CountyGloucester County: 5.2 %5.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 5.1 %5.1Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 5.1 %5.1Burlington CountyBurlington County: 4.9 %4.9Monmouth CountyMonmouth County: 4.9 %4.9Hudson CountyHudson County: 4.7 %4.7Somerset CountySomerset County: 4.5 %4.5Bergen CountyBergen County: 4.4 %4.4Hunterdon CountyHunterdon County: 4.4 %4.4Morris CountyMorris County: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Cape May County12.1-1.2 pts
2Cumberland County8.7-0.1 pts
3Atlantic County7.3-0.5 pts
4Salem County6.9-0.3 pts
5Essex County6.1-0.2 pts
6Passaic County6-0.3 pts
7Camden County5.80 pts
8Ocean County5.70 pts
9Union County5.5-0.1 pts
10Sussex County5.4-0.1 pts
11Warren County5.30 pts
12Gloucester County5.2+0.1 pts
13Mercer County5.1-0.1 pts
13Middlesex County5.10 pts
15Burlington County4.90 pts
15Monmouth County4.90 pts
17Hudson County4.70 pts
18Somerset County4.5-0.1 pts
19Bergen County4.4+0.1 pts
19Hunterdon County4.40 pts
19Morris County4.40 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Cape May County, with 12.1% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Morris County, with 4.4% in February 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in New Jersey: more rankings