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 May 2026, at 6.5%. Hunterdon County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 4.1% and the figure for New Jersey was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.5Cape May County
Lowest3.4Hunterdon County
Median4.121 counties
New Jersey4.7History

All counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Cape May CountyCape May County: 6.5 %6.5Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 6.2 %6.2Atlantic CountyAtlantic County: 5.2 %5.2Essex CountyEssex County: 5.1 %5.1Salem CountySalem County: 5.1 %5.1Passaic CountyPassaic County: 4.7 %4.7Camden CountyCamden County: 4.5 %4.5Union CountyUnion County: 4.4 %4.4Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.3 %4.3Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 4.2 %4.2Ocean CountyOcean County: 4.1 %4.1Gloucester CountyGloucester County: 4 %4Hudson CountyHudson County: 3.9 %3.9Burlington CountyBurlington County: 3.8 %3.8Monmouth CountyMonmouth County: 3.8 %3.8Sussex CountySussex County: 3.8 %3.8Warren CountyWarren County: 3.8 %3.8Somerset CountySomerset County: 3.7 %3.7Bergen CountyBergen County: 3.5 %3.5Morris CountyMorris County: 3.5 %3.5Hunterdon CountyHunterdon County: 3.4 %3.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Cape May County6.5-1.4 pts
2Cumberland County6.2-1 pts
3Atlantic County5.2-1 pts
4Essex County5.1-1 pts
4Salem County5.1-1.3 pts
6Passaic County4.7-1 pts
7Camden County4.5-1 pts
8Union County4.4-0.9 pts
9Mercer County4.3-0.7 pts
10Middlesex County4.2-0.8 pts
11Ocean County4.1-0.8 pts
12Gloucester County4-0.7 pts
13Hudson County3.9-0.8 pts
14Burlington County3.8-0.8 pts
14Monmouth County3.8-0.6 pts
14Sussex County3.8-0.9 pts
14Warren County3.8-0.8 pts
18Somerset County3.7-0.6 pts
19Bergen County3.5-0.7 pts
19Morris County3.5-0.7 pts
21Hunterdon County3.4-0.6 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 6.5% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Hunterdon County, with 3.4% in May 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