Counties in New York by unemployment rate

Bronx County had the highest unemployment rate of 62 counties in December 2025, at 7.4%. Putnam County had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for New York was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.4Bronx County
Lowest2.8Putnam County
Median3.962 counties
New York4.6History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Bronx CountyBronx County: 7.4 %7.4Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 6.6 %6.6Kings CountyKings County: 5.5 %5.5Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 4.9 %4.9Allegany CountyAllegany County: 4.8 %4.8New York CountyNew York County: 4.8 %4.8Queens CountyQueens County: 4.8 %4.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.8 %4.8Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 4.7 %4.7Cortland CountyCortland County: 4.7 %4.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 4.7 %4.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 4.7 %4.7Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 4.5 %4.5Otsego CountyOtsego County: 4.5 %4.5St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 4.5 %4.5Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 4.4 %4.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.4 %4.4Niagara CountyNiagara County: 4.4 %4.4Oswego CountyOswego County: 4.4 %4.4Delaware CountyDelaware County: 4.3 %4.3Schoharie CountySchoharie County: 4.3 %4.3Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 4.3 %4.3Broome CountyBroome County: 4.2 %4.2Fulton CountyFulton County: 4.2 %4.2Orleans CountyOrleans County: 4.2 %4.2Steuben CountySteuben County: 4.2 %4.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.1 %4.1Madison CountyMadison County: 4.1 %4.1Warren CountyWarren County: 4.1 %4.1Erie CountyErie County: 3.9 %3.9Essex CountyEssex County: 3.9 %3.9Seneca CountySeneca County: 3.9 %3.9Clinton CountyClinton County: 3.8 %3.8Livingston CountyLivingston County: 3.8 %3.8Oneida CountyOneida County: 3.8 %3.8Chemung CountyChemung County: 3.7 %3.7Chenango CountyChenango County: 3.7 %3.7Greene CountyGreene County: 3.7 %3.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 3.7 %3.7Tioga CountyTioga County: 3.7 %3.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Bronx County7.4+1.2 pts
2Hamilton County6.6+0.4 pts
3Kings County5.5+0.7 pts
4Schuyler County4.9+0.1 pts
5Allegany County4.8+0.5 pts
5New York County4.8+0.6 pts
5Queens County4.8+0.6 pts
5Richmond County4.8+0.7 pts
9Chautauqua County4.7+0.5 pts
9Cortland County4.7+0.4 pts
9Jefferson County4.7+0.2 pts
9Lewis County4.7+0.5 pts
13Cattaraugus County4.5+0.4 pts
13Otsego County4.5+0.5 pts
13St. Lawrence County4.5+0.3 pts
16Herkimer County4.4+0.4 pts
16Montgomery County4.4+0.4 pts
16Niagara County4.4+0.1 pts
16Oswego County4.4+0.3 pts
20Delaware County4.3+0.4 pts
20Schoharie County4.3+0.4 pts
20Wyoming County4.3+0.3 pts
23Broome County4.2+0.3 pts
23Fulton County4.2+0.4 pts
23Orleans County4.2+0.3 pts
23Steuben County4.2+0.3 pts
27Franklin County4.1+0.4 pts
27Madison County4.1+0.4 pts
27Warren County4.1+0.2 pts
30Erie County3.9+0.1 pts
30Essex County3.9+0.5 pts
30Seneca County3.9+0.2 pts
33Clinton County3.80 pts
33Livingston County3.8+0.1 pts
33Oneida County3.8+0.2 pts
36Chemung County3.7+0.1 pts
36Chenango County3.7+0.3 pts
36Greene County3.7+0.3 pts
36Monroe County3.7+0.3 pts
36Tioga County3.7+0.2 pts
41Cayuga County3.60 pts
41Orange County3.6+0.2 pts
41Schenectady County3.6+0.2 pts
41Sullivan County3.6+0.2 pts
41Washington County3.6+0.4 pts
41Wayne County3.6+0.2 pts
47Genesee County3.5+0.1 pts
47Onondaga County3.5+0.3 pts
47Tompkins County3.5+0.4 pts
47Yates County3.50 pts
51Ontario County3.4+0.2 pts
51Rensselaer County3.4+0.3 pts
51Ulster County3.4+0.2 pts
54Suffolk County3.3+0.1 pts
55Albany County3.2+0.2 pts
55Columbia County3.2+0.3 pts
57Dutchess County3.1+0.2 pts
57Nassau County3.1+0.2 pts
57Westchester County3.1+0.1 pts
60Rockland County3+0.2 pts
61Saratoga County2.9+0.1 pts
62Putnam County2.80 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?

Bronx County, with 7.4% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Putnam County, with 2.8% in December 2025.

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 York: more rankings