Counties in New York by unemployment rate

Hamilton County had the highest unemployment rate of 62 counties in January 2026, at 7.7%. Saratoga County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for New York was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.7Hamilton County
Median4.762 counties
New York4.6History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 7.7 %7.7Bronx CountyBronx County: 7.6 %7.6Lewis CountyLewis County: 6.2 %6.2Allegany CountyAllegany County: 6 %6Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 5.9 %5.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 5.8 %5.8Cortland CountyCortland County: 5.6 %5.6Kings CountyKings County: 5.6 %5.6Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 5.6 %5.6Otsego CountyOtsego County: 5.5 %5.5Schoharie CountySchoharie County: 5.5 %5.5St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 5.5 %5.5Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 5.4 %5.4Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 5.4 %5.4Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 5.3 %5.3Delaware CountyDelaware County: 5.3 %5.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.3 %5.3Niagara CountyNiagara County: 5.3 %5.3Oswego CountyOswego County: 5.3 %5.3Orleans CountyOrleans County: 5.2 %5.2Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.1 %5.1New York CountyNew York County: 5 %5Steuben CountySteuben County: 5 %5Broome CountyBroome County: 4.9 %4.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.9 %4.9Madison CountyMadison County: 4.9 %4.9Queens CountyQueens County: 4.9 %4.9Warren CountyWarren County: 4.9 %4.9Essex CountyEssex County: 4.8 %4.8Livingston CountyLivingston County: 4.8 %4.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.8 %4.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 4.6 %4.6Seneca CountySeneca County: 4.6 %4.6Chenango CountyChenango County: 4.5 %4.5Erie CountyErie County: 4.5 %4.5Yates CountyYates County: 4.5 %4.5Oneida CountyOneida County: 4.4 %4.4Sullivan CountySullivan County: 4.4 %4.4Washington CountyWashington County: 4.4 %4.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Hamilton County7.7+0.8 pts
2Bronx County7.6+1.1 pts
3Lewis County6.2+0.3 pts
4Allegany County6+0.7 pts
5Schuyler County5.9-0.1 pts
6Jefferson County5.8+0.1 pts
7Cortland County5.6+0.3 pts
7Kings County5.6+0.6 pts
7Wyoming County5.6+0.5 pts
10Otsego County5.5+0.4 pts
10Schoharie County5.5+0.6 pts
10St. Lawrence County5.5+0.3 pts
13Chautauqua County5.4+0.4 pts
13Herkimer County5.4+0.3 pts
15Cattaraugus County5.3+0.4 pts
15Delaware County5.3+0.6 pts
15Montgomery County5.3+0.4 pts
15Niagara County5.30 pts
15Oswego County5.3+0.3 pts
20Orleans County5.2+0.3 pts
21Fulton County5.1+0.4 pts
22New York County5+0.7 pts
22Steuben County5+0.3 pts
24Broome County4.9+0.2 pts
24Franklin County4.9+0.4 pts
24Madison County4.9+0.2 pts
24Queens County4.9+0.6 pts
24Warren County4.9+0.2 pts
29Essex County4.8+0.4 pts
29Livingston County4.8+0.3 pts
29Richmond County4.8+0.6 pts
32Clinton County4.6+0.1 pts
32Seneca County4.6+0.1 pts
34Chenango County4.5+0.4 pts
34Erie County4.5+0.1 pts
34Yates County4.50 pts
37Oneida County4.4+0.3 pts
37Sullivan County4.4+0.4 pts
37Washington County4.4+0.2 pts
37Wayne County4.4+0.3 pts
41Cayuga County4.3-0.1 pts
41Genesee County4.3+0.1 pts
41Greene County4.3+0.4 pts
41Tioga County4.30 pts
45Chemung County4.2-0.1 pts
45Monroe County4.2+0.3 pts
47Ontario County4.1+0.2 pts
47Orange County4.1+0.1 pts
47Rensselaer County4.1+0.3 pts
47Schenectady County4.1+0.2 pts
47Ulster County4.1+0.2 pts
52Columbia County4+0.4 pts
52Onondaga County4+0.3 pts
52Suffolk County4+0.2 pts
55Albany County3.7+0.3 pts
56Dutchess County3.6+0.1 pts
56Tompkins County3.6+0.2 pts
56Westchester County3.6+0.2 pts
59Nassau County3.5+0.1 pts
60Rockland County3.4+0.2 pts
61Putnam County3.30 pts
61Saratoga County3.30 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?

Hamilton County, with 7.7% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Saratoga County, with 3.3% in January 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 York: more rankings