Counties in New York by unemployment rate

Hamilton County had the highest unemployment rate of 62 counties in February 2026, at 8.6%. Saratoga County had the lowest, at 3.7%. The median was 5.05% and the figure for New York was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.6Hamilton County
Median5.0562 counties
New York4.6History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 8.6 %8.6Bronx CountyBronx County: 8.2 %8.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 6.9 %6.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6.4 %6.4Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 6.4 %6.4Kings CountyKings County: 6.1 %6.1Schoharie CountySchoharie County: 6.1 %6.1Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 6.1 %6.1Allegany CountyAllegany County: 5.9 %5.9Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 5.9 %5.9Niagara CountyNiagara County: 5.9 %5.9Cortland CountyCortland County: 5.8 %5.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.8 %5.8Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 5.7 %5.7Otsego CountyOtsego County: 5.7 %5.7Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 5.6 %5.6Delaware CountyDelaware County: 5.6 %5.6Oswego CountyOswego County: 5.6 %5.6St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 5.6 %5.6Steuben CountySteuben County: 5.6 %5.6Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.5 %5.5New York CountyNew York County: 5.5 %5.5Orleans CountyOrleans County: 5.5 %5.5Queens CountyQueens County: 5.4 %5.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 5.3 %5.3Madison CountyMadison County: 5.3 %5.3Warren CountyWarren County: 5.3 %5.3Broome CountyBroome County: 5.2 %5.2Essex CountyEssex County: 5.2 %5.2Richmond CountyRichmond County: 5.2 %5.2Livingston CountyLivingston County: 5.1 %5.1Clinton CountyClinton County: 5 %5Erie CountyErie County: 5 %5Seneca CountySeneca County: 5 %5Chenango CountyChenango County: 4.9 %4.9Sullivan CountySullivan County: 4.9 %4.9Washington CountyWashington County: 4.9 %4.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.9 %4.9Cayuga CountyCayuga County: 4.8 %4.8Chemung CountyChemung County: 4.8 %4.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Hamilton County8.6+1.3 pts
2Bronx County8.2+2 pts
3Lewis County6.9+0.7 pts
4Jefferson County6.4+0.5 pts
4Schuyler County6.40 pts
6Kings County6.1+1.3 pts
6Schoharie County6.1+0.9 pts
6Wyoming County6.1+0.7 pts
9Allegany County5.9+0.8 pts
9Herkimer County5.9+0.5 pts
9Niagara County5.9+0.4 pts
12Cortland County5.8+0.5 pts
12Montgomery County5.8+0.6 pts
14Chautauqua County5.7+0.5 pts
14Otsego County5.7+0.5 pts
16Cattaraugus County5.6+0.5 pts
16Delaware County5.6+0.6 pts
16Oswego County5.6+0.4 pts
16St. Lawrence County5.6+0.5 pts
16Steuben County5.6+0.6 pts
21Fulton County5.5+0.6 pts
21New York County5.5+1.3 pts
21Orleans County5.5+0.4 pts
24Queens County5.4+1.2 pts
25Franklin County5.3+0.4 pts
25Madison County5.3+0.5 pts
25Warren County5.3+0.3 pts
28Broome County5.2+0.4 pts
28Essex County5.2+0.5 pts
28Richmond County5.2+1.1 pts
31Livingston County5.1+0.4 pts
32Clinton County5+0.3 pts
32Erie County5+0.3 pts
32Seneca County5+0.1 pts
35Chenango County4.9+0.5 pts
35Sullivan County4.9+0.6 pts
35Washington County4.9+0.5 pts
35Wayne County4.9+0.5 pts
39Cayuga County4.8+0.1 pts
39Chemung County4.8+0.3 pts
39Genesee County4.8+0.4 pts
39Greene County4.8+0.4 pts
39Tioga County4.8+0.2 pts
44Oneida County4.7+0.4 pts
44Yates County4.7+0.2 pts
46Monroe County4.6+0.5 pts
46Orange County4.6+0.3 pts
46Schenectady County4.6+0.4 pts
49Ontario County4.5+0.3 pts
49Rensselaer County4.5+0.5 pts
49Suffolk County4.5+0.4 pts
49Ulster County4.5+0.4 pts
53Columbia County4.4+0.5 pts
53Onondaga County4.4+0.5 pts
55Westchester County4.2+0.5 pts
56Albany County4+0.3 pts
56Dutchess County4+0.3 pts
56Rockland County4+0.5 pts
59Nassau County3.9+0.3 pts
59Tompkins County3.9+0.4 pts
61Putnam County3.8+0.3 pts
62Saratoga County3.7+0.2 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 8.6% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Saratoga County, with 3.7% 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 York: more rankings