Counties in New York by unemployment rate

Bronx County had the highest unemployment rate of 62 counties in May 2026, at 6.5%. Yates County had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for New York was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.5Bronx County
Lowest2.9Yates County
Median3.962 counties
New York4.6History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Bronx CountyBronx County: 6.5 %6.5Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 5.9 %5.9Kings CountyKings County: 4.9 %4.9Allegany CountyAllegany County: 4.7 %4.7St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 4.7 %4.7Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 4.5 %4.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 4.4 %4.4Niagara CountyNiagara County: 4.4 %4.4Delaware CountyDelaware County: 4.3 %4.3Livingston CountyLivingston County: 4.3 %4.3New York CountyNew York County: 4.3 %4.3Oswego CountyOswego County: 4.3 %4.3Queens CountyQueens County: 4.3 %4.3Broome CountyBroome County: 4.2 %4.2Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.2 %4.2Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.2 %4.2Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 4.1 %4.1Cortland CountyCortland County: 4.1 %4.1Erie CountyErie County: 4.1 %4.1Fulton CountyFulton County: 4.1 %4.1Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 4.1 %4.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 4.1 %4.1Otsego CountyOtsego County: 4.1 %4.1Chemung CountyChemung County: 4 %4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4 %4Greene CountyGreene County: 4 %4Orange CountyOrange County: 4 %4Schenectady CountySchenectady County: 4 %4Steuben CountySteuben County: 4 %4Clinton CountyClinton County: 3.9 %3.9Oneida CountyOneida County: 3.9 %3.9Schoharie CountySchoharie County: 3.9 %3.9Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 3.9 %3.9Lewis CountyLewis County: 3.8 %3.8Madison CountyMadison County: 3.8 %3.8Onondaga CountyOnondaga County: 3.8 %3.8Orleans CountyOrleans County: 3.8 %3.8Sullivan CountySullivan County: 3.8 %3.8Tompkins CountyTompkins County: 3.8 %3.8Rensselaer CountyRensselaer County: 3.7 %3.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Bronx County6.5+0.2 pts
2Hamilton County5.9+1.5 pts
3Kings County4.9+0.1 pts
4Allegany County4.7+1.1 pts
4St. Lawrence County4.7+0.8 pts
6Chautauqua County4.5+1.1 pts
7Jefferson County4.4+0.8 pts
7Niagara County4.4+0.8 pts
9Delaware County4.3+1 pts
9Livingston County4.3+1.2 pts
9New York County4.3+0.1 pts
9Oswego County4.3+0.8 pts
9Queens County4.3+0.1 pts
14Broome County4.2+0.7 pts
14Montgomery County4.2+0.8 pts
14Richmond County4.2+0.1 pts
17Cattaraugus County4.1+0.7 pts
17Cortland County4.1+0.8 pts
17Erie County4.1+0.7 pts
17Fulton County4.1+0.8 pts
17Herkimer County4.1+0.9 pts
17Monroe County4.1+0.7 pts
17Otsego County4.1+0.8 pts
24Chemung County4+0.7 pts
24Franklin County4+0.5 pts
24Greene County4+0.8 pts
24Orange County4+0.5 pts
24Schenectady County4+0.7 pts
24Steuben County4+0.8 pts
30Clinton County3.9+0.5 pts
30Oneida County3.9+0.6 pts
30Schoharie County3.9+0.8 pts
30Schuyler County3.9+0.8 pts
34Lewis County3.8+0.6 pts
34Madison County3.8+0.6 pts
34Onondaga County3.8+0.7 pts
34Orleans County3.8+0.5 pts
34Sullivan County3.8+0.8 pts
34Tompkins County3.8+0.7 pts
40Rensselaer County3.7+0.7 pts
40Seneca County3.7+0.5 pts
40Warren County3.7+0.7 pts
40Wayne County3.7+0.8 pts
44Albany County3.6+0.7 pts
44Cayuga County3.6+0.5 pts
44Suffolk County3.6+0.6 pts
44Tioga County3.6+0.6 pts
44Ulster County3.6+0.5 pts
44Washington County3.6+0.7 pts
44Westchester County3.6+0.6 pts
51Dutchess County3.5+0.6 pts
51Essex County3.5+0.6 pts
51Nassau County3.5+0.6 pts
51Ontario County3.5+0.6 pts
51Rockland County3.5+0.6 pts
56Chenango County3.4+0.7 pts
56Genesee County3.4+0.7 pts
56Wyoming County3.4+0.6 pts
59Columbia County3.3+0.6 pts
59Putnam County3.3+0.5 pts
61Saratoga County3+0.5 pts
62Yates County2.9+0.3 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 6.5% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Yates County, with 2.9% 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 York: more rankings