Counties with the highest unemployment in New Jersey
Counties with the highest unemployment in New Jersey
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New Jersey using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New Jersey.
#21. Hunterdon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,325 people (2,663 unemployed)
#20. Morris County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 275,279 people (11,005 unemployed)
#19. Mercer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 220,126 people (9,034 unemployed)
#18. Bergen County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 515,794 people (21,021 unemployed)
#17. Somerset County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 183,850 people (7,727 unemployed)
#16. Burlington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 253,985 people (10,560 unemployed)
#15. Monmouth County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 352,316 people (14,691 unemployed)
#14. Middlesex County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 470,056 people (20,544 unemployed)
#13. Warren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 60,050 people (2,700 unemployed)
#12. Gloucester County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 165,621 people (7,521 unemployed)
#11. Ocean County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 302,685 people (14,180 unemployed)
#10. Hudson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 387,523 people (18,117 unemployed)
#9. Sussex County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 79,365 people (3,807 unemployed)
#8. Camden County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 278,414 people (13,881 unemployed)
#7. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 297,513 people (15,102 unemployed)
#6. Essex County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 399,399 people (23,276 unemployed)
#5. Salem County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,206 people (1,846 unemployed)
#4. Passaic County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 260,395 people (15,357 unemployed)
#3. Atlantic County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 124,127 people (8,141 unemployed)
#2. Cumberland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,215 people (4,932 unemployed)
#1. Cape May County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,806 people (4,834 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
