Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Unemployment Rate
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Unemployment Rate by County, New Jersey, 2023
Percentage of persons
- Undetermined
- 3.3% - 4.1%
- 4.1%+ - 4.8%
- 4.8%+ - 5.9%
- 5.9%+ - 6.8%
Why Is This Important?
People with steady employment are less likely to live in poverty and more likely to be healthy.1
Definition
Estimated percentage of persons in the labor force who are unemployed
Data Source
American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau(https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Estimated number of unemployed persons |
| Denominator: | Estimated number of persons age 16 years and over and in the labor force |
How Are We Doing?
The lack of data for 2020 and the extreme increase seen in 2021 were both due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate has since returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The unemployment rate in New Jersey is consistently higher among Blacks, persons with lower educational attainment, and persons with a disability. There is little difference in the unemployment rate by sex. Unemployed persons are more likely to be below the poverty level. In 2023, the unemployment rate varied by county from a low of 3.3% in Hunterdon to a high of 6.8% in Essex.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
In 2023, New Jersey had a higher unemployment rate than the nation as a whole.
Available Services
New Jersey Employment Resources: https://nj.gov/nj/employ/
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://www.nj.gov/labor/
- Unemployment Claims: https://www.nj.gov/labor/myunemployment/
More Resources
U.S. Census Bureau, data.census.gov
U.S. Census Bureau, New Jersey Profile
Healthy People 2030: Economic Stability
Footnote References
1. Economic Stability, Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.