Department of Numbers

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Portsmouth fell 0.1 percentage points in January 2023 to 2.4%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the New Hampshire rate. The unemployment rate in Portsmouth peaked in April 2020 at 14.1% and is now 11.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 1.9% in July 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Portsmouth unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
New Hampshire 2.8% -0.1 +0.5
Portsmouth 2.4% -0.1 -0.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, National

Portsmouth, New Hampshire monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Portsmouth peaked in April 2020 at 10,226. There are now 8,367 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,461 in July 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 398.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Portsmouth 1,859 -28 -191

Number of Unemployed Persons

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
New Hampshire
Unemployment Rate
Portsmouth
Unemployment Rate
Portsmouth
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 2.8% 2.4% 1,859
December
2022
3.5% 2.9% 2.5% 1,887
November
2022
3.6% 2.9% 2.4% 1,802
October
2022
3.7% 2.9% 2.2% 1,705
September
2022
3.5% 2.8% 2.1% 1,572
August
2022
3.7% 2.7% 2.0% 1,494
July
2022
3.5% 2.5% 1.9% 1,461
June
2022
3.6% 2.4% 2.0% 1,525
May
2022
3.6% 2.2% 2.1% 1,605
April
2022
3.6% 2.1% 2.2% 1,693
March
2022
3.6% 2.1% 2.3% 1,786

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.