New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New York rose 0.1 percentage points in March 2020 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the New York rate. The unemployment rate in New York peaked in November 2009 at 9.3% and is now 5.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.5% in February 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare New York unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	March 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	4.4%	+0.9	+0.6
New York	4.1%	+0.4	+0.1
New York	3.6%	+0.1	-0.2

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with March 2020 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: New York, New York, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

New York, New York Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in New York peaked in December 2009 at 906,811. There are now 547,610 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 353,533 in February 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 5,668. New York employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in New York, New York) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	March 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
New York	359,201	+5,668	-14,610

Number of Unemployed Persons

New York, New York Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	New York Unemployment Rate	New York Unemployment Rate	New York Unemployed
April 2020	14.7%	14.5%	—	—
March 2020	4.4%	4.1%	3.6%	359,201
February 2020	3.5%	3.7%	3.5%	353,533
January 2020	3.6%	3.8%	3.6%	360,683
December 2019	3.5%	3.9%	3.7%	367,719
November 2019	3.5%	3.9%	3.7%	366,029
October 2019	3.6%	3.9%	3.7%	364,375
September 2019	3.5%	3.9%	3.6%	362,342
August 2019	3.7%	3.9%	3.6%	359,990
July 2019	3.7%	3.9%	3.6%	357,893
June 2019	3.7%	3.9%	3.6%	357,388
May 2019	3.6%	4.0%	3.6%	360,353