Department of Numbers

New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New York rose 0.2 percentage points in October 2023 to 4.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the New York rate. The unemployment rate in New York peaked in May 2020 at 17.5% and is now 12.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.9% in July 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.7 percentage points. You can also compare New York unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate October 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.9% +0.1 +0.2
New York 4.2% +0.2 0.0
New York 4.6% +0.2 +0.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with October 2023 data as November metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: New York, New York, National

New York, New York monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

New York, New York Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in New York peaked in May 2020 at 1,723,054. There are now 1,247,589 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 394,343 in September 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 81,122. New York employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in New York, New York) is also available.

Unemployed Persons October 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
New York 475,465 +14,100 +77,662

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
November
2023
3.7%
October
2023
3.9% 4.2% 4.6% 475,465
September
2023
3.8% 4.0% 4.4% 461,365
August
2023
3.8% 3.9% 4.3% 450,949
July
2023
3.5% 3.9% 4.2% 437,949
June
2023
3.6% 3.9% 4.2% 432,752
May
2023
3.7% 3.9% 4.1% 419,976
April
2023
3.4% 4.0% 4.0% 412,155
March
2023
3.5% 4.1% 4.0% 409,901
February
2023
3.6% 4.2% 4.0% 407,464
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 3.9% 405,171
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 3.9% 403,056

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.