Department of Numbers

Watertown-Fort Drum, New York Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Watertown fell 0.0 percentage points in January 2023 to 3.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the New York rate. The unemployment rate in Watertown peaked in April 2020 at 18.2% and is now 14.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.4% in March 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Watertown unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
New York 4.2% +0.1 -0.9
Watertown 3.9% 0.0 0.0
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: Watertown, New York, National

Watertown, New York monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Watertown, New York Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Watertown peaked in April 2020 at 7,984. There are now 6,247 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,510 in April 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 227.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Watertown 1,737 -6 +14

Number of Unemployed Persons

Watertown, New York Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
New York
Unemployment Rate
Watertown
Unemployment Rate
Watertown
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 4.2% 3.9% 1,737
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 3.9% 1,743
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 4.0% 1,791
October
2022
3.7% 4.2% 4.1% 1,817
September
2022
3.5% 4.0% 4.2% 1,852
August
2022
3.7% 3.9% 4.1% 1,814
July
2022
3.5% 4.0% 3.9% 1,727
June
2022
3.6% 4.1% 3.7% 1,640
May
2022
3.6% 4.1% 3.5% 1,564
April
2022
3.6% 4.3% 3.4% 1,510
March
2022
3.6% 4.4% 3.4% 1,524

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.