Counties With the Highest Unemployment in New Hampshire

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Counties with the highest unemployment in New Hampshire

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New Hampshire using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in New Hampshire.

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#10. Grafton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,195 people (1,106 unemployed)

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#9. Sullivan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,970 people (527 unemployed)

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#8. Merrimack County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,729 people (1,948 unemployed)

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#7. Strafford County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 73,822 people (1,860 unemployed)

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#6. Carroll County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,545 people (642 unemployed)

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#5. Belknap County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,760 people (851 unemployed)

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#4. Cheshire County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,445 people (1,087 unemployed)

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#3. Rockingham County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 189,943 people (5,770 unemployed)

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#2. Hillsborough County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 243,960 people (7,439 unemployed)

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#1. Coos County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,382 people (486 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.