While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7 percent 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 Jersey using Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Cape May County topped the list with 11.8 percent, more than three times the national unemployment rate of 3.8 percent.
Cape's unemployment number actually went down by .7 percentage points in the past month.
Cumberland County at 7.9 percent unemployment and Atlantic County at 7.2 percent round out the Top 3.
The counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, although some ties may remain.
County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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 percent in North Dakota to 5.3 percent in California.
Experts are mixed in their 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 percent as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
Here are the Top 10
10. Sussex County
bruary unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2 percent
- One-month change: No change
- One-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 78,945 people (4,142 unemployed)
9. Ocean County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 300,152 people (15,508 unemployed)
8. Camden County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 276,829 people (14,972 unemployed)
7. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4 percent
- One-month change: No change
- One-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 295,374 people (15,947 unemployed)
6. Essex County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 396,409 people (24,347 unemployed)
5. Passaic County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 259,170 people (16,552 unemployed)
4. Salem County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,225 people (2,020 unemployed)
3. Atlantic County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 123,587 people (8,954 unemployed)
2. Cumberland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,796 people (5,510 unemployed)
1. Cape May County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.8 percent
- One-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- One-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,181 people (5,584 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
