Business & Economy Data retrieved 2026-07-16
The unemployment rate
The city's jobless rate, every month since 1976: the fiscal-crisis years, the COVID spike, and where it stands now.
5.4%
unemployment in May 2026, seasonally adjusted
The pandemic peak was 21.5% in May 2020. The lowest month on record is 3.8% (July 2019).
The numbers behind this chart
Yearly figures are averages of the monthly seasonally adjusted rates stored for that year; the chart plots every month.
| Year | New York City unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 11.1% |
| 1977 | 10.2% |
| 1978 | 8.9% |
| 1979 | 8.6% |
| 1980 | 8.5% |
| 1981 | 8.9% |
| 1982 | 9.8% |
| 1983 | 9.9% |
| 1984 | 9% |
| 1985 | 8.1% |
| 1986 | 7.3% |
| 1987 | 5.5% |
| 1988 | 5% |
| 1989 | 6.4% |
| 1990 | 6.8% |
| 1991 | 8.9% |
| 1992 | 11.2% |
| 1993 | 10.4% |
| 1994 | 8.8% |
| 1995 | 8.2% |
| 1996 | 8.8% |
| 1997 | 9.4% |
| 1998 | 7.9% |
| 1999 | 6.8% |
| 2000 | 5.7% |
| 2001 | 6.1% |
| 2002 | 8% |
| 2003 | 8.3% |
| 2004 | 7% |
| 2005 | 5.6% |
| 2006 | 4.9% |
| 2007 | 4.8% |
| 2008 | 5.6% |
| 2009 | 9.3% |
| 2010 | 9.6% |
| 2011 | 9.1% |
| 2012 | 9.5% |
| 2013 | 8.8% |
| 2014 | 7.1% |
| 2015 | 5.6% |
| 2016 | 5.2% |
| 2017 | 4.5% |
| 2018 | 4.2% |
| 2019 | 4% |
| 2020 | 12.4% |
| 2021 | 10% |
| 2022 | 5.6% |
| 2023 | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 5% |
| 2025 | 5.2% (average of 11 months) |
| 2026 | 5.6% (average of 5 months) |
The key years
What this counts
The share of New York City residents in the labor force who are unemployed, seasonally adjusted, estimated monthly by the state Department of Labor under the federal Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Unemployed means available for work and actively looking in the past four weeks.
What it does not say
- These are model-based estimates, not a headcount, and they get revised: recent months move with each release, and every year is re-benchmarked.
- It counts city residents wherever they work, which is the mirror image of the jobs series (jobs located in the city, whoever holds them).
- Someone who stopped looking for work is not counted as unemployed, so the rate can fall while fewer people are working.
- The state published no estimate for October 2025; the chart leaves that month blank rather than filling it in.
The questions New Yorkers actually ask
What is New York City's unemployment rate?
5.4% in May 2026, seasonally adjusted, per the New York State Department of Labor's Local Area Unemployment Statistics.
What was NYC's unemployment rate during COVID?
It peaked at 21.5% in May 2020, the highest month in a series that goes back to 1976.
The numbers move. We watch them.
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