NextChapter

Best counties for laid-off professionals

Kings County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in the United States, with a score of 93 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census data.

Key facts

  • #1 Kings County, NY: 93 / 100
  • #2 Miami-Dade County, FL: 91 / 100
  • #3 Wake County, NC: 84 / 100
  • 100 counties ranked in the United States
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Kings County NY93 / 100
  2. 2Miami-Dade County FL91 / 100
  3. 3Wake County NC84 / 100
  4. 4Anne Arundel County MD82 / 100
  5. 5Philadelphia County PA80 / 100
  6. 6Union County OH78 / 100
  7. 7Allegheny County PA77 / 100
  8. 8Morris County NJ76 / 100
  9. 9Travis County TX76 / 100
  10. 10Suffolk County MA76 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Kings County leads on 93 / 100, and #10 Suffolk County is at 76 / 100.
  • Union County reaches #6 on a sample of 259 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Kings County is the largest market in the top ten, with 22,158 openings behind its figure.
  • Counties with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

For someone who has lost a job, the useful counties have openings for people looking, job centers to help and unemployment that is falling. This list weighs those with published weights.

How to use it

If you are between jobs, use it to find nearby counties with more going on, and read each county page for its American Job Centers and workforce board.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Kings County NY

    93 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    32
    American Job Centers
    3
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.8 points

    Based on 22,158 openings.

    Kings County job market

  2. 2

    Miami-Dade County FL

    91 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    12
    American Job Centers
    16
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.0 points

    Based on 3,265 openings.

    Miami-Dade County job market

  3. 3

    Wake County NC

    84 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    10
    American Job Centers
    4
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 1,908 openings.

    Wake County job market

  4. 4

    Anne Arundel County MD

    82 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    8
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.8 points

    Based on 790 openings.

    Anne Arundel County job market

  5. 5

    Philadelphia County PA

    80 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    5
    American Job Centers
    3
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.3 points

    Based on 1,803 openings.

    Philadelphia County job market

  6. 6

    Union County OH

    78 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    23
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 259 openings.

    Union County job market

  7. 7

    Allegheny County PA

    77 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    9
    American Job Centers
    3
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.0 points

    Based on 1,712 openings.

    Allegheny County job market

  8. 8

    Morris County NJ

    76 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    8
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.3 points

    Based on 801 openings.

    Morris County job market

  9. 9

    Travis County TX

    76 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    19
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    +0.0 points

    Based on 5,850 openings.

    Travis County job market

  10. 10

    Suffolk County MA

    76 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    25
    American Job Centers
    3
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 4,895 openings.

    Suffolk County job market

  11. 11

    District of Columbia DC

    76 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    21
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.5 points

    Based on 4,393 openings.

    District of Columbia job market

  12. 12

    Lake County OH

    74 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    7
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.2 points

    Based on 145 openings.

    Lake County job market

  13. 13

    Baltimore city MD

    73 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    8
    American Job Centers
    3
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.9 points

    Based on 1,061 openings.

    Baltimore city job market

  14. 14

    New Hanover County NC

    73 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    5
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.5 points

    Based on 195 openings.

    New Hanover County job market

  15. 15

    Greene County OH

    73 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    8
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.7 points

    Based on 211 openings.

    Greene County job market

  16. 16

    Santa Clara County CA

    72 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    21
    American Job Centers
    4
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 9,172 openings.

    Santa Clara County job market

  17. 17

    Anderson County TN

    72 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    19
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 212 openings.

    Anderson County job market

  18. 18

    Mecklenburg County NC

    71 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    15
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.5 points

    Based on 3,231 openings.

    Mecklenburg County job market

  19. 19

    Dauphin County PA

    71 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    7
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −1.4 points

    Based on 359 openings.

    Dauphin County job market

  20. 20

    Dallas County TX

    71 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    11
    American Job Centers
    7
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.2 points

    Based on 6,562 openings.

    Dallas County job market

  21. 21

    Guilford County NC

    71 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    6
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.8 points

    Based on 560 openings.

    Guilford County job market

  22. 22

    Fulton County GA

    70 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    28
    American Job Centers
    7
    Change in unemployment over a year
    +0.0 points

    Based on 6,189 openings.

    Fulton County job market

  23. 23

    San Francisco County CA

    70 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    58
    American Job Centers
    4
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.3 points

    Based on 11,689 openings.

    San Francisco County job market

  24. 24

    Arlington County VA

    70 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    45
    American Job Centers
    1
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.1 points

    Based on 1,989 openings.

    Arlington County job market

  25. 25

    New Castle County DE

    70 / 100

    Openings per 100 unemployed
    5
    American Job Centers
    2
    Change in unemployment over a year
    −0.5 points

    Based on 744 openings.

    New Castle County job market

Full ranking

All 100 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCountyScoreSample
1Kings County NY93 / 10022,158
2Miami-Dade County FL91 / 1003,265
3Wake County NC84 / 1001,908
4Anne Arundel County MD82 / 100790
5Philadelphia County PA80 / 1001,803
6Union County OH78 / 100259
7Allegheny County PA77 / 1001,712
8Morris County NJ76 / 100801
9Travis County TX76 / 1005,850
10Suffolk County MA76 / 1004,895
11District of Columbia DC76 / 1004,393
12Lake County OH74 / 100145
13Baltimore city MD73 / 1001,061
14New Hanover County NC73 / 100195
15Greene County OH73 / 100211
16Santa Clara County CA72 / 1009,172
17Anderson County TN72 / 100212
18Mecklenburg County NC71 / 1003,231
19Dauphin County PA71 / 100359
20Dallas County TX71 / 1006,562
21Guilford County NC71 / 100560
22Fulton County GA70 / 1006,189
23San Francisco County CA70 / 10011,689
24Arlington County VA70 / 1001,989
25New Castle County DE70 / 100744
26Minnehaha County SD70 / 100201
27Durham County NC69 / 100759
28Fairfax County VA69 / 1004,186
29Hillsborough County NH69 / 100526
30Howard County MD69 / 100406
31Franklin County KY69 / 100170
32Montgomery County MD69 / 1001,177
33Harris County TX68 / 1004,986
34Hillsborough County FL68 / 1001,856
35Franklin County OH67 / 1002,497
36Middlesex County MA67 / 1003,848
37Richmond city VA67 / 1001,147
38Maricopa County AZ67 / 1005,165
39Jackson County MO67 / 100951
40Salt Lake County UT67 / 1001,210
41Davidson County TN67 / 1001,636
42Washington County PA67 / 100114
43Los Angeles County CA66 / 10010,860
44Collin County TX66 / 1001,498
45Benton County AR66 / 100405
46Prince George's County MD65 / 100622
47Cass County ND65 / 100165
48Orange County CA64 / 1004,573
49Washoe County NV64 / 100416
50Loudoun County VA64 / 100638
51Harford County MD64 / 100227
52Cumberland County ME64 / 100273
53Brevard County FL64 / 100779
54Madison County AL64 / 1001,230
55Douglas County NE63 / 100547
56King County WA63 / 1008,591
57Weber County UT63 / 100255
58Cuyahoga County OH63 / 1001,378
59Cumberland County PA62 / 100255
60Leon County FL62 / 100763
61Charleston County SC62 / 100327
62Tarrant County TX62 / 1001,851
63Montgomery County PA62 / 1001,105
64Knox County TN62 / 100443
65Rockingham County NH62 / 100132
66Utah County UT61 / 100425
67Iredell County NC61 / 100259
68Benton County WA61 / 100133
69Essex County NJ61 / 100511
70Kent County MI61 / 100489
71Sacramento County CA61 / 1001,571
72Deschutes County OR60 / 100100
73Pulaski County AR60 / 100274
74Denver County CO60 / 1002,833
75San Diego County CA60 / 1003,888
76Clark County NV60 / 1001,031
77Alameda County CA59 / 1002,273
78Cook County IL59 / 1008,859
79Greenville County SC59 / 100371
80Montgomery County OH59 / 100551
81Chester County PA59 / 100410
82Lehigh County PA58 / 100281
83Sangamon County IL58 / 100288
84Multnomah County OR58 / 100843
85St. Louis city MO58 / 1001,032
86DuPage County IL58 / 1001,762
87Hudson County NJ58 / 100861
88Lancaster County NE58 / 100206
89Lorain County OH58 / 100107
90McLean County IL57 / 100156
91Orange County FL56 / 1001,413
92Hamilton County OH56 / 1001,582
93Caddo Parish LA56 / 100117
94Milwaukee County WI56 / 100965
95Berks County PA56 / 100278
96El Paso County TX56 / 100307
97Roanoke city VA56 / 100181
98Taylor County TX56 / 100128
99Hennepin County MN55 / 1002,349
100Lake County IL55 / 100772

How this ranking works

A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%.

Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here.

Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked.

Sample bar: counties with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles by county; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; CareerOneStop American Job Center directory. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which county ranks first: best counties for laid-off professionals?
Kings County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in the United States, with a score of 93 / 100.
How many counties are ranked?
100 counties have at least 100 openings, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%. Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best counties for laid-off professionals,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals">Best counties for laid-off professionals (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

The job market, once a week

One email every Tuesday with the week's most useful read on the job market and the search, plus occasional news from NextChapter. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.

Applying and hearing nothing back?

Find out where you stand: your odds, the jobs that fit you and a plan for the week ahead. Free. No résumé needed.

Already a member? Log in

Get my Market Reality Assessment

Run a workforce board, job center or economic development office, or hire in the places and industries on this list?

Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers.

See how organizations use it