Best counties for laid-off professionals in New England
Key facts
- #1 Suffolk County, MA: 80 / 100
- #2 Middlesex County, MA: 67 / 100
- #3 Hillsborough County, NH: 63 / 100
- 12 counties ranked in New England
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Suffolk County MA80 / 100
- 2Middlesex County MA67 / 100
- 3Hillsborough County NH63 / 100
- 4Rockingham County NH63 / 100
- 5Cumberland County ME55 / 100
- 6Providence County RI54 / 100
- 7Norfolk County MA48 / 100
- 8Essex County MA48 / 100
- 9Worcester County MA45 / 100
- 10Berkshire County MA36 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Suffolk County (80 / 100) is well clear of Berkshire County at #10 (36 / 100).
- Rockingham County reaches #4 on a sample of 132 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Suffolk County is the largest market in the top ten, with 4,895 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
Suffolk County MA
80 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 25
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.3 points
Based on 4,895 openings.
- 2
Middlesex County MA
67 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 11
- American Job Centers
- 4
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.3 points
Based on 3,848 openings.
- 3
Hillsborough County NH
63 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 10
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −1.1 points
Based on 526 openings.
- 4
Rockingham County NH
63 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −1.1 points
Based on 132 openings.
- 5
Cumberland County ME
55 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 6
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- +0.1 points
Based on 273 openings.
- 6
Providence County RI
54 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.9 points
Based on 263 openings.
- 7
Norfolk County MA
48 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.2 points
Based on 534 openings.
- 8
Essex County MA
48 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.2 points
Based on 433 openings.
- 9
Worcester County MA
45 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.3 points
Based on 437 openings.
- 10
Berkshire County MA
36 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 5
- American Job Centers
- 1
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.1 points
Based on 135 openings.
- 11
Bristol County MA
28 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.2 points
Based on 124 openings.
- 12
Hampden County MA
12 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- +0.0 points
Based on 163 openings.
Full ranking
All 12 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | County | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suffolk County MA | 80 / 100 | 4,895 |
| 2 | Middlesex County MA | 67 / 100 | 3,848 |
| 3 | Hillsborough County NH | 63 / 100 | 526 |
| 4 | Rockingham County NH | 63 / 100 | 132 |
| 5 | Cumberland County ME | 55 / 100 | 273 |
| 6 | Providence County RI | 54 / 100 | 263 |
| 7 | Norfolk County MA | 48 / 100 | 534 |
| 8 | Essex County MA | 48 / 100 | 433 |
| 9 | Worcester County MA | 45 / 100 | 437 |
| 10 | Berkshire County MA | 36 / 100 | 135 |
| 11 | Bristol County MA | 28 / 100 | 124 |
| 12 | Hampden County MA | 12 / 100 | 163 |
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 in new england?
- Suffolk County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in New England, with a score of 80 / 100.
- How many counties are ranked?
- 12 counties have at least 100 openings, so the list has 12 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
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- Best college towns for junior jobs in New England
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in New England
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in New England
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in New England
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in New England
- Best counties for laid-off professionals
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best counties for laid-off professionals in New England,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-new-england
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-new-england">Best counties for laid-off professionals in New England (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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