Best county job markets for job seekers in New England
Key facts
- #1 Cumberland County, ME: 87 / 100
- #2 Rockingham County, NH: 78 / 100
- #3 Hillsborough County, NH: 63 / 100
- 12 counties ranked in New England
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Cumberland County ME87 / 100
- 2Rockingham County NH78 / 100
- 3Hillsborough County NH63 / 100
- 4Providence County RI60 / 100
- 5Middlesex County MA58 / 100
- 6Suffolk County MA53 / 100
- 7Norfolk County MA53 / 100
- 8Worcester County MA43 / 100
- 9Berkshire County MA41 / 100
- 10Essex County MA36 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Cumberland County (87 / 100) is well clear of Essex County at #10 (36 / 100).
- Rockingham County reaches #2 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
A good job market is more than one number. This list weighs openings per unemployed person, the unemployment rate, job growth and population growth, with the weights shown.
How to use it
Use it to shortlist counties to research. Open the county page for the employers, colleges and job centers behind the score.
The top 25
- 1
Cumberland County ME
87 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 6
- Unemployment rate
- 2.7%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +5.1%
Based on 273 openings.
- 2
Rockingham County NH
78 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- Unemployment rate
- 2.1%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +4.1%
Based on 132 openings.
- 3
Hillsborough County NH
63 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 10
- Unemployment rate
- 2.2%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −1.3%
Based on 526 openings.
- 4
Providence County RI
60 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 3.3%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +3.1%
Based on 263 openings.
- 5
Middlesex County MA
58 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 11
- Unemployment rate
- 3.8%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −2.8%
Based on 3,848 openings.
- 6
Suffolk County MA
53 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 25
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +1.2%
Based on 4,895 openings.
- 7
Norfolk County MA
53 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +2.1%
Based on 534 openings.
- 8
Worcester County MA
43 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +0.9%
Based on 437 openings.
- 9
Berkshire County MA
41 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 5
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −0.9%
Based on 135 openings.
- 10
Essex County MA
36 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +2.1%
Based on 433 openings.
- 11
Bristol County MA
21 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- Unemployment rate
- 4.5%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −1.4%
Based on 124 openings.
- 12
Hampden County MA
6 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- Unemployment rate
- 5.3%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −3.2%
Based on 163 openings.
Full ranking
All 12 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | County | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland County ME | 87 / 100 | 273 |
| 2 | Rockingham County NH | 78 / 100 | 132 |
| 3 | Hillsborough County NH | 63 / 100 | 526 |
| 4 | Providence County RI | 60 / 100 | 263 |
| 5 | Middlesex County MA | 58 / 100 | 3,848 |
| 6 | Suffolk County MA | 53 / 100 | 4,895 |
| 7 | Norfolk County MA | 53 / 100 | 534 |
| 8 | Worcester County MA | 43 / 100 | 437 |
| 9 | Berkshire County MA | 41 / 100 | 135 |
| 10 | Essex County MA | 36 / 100 | 433 |
| 11 | Bristol County MA | 21 / 100 | 124 |
| 12 | Hampden County MA | 6 / 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 30%, unemployment rate 25%, private-sector job growth since 2022 25%, population growth since 2020 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; Census Bureau population estimates. 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 county job markets for job seekers in new england?
- Cumberland County is the best all-round county for job seekers in New England, with a score of 87 / 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 30%, unemployment rate 25%, private-sector job growth since 2022 25%, population growth since 2020 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.
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- Best county job markets for job seekers
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Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best county job markets for job seekers in New England,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-county-job-markets-in-new-england
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-county-job-markets-in-new-england">Best county job markets for job seekers in New England (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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