{"h1":"Counties where unemployment fell the most in New England","faq":[{"a":"Cheshire County saw the biggest improvement in New England: its unemployment rate changed −1.2 points over the year, against −0.3 points for the typical large county.","q":"Which county ranks first: counties where unemployment fell the most in new england?"},{"a":"24 counties have at least 20,000 people in the labor force, so the list has 24 entries.","q":"How many counties are ranked?"},{"a":"A county's score is the change in its unemployment rate over twelve months, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted. The biggest fall ranks first. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force whose rate fell are ranked. Month-to-month local estimates can be revised, so small differences are not meaningful.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Cheshire County saw the biggest improvement in New England: its unemployment rate changed −1.2 points over the year, against −0.3 points for the typical large county.","minN":20000,"rows":[{"n":40060,"bar":1,"key":"33005","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/cheshire-county","name":"Cheshire County","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.9%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"3.1%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"40,060"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":21939,"bar":1,"key":"33019","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/sullivan-county","name":"Sullivan County","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.5%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.7%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"21,939"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":82494,"bar":0.9999999999999998,"key":"33013","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/merrimack-county","name":"Merrimack County","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.7%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.9%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"82,494"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":77884,"bar":0.9999999999999998,"key":"33017","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/strafford-county","name":"Strafford County","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.7%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.9%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"77,884"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":26290,"bar":0.9999999999999998,"key":"33003","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/carroll-county","name":"Carroll County","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.7%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.9%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"26,290"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":49742,"bar":0.9999999999999997,"key":"33009","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/grafton-county","name":"Grafton County","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.6%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.8%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"49,742"}],"value":-1.2,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.2 points"},{"n":187440,"bar":0.9166666666666666,"key":"33015","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/rockingham-county","name":"Rockingham County","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.1%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"3.2%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"187,440"}],"value":-1.1,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.1 points"},{"n":33358,"bar":0.9166666666666664,"key":"33001","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/belknap-county","name":"Belknap County","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"1.7%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.8%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"33,358"}],"value":-1.1,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.1 points"},{"n":238420,"bar":0.9166666666666662,"key":"33011","sub":"NH","href":"/places/new-hampshire/county/hillsborough-county","name":"Hillsborough County","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"3.3%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"238,420"}],"value":-1.1,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−1.1 points"},{"n":350743,"bar":0.7500000000000002,"key":"44007","sub":"RI","href":"/places/rhode-island/county/providence-county","name":"Providence County","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"3.3%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.2%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"350,743"}],"value":-0.9000000000000004,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.9 points"},{"n":94170,"bar":0.7499999999999998,"key":"44003","sub":"RI","href":"/places/rhode-island/county/kent-county","name":"Kent County","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.5%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"3.4%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"94,170"}],"value":-0.8999999999999999,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.9 points"},{"n":41772,"bar":0.5833333333333334,"key":"44005","sub":"RI","href":"/places/rhode-island/county/newport-county","name":"Newport County","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.3%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"3.0%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"41,772"}],"value":-0.7000000000000002,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.7 points"},{"n":68079,"bar":0.4999999999999996,"key":"44009","sub":"RI","href":"/places/rhode-island/county/washington-county","name":"Washington County","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.8%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"68,079"}],"value":-0.5999999999999996,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.6 points"},{"n":26320,"bar":0.4166666666666666,"key":"44001","sub":"RI","href":"/places/rhode-island/county/bristol-county","name":"Bristol County","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.4%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.9%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"26,320"}],"value":-0.5,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.5 points"},{"n":84724,"bar":0.3333333333333336,"key":"25015","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/hampshire-county","name":"Hampshire County","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"3.8%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.2%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"84,724"}],"value":-0.4000000000000004,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.4 points"},{"n":932913,"bar":0.2499999999999998,"key":"25017","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/middlesex-county","name":"Middlesex County","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"3.8%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.1%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"932,913"}],"value":-0.2999999999999998,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.3 points"},{"n":470233,"bar":0.2499999999999998,"key":"25027","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/worcester-county","name":"Worcester County","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"4.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.5%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"470,233"}],"value":-0.2999999999999998,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.3 points"},{"n":465838,"bar":0.2499999999999998,"key":"25025","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/suffolk-county","name":"Suffolk County","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"4.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.5%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"465,838"}],"value":-0.2999999999999998,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.3 points"},{"n":439969,"bar":0.1666666666666668,"key":"25009","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/essex-county","name":"Essex County","rank":19,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"4.3%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.5%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"439,969"}],"value":-0.2000000000000002,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.2 points"},{"n":313254,"bar":0.1666666666666668,"key":"25005","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/bristol-county","name":"Bristol County","rank":20,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"4.5%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.7%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"313,254"}],"value":-0.2000000000000002,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.2 points"},{"n":292998,"bar":0.1666666666666668,"key":"25023","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/plymouth-county","name":"Plymouth County","rank":21,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"4.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.4%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"292,998"}],"value":-0.2000000000000002,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.2 points"},{"n":415556,"bar":0.1666666666666664,"key":"25021","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/norfolk-county","name":"Norfolk County","rank":22,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"3.9%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.1%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"415,556"}],"value":-0.1999999999999997,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.2 points"},{"n":64387,"bar":0.0833333333333334,"key":"25003","sub":"MA","href":"/places/massachusetts/county/berkshire-county","name":"Berkshire County","rank":23,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"3.9%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"4.0%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"64,387"}],"value":-0.1000000000000001,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.1 points"},{"n":96362,"bar":0.08333333333333302,"key":"50007","sub":"VT","href":"/places/vermont/county/chittenden-county","name":"Chittenden County","rank":24,"stats":[{"label":"Unemployment now","value":"2.2%"},{"label":"A year ago","value":"2.3%"},{"label":"People in the labor force","value":"96,362"}],"value":-0.09999999999999964,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"−0.1 points"}],"slug":"counties-where-unemployment-fell-the-most-in-new-england","unit":"jobs","scope":{"id":"new-england","kind":"region","name":"New England"},"title":"Counties where unemployment fell the most in New England","family":"Workforce","method":["A county's score is the change in its unemployment rate over twelve months, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted. The biggest fall ranks first.","Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force whose rate fell are ranked. Month-to-month local estimates can be revised, so small differences are not meaningful."],"builtAt":"2026-11-03T03:39:06.218Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"unempdrop","sources":["Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (not seasonally adjusted)"],"baseline":{"label":"the typical large county","valueLabel":"−0.3 points"},"keyFacts":["#1 Cheshire County, NH: −1.2 points","#2 Sullivan County, NH: −1.2 points","#3 Merrimack County, NH: −1.2 points","24 counties ranked in New England","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"counties","commentary":["Sullivan County reaches #2 on a sample of 21,939 people in the labor force, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Providence County is the largest market in the top ten, with 350,743 people in the labor force behind its figure.","Counties with fewer than 20,000 people in the labor force are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/counties-where-unemployment-fell-the-most-in-new-england"}