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Economy & jobs Statistics · City

Unemployment rate in New York

1976 – 2025 · 50 data points Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 1976 – 2025

Unemployment rate, 1976 – 2025 percent · New York · The Bronx · New York · United States · World
−0.4 pp since 2015
New York The Bronx New York United States World

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025

Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
New York
5.2%
The Bronx
7.0%
New York
4.3%
United States
3.6% · 2023
World
4.8%

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance New York · 1976 – 2025
Latest value 5.2% · 2025
First value 11.1% · 1976
Highest 12.2% · 2020
Lowest 4.0% · 2019
Data points 50

By year

All years · 1976 – 2025

YearNew YorkChange The BronxNew YorkUnited StatesWorld
2025 5.2% +0.2 pp 7.0% 4.3% — 4.8%
2024 5.0% ±0.0 pp 6.6% 4.2% — 4.8%
2023 5.0% −0.6 pp 6.6% 4.0% 3.6% 4.8%
2022 5.6% −4.5 pp 7.9% 4.3% 3.7% 5.2%
2021 10.1% −2.1 pp 13.9% 7.1% 5.4% 6.0%
2020 12.2% +8.2 pp 16.2% 9.8% 8.1% 6.6%
2019 4.0% −0.1 pp 5.5% 3.9% 3.7% 5.6%
2018 4.1% −0.4 pp 5.7% 4.1% 3.9% 5.8%
2017 4.5% −0.7 pp 6.2% 4.6% 4.4% 5.9%
2016 5.2% −0.4 pp 7.1% 4.9% 4.9% 6.0%
2015 5.6% −1.5 pp 7.6% 5.2% 5.3% 6.0%
2014 7.1% −1.8 pp 9.6% 6.3% 6.2% 6.0%
2013 8.9% −0.6 pp 11.8% 7.8% 5.3% 6.1%
2012 9.5% +0.4 pp 12.6% 8.6% 8.1% 6.2%
2011 9.1% −0.5 pp 12.0% 8.4% 9.0% 6.1%
2010 9.6% +0.3 pp 12.1% 8.7% 9.6% 6.3%
2009 9.3% +3.8 pp 12.0% 8.4% 9.3% 6.4%
2008 5.5% +0.7 pp 7.5% 5.4% 5.8% 5.8%
2007 4.8% ±0.0 pp 6.6% 4.4% 4.6% 5.8%
2006 4.8% −0.8 pp 6.5% 4.5% 4.6% 6.0%
2005 5.6% −1.4 pp 7.4% 5.0% 5.1% 6.2%
2004 7.0% −1.3 pp 9.1% 5.8% 5.5% 6.3%
2003 8.3% +0.3 pp 10.5% 6.4% 6.0% 6.5%
2002 8.0% +1.9 pp 9.8% 6.2% 5.8% 6.4%
2001 6.1% +0.4 pp 7.4% 4.9% 4.8% 6.2%
2000 5.7% −1.1 pp 7.1% 4.5% 4.0% 6.1%
1999 6.8% −1.1 pp 8.2% 5.2% 4.2% 6.3%
1998 7.9% −1.5 pp 9.9% 5.6% 4.5% 6.2%
1997 9.4% +0.6 pp 11.6% 6.4% 4.9% 6.0%
1996 8.8% +0.6 pp 10.5% 6.2% 5.4% 6.0%
1995 8.2% −0.6 pp 9.6% 6.3% 5.6% 5.9%
1994 8.8% −1.6 pp 10.1% 6.9% — 5.8%
1993 10.4% −0.8 pp 12.2% 8.0% — 5.5%
1992 11.2% +2.3 pp 13.2% 8.7% — 5.3%
1991 8.9% +2.1 pp 10.6% 7.3% — 5.1%
1990 6.8% +0.4 pp 8.4% 5.3% — —
1989 6.4% +1.4 pp — 4.9% — —
1988 5.0% −0.6 pp — 4.2% — —
1987 5.6% −1.7 pp — 4.8% — —
1986 7.3% −0.8 pp — 6.2% — —
1985 8.1% −0.9 pp — 6.6% — —
1984 9.0% −0.9 pp — 7.3% — —
1983 9.9% +0.2 pp — 8.9% — —
1982 9.7% +0.8 pp — 8.7% — —
1981 8.9% +0.5 pp — 7.6% — —
1980 8.4% −0.2 pp — 7.4% — —
1979 8.6% −0.3 pp — 7.1% — —
1978 8.9% −1.3 pp — 7.7% — —
1977 10.2% −0.9 pp — 9.2% — —
1976 11.1% — 10.2% — —

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025

What it means

The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.