Northeast region · state data
New Jersey unemployment rate and jobs
New Jersey's unemployment rate was 4.2% in Sep 2026, the same as the national rate. That was down from 5.5% a year earlier.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Employment Statistics) via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.
Unemployment rate (Sep 2026)
4.2%
U.S. rate, same month
4.2%
Difference from U.S.
0.0 pt
A year earlier
5.5%
Rank (1 = lowest rate)
32nd of 51
Nonfarm jobs (Sep 2026)
4.38 million
Job growth, 12 months
+0.1%
Record low rate
3.1% (Aug 2022)
Unemployment rate: New Jersey vs. the U.S.
4.2% Sep 2026 · Percent
New Jersey unemployment rate U.S. unemployment rate
Percent of the labor force, seasonally adjusted. New Jersey data from Jan 1976 to Sep 2026; the dashed line is the national rate (UNRATE).
How New Jersey compares
In Sep 2026, New Jersey had the 19th highest rate of the 51 states and DC (tied with Oklahoma). Across the 9 states in the Northeast region, the simple average was 3.7%, so New Jersey was 0.5 points above it.
Since the state series began in 1976, New Jersey's rate has ranged from a low of 3.1% in Aug 2022 to a high of 15.4% in May 2020. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, it was 4.1%, 0.1 points lower than now. Over the last 12 months the rate averaged 4.9% and was above the national rate in 11 of them.
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Jobs in New Jersey
Employers in New Jersey reported 4.38 million nonfarm payroll jobs in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted. That is 3,600 more than a year earlier (+0.1%), compared with +0.3% for the nation as a whole. Its 12-month job growth rate ranked 38th of 51. The record high was 4.39 million in May 2025. Compared with February 2020, payrolls are up 3.6%.
4,377.4K Sep 2026 · Thousands of persons
Total nonfarm payroll jobs, thousands, seasonally adjusted, from the BLS survey of employers. Data from Jan 1990.
| Month | Unemployment rate | U.S. rate | Nonfarm jobs | Monthly job change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.38 million | +14,900 |
| Aug 2026 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.36 million | +1,200 |
| Jul 2026 | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.36 million | -21,900 |
| Jun 2026 | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.38 million | -4,200 |
| May 2026 | 4.7% | 4.3% | 4.39 million | +1,400 |
| Apr 2026 | 4.8% | 4.3% | 4.39 million | +7,100 |
| Mar 2026 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 4.38 million | +3,100 |
| Feb 2026 | 5.1% | 4.4% | 4.38 million | -8,200 |
| Jan 2026 | 5.2% | 4.3% | 4.38 million | +3,500 |
| Dec 2025 | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.38 million | +5,400 |
| Nov 2025 | 5.4% | 4.5% | 4.38 million | +1,300 |
| Sep 2025 | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.37 million | +4,300 |
Record high unemployment rate: 15.4% (May 2020). Monthly figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks the state data.
States with similar unemployment rates
Other Northeast states
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This page shows public labor market data for general information. It is not financial or career advice and does not predict future values.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in New Jersey [NJUR], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NJUR, Oct 27, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees: Total Nonfarm in New Jersey [NJNA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NJNA, Oct 27, 2026.
- View NJUR on FRED® · View NJNA on FRED® · BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment
FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics endorses OpenEcon.
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