NH Unemployment Hits Record Low

By Talia Heisey
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BULLETIN
New Hampshire’s unemployment rate has reached a record low with only 2% of the labor force unemployed. This rate is also significantly lower than the national average unemployment rate of 3.6%.

Of the 764,620 people in New Hampshire’s labor force, only 15,540 are currently unemployed, according to Richard Lavers, deputy commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security. Almost 3,000 more people are working this month compared to last, and since last year, the number of people employed has grown by 20,000, according to Lavers.

The state has made significant strides since the pandemic. “At our peak during the pandemic in May 2020, NH had nearly 120,000 people filing for weekly unemployment benefits. We currently have 2,348 people filing for weekly benefits,” said Lavers.

Unemployment varies between counties within the state. Coos County was at 2.3%, while Merrimack and Grafton counties had unemployment rates of 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively.

And even compared to pre-pandemic, the state’s numbers are favorable. There are more job openings now than before the pandemic; there are 10% more employers and more than twice the job postings, Lavers said.

However, there’s still room for growth among some age groups, Lavers said, with participation lagging among workers in their late 20s and those in their early 60s.