Labor Force and Unemployment

Unemployment News Release
Monthly release of statewide seasonally adjusted estimates of the number employed and the number unemployed in the state. The state unemployment rate is then calculated based on these numbers. Considering the drastic and sudden shifts in published labor force statistics throughout the pandemic, the seasonal adjustment process has become more important than ever in order to allow for reliable comparisons. Therefore, we are only reporting on the seasonally adjusted numbers for purposes of this release as this is the metric most heavily relied upon to compare states against their own past performance and also to gauge states against one another. The latest not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is located on the ELMI home page. Not seasonally adjusted estimates remain the basis for Local Area Unemployment Statistics published below.

• September 12, 2023: Unemployment News Release for August 2023
• Chart: US & NH Unemployment Rate, Seasonally Adjusted

LAUS Release Schedule

Unemployment Rates by State in Rank Order (09/19/23) | Chart: Unemployment Rates by State

Note: Unemployment rates by state in rank order are updated following the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of all states labor force statistics, which typically occurs a few days after the New Hampshire statewide release.

Annual Benchmark Revisions of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Benchmarking is the process of re-estimating statistics as more complete data become available. The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program benchmarks prior years’ estimates annually.

• 1976-2022 Statewide Benchmarked Unemployment Estimates
  Based on the revised Statistical and Seasonal Adjustment Methodologies implemented in January 2022, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the years 1976 through the present
  Seasonally Adjusted | Not Seasonally Adjusted (benchmarked 02/28/2023)

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
Monthly estimated labor force, employment, unemployment, and unemployment rates for the United States, New Hampshire, and substate regions.

• September 21, 2023: August 2023 | | Publication & Data Archive
  • Latest LAUS benchmarked editions: 2021 (updated 03/23/23) | 2022 (updated 03/23/23)
  • LAUS Over-The-Month Comparison |
• September 21, 2023: City and Town Unemployment Rates | | Data Archive

• Latest city and town benchmarked unemployment rates: 2022 | (updated 03/23/23)
• Chart: Unemployment Rates by Community

Seasonally Adjusted Metropolitan Area Estimates
In July 2015 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program completed the model specifications necessary to resume publishing seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment estimates for all metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions. Available areas include Dover-Durham, NH-ME MetroNECTA; Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division; Manchester, NH MetroNECTA; and Portsmouth, NH-ME MetroNECTA.

Seasonally Adjusted Metropolitan Areas (09/27/23)

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides estimates for six measures of labor underutilization based on results of the Current Population Survey. These measures were developed to provide data users with two measures that are more narrowly defined and three measures that are more broadly defined than the traditional unemployment rate. These measures are available quarterly in the form of a four-quarter average. These measures are not directly comparable to the official New Hampshire unemployment rate.

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization Descriptions