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.

• February 28, 2022: Unemployment News Release for January 2023
• Chart: US & NH Unemployment Rate, Seasonally Adjusted

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

• March 9, 2023: January 2023 | | Publication & Data Archive
  • Latest LAUS benchmarked editions: 2020 (updated 03/25/22) | 2021 (updated 03/25/22)
  • LAUS Over-The-Month Comparison |
• March 9, 2023: City and Town Unemployment Rates | | Data Archive

• Latest city and town benchmarked unemployment rates: 2021 | (updated 03/25/22)
• Chart: Unemployment Rates by Community

Annual Benchmark Revisions of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Updated 2022 estimates for New Hampshire statewide labor force statistics, including the annual unemployment rate.

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.

Annual revisions of LAUS estimates primarily reflect updated population demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Trends in revised employment data from the CES and QCEW programs and updated information regarding those filing for unemployment insurance benefits are also incorporated into the annual LAUS revisions.

• 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)

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization
Based on Current Population Survey data, these measures have been developed to address additional issues such as discouraged workers and involuntary part-time workers.

Unemployment Rates by State in Rank Order (03/13/23) | Chart: Unemployment Rates by State

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. The file provided here contains seasonally adjusted estimates from January 2000 forward for the Dover-Durham, NH-ME MetroNECTA; Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division; Manchester, NH MetroNECTA; and Portsmouth, NH-ME MetroNECTA. These statistical areas are Census 2010 and American Community Survey based delineations prepared by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The estimates provided in these tables are not compatible with data released prior to March 3, 2015. Not seasonally adjusted estimates for these areas will continue to be published by the New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau in the monthly Local Area Unemployment Statistics Report. Seasonally Adjusted Metropolitan Areas (02/01/23)

LAUS Release Schedule

Mass Layoff Statistics
A Federal-State cooperative effort which uses a standardized approach to identify, describe, and track the effects of major job cutbacks. Information is collected for establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a consecutive 5-week period to determine the duration, total number of persons separated, the reasons for these separations, and recall expectations. This information is used to analyze economic trends and to aid in the development of programs that may benefit those workers who are displaced from their employment.
New Hampshire Mass Layoffs for 2012