(Stacker) — While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New York using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

50. Wyoming County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 17,809 people (577 unemployed)

49. Chenango County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 21,973 people (706 unemployed)

48. Tioga County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 22,370 people (717 unemployed)

47. Livingston County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 30,806 people (976 unemployed)

46. Tompkins County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 50,561 people (1,606 unemployed)

45. Rensselaer County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 85,465 people (2,708 unemployed)

44. Nassau County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 752,369 people (24,439 unemployed)

43. Hamilton County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
Total labor force: 2,446 people (80 unemployed)

42. Putnam County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 52,404 people (1,728 unemployed)

41. Dutchess County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 147,532 people (4,920 unemployed)

40. Albany County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 165,942 people (5,418 unemployed)

39. Rockland County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 165,582 people (5,449 unemployed)

38. Madison County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 34,068 people (1,147 unemployed)

37. Onondaga County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 232,574 people (7,860 unemployed)

36. Clinton County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
Total labor force: 34,816 people (1,229 unemployed)

35. Schenectady County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 81,038 people (2,796 unemployed)

34. Ulster County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 89,507 people (3,173 unemployed)

33. Orange County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 197,801 people (6,920 unemployed)

32. Westchester County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 515,336 people (18,147 unemployed)

31. Suffolk County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 826,110 people (28,808 unemployed)

30. Lewis County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 11,859 people (426 unemployed)

29. Franklin County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 18,880 people (676 unemployed)

28. Otsego County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 26,835 people (969 unemployed)

27. Herkimer County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 27,887 people (992 unemployed)

26. Cayuga County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 36,083 people (1,290 unemployed)

25. Steuben County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 41,072 people (1,462 unemployed)

24. Oneida County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 102,486 people (3,650 unemployed)

23. Schoharie County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 15,340 people (564 unemployed)

22. Monroe County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 372,450 people (13,809 unemployed)

21. Delaware County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 18,682 people (714 unemployed)

20. Greene County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 20,532 people (771 unemployed)

19. Cortland County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 22,726 people (859 unemployed)

18. Jefferson County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 45,962 people (1,763 unemployed)

17. Chautauqua County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
Total labor force: 56,145 people (2,132 unemployed)

16. Erie County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 457,245 people (17,183 unemployed)

15. Cattaraugus County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
Total labor force: 33,294 people (1,309 unemployed)

14. Chemung County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
Total labor force: 35,137 people (1,369 unemployed)

13. Oswego County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
Total labor force: 54,749 people (2,156 unemployed)

12. Broome County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 82,779 people (3,203 unemployed)

11. Niagara County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 100,843 people (3,935 unemployed)

10. Orleans County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 17,513 people (694 unemployed)

9. Allegany County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 18,806 people (765 unemployed)

8. Fulton County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 22,489 people (912 unemployed)

7. Montgomery County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
Total labor force: 22,573 people (992 unemployed)

6. St. Lawrence County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
Total labor force: 41,387 people (1,858 unemployed)

5. New York County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
Total labor force: 935,718 people (46,970 unemployed)

4. Queens County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
Total labor force: 1.2 million people (57,124 unemployed)

3. Richmond County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 230,181 people (12,477 unemployed)

2. Kings County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
Total labor force: 1.2 million people (73,982 unemployed)

1. Bronx County

August unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
Total labor force: 608,563 people (44,161 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.