Unemployment Rates Seasonally Adjusted - December 2009 Not Seasonally Adjusted - December 2009 United States 10.0% United States 9.7% New Hampshire 7.0% New Hampshire 6.7%

January 19, 2010

New Hampshire’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2009 was 7.0 percent, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the November rate, which was unchanged with revision. The December 2008 seasonally adjusted rate was 4.3 percent.

Seasonally adjusted estimates for December 2009 placed the number of employed residents at 686,090, a decrease of 3,490 from the previous month and a decrease of 21,340 from December 2008. The number of unemployed residents increased by 2,040 over-the-month to 51,630. This was 20,190 more unemployed than in December 2008. From November 2009 to December 2009, the total labor force decreased by 1,450 to 737,720. This was a decrease of 1,150 from December 2008.

The unadjusted December 2009 unemployment rate for New Hampshire was 6.7 percent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the November rate, which was unchanged with revision. The December 2008 unadjusted rate was 4.3 percent.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2009 was 10.0 percent, unchanged from the November 2009 rate and an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the December 2008 rate. The national unadjusted rate for December 2009 was 9.7 percent, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the November rate and an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the December 2008 rate.

NOTE: State nonfarm employment estimates are available on our Internet Web site: www.nh.gov/nhes/elmi concurrent with this release. Local area unemployment rates are expected to be available on Thursday, January 28. All monthly data will continue to be published in the monthly newsletter New Hampshire Economic Conditions.