Merrimack County, NH jobs, unemployment and layoffs

Merrimack County’s unemployment rate is 1.7%. No layoff notices here in the last 12 months. 75 open professional jobs are in its cities.

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Merrimack County economy

1.7%
unemployment, Sep 2026
2.9% the month before
82,494
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
155,018
people in Merrimack County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$93,944
median household income
Source: Census ACS
43%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS

Where Merrimack County ranks

Where Merrimack County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.

November 2026

#3Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Northeast1.7% · of 100
#3Counties with the lowest unemployment in New England1.7% · of 42
#3Counties where unemployment fell the most in New England−1.2 points · of 24
#4Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in New England7.2 per 10,000 · of 23
#8Counties with the lowest unemployment1.7% · of 100
#12Fastest-growing job markets in New England+1.5% · of 24

Merrimack County outlook: Steady

Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.

Private-sector jobs up 1.5% from 2022 to 2025
Population up 2.6% from 2020 to 2025
Unemployment 1.7%, down 1.2 points from a year ago
Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+913 jobs), admin & staffing (+367 jobs)
Sectors losing the most jobs: finance & insurance (−655 jobs), manufacturing (−341 jobs)

Local job-market news

Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Merrimack County. Each link goes to the publisher.

Layoffs more than doubled in 10 states in 2026. New Hampshire recorded the fastest rise.International Business Times on MSN · Oct 29, 2026

Learn and get funded in Merrimack County

Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.

Merrimack County layoffs

No layoff notices naming Merrimack County in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.

Employers hiring most in Merrimack County

Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.

Michels7 open roles
Army National Guard Units5 open roles
Ledyard National Bank4 open roles
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys3 open roles
Meredith Village Savings Bank3 open roles
Abode Energy Management2 open roles
DNP Imagingcomm America2 open roles
Savings Bank of Walpole2 open roles
The State of New Hampshire2 open roles
UGI2 open roles

Colleges in Merrimack County

Colleges in Merrimack County
College	City	Type	Students
Southern New Hampshire University	Manchester	Private non-profit 4-year	20,000+
New England College	Henniker	Private non-profit 4-year	1,000–4,999
Colby-Sawyer College	New London	Private non-profit 4-year	Under 1,000
University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce School of Law	Concord	Public 4-year	Under 1,000

Conferences in Merrimack County

Industry conferences and trade shows held in Merrimack County. 2 with dates announced.

NERHA Fall Conference
Nov 17 to Nov 18, 2026 · Concord, NH
Ticket $150 to $400. Full conference regular $400 (early bird $350 ended July 31); students $150 full conference; single-day…
Granite State HR Conference
Apr 6 to Apr 7, 2027 · Concord, NH
Paid ticket, price not listed

All conferences

Workforce development and job centers

The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Merrimack County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.

Laid off in New Hampshire? How to file for unemployment in New Hampshire (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).

Business and Economic Affairs, Office of Workforce Opportunity
Serves all of New Hampshire

NH WORKS - Concord
Concord · Comprehensive
8am - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

Cities in Merrimack County

Other New Hampshire counties

All of New Hampshire

Laid off or looking for work in Merrimack County?

See what to do first and the jobs open near you.

See your options after a layoff

Sources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from New Hampshire’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. New Hampshire unemployment benefits and severance rules.

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