New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s labor force grew in 2024. Will it continue? – NH Business Review
After expanding just 0.2% in 2023, New Hampshire’s labor force grew 1.3% in 2024, according to recently published data from New Hampshire Employment Security. That is the fastest growth rate in the number of people working or actively looking for work since 2018, and faster than the 2010-2019 average of 0.6%.
The total labor force was an estimated 771,600 Granite State residents, with about 751,600 employed. Estimates from late 2024 and the first two months of this year suggest the number of people working or looking for work has continued to grow. The unemployment rate was 3% in February 2025, the first month that, outside the COVID-19 pandemic’s unemployment spike, the state’s estimated unemployment rate has been at or above 3% since December 2015.
Data suggests employers can more easily find workers now than three years ago. Just before the pandemic, the number of job openings in New Hampshire per unemployed person seeking work was 1.9, and it peaked at 3.5 jobs per person in early 2022. Since that time, the number of jobs per unemployed worker has declined, dropping below pre-pandemic levels to an estimated 1.6 in January 2025.
If the state’s workforce constraint has become less severe, demographics suggest the easing may be short-lived, barring a significant recession or other major economic event. About 31% of New Hampshire’s labor force is 55 or older, and 9.2% are 65 or older. The state does not currently have a younger population large enough to fill all the jobs left by the retirements that may come in the next decade.
Other constraints have reduced the extent to which people can participate in the workforce, or afford to move into the state. In 2024, an average of 17,300 people said they were not working because they were caring for a child who was not in school or child care. The median purchase price for a single-family house continues to hover above half a million dollars. Median two-bedroom rental costs increased 36% from 2019 to 2024.
With more deaths than births every year since 2017, New Hampshire relies on domestic and international migration to support workforce growth. Employers might have an easier time finding new employees in 2025 than they did in 2022, but the long-term trajectory suggests more labor force supports, such as enhanced access to education across all ages, may be needed to sustain a vibrant economy.
New Hampshire
Photo Exhibit | Art Talk | Crew Competition | Nashua Genealogy Club | More: Week Ahead Events
NASHUA, NH — Here is the week ahead roundup.
Get out, New Hampshire.
Event listings are free on one Patch site. You can share your calendar info on other community sites for a modest fee, starting at 25 cents per day. To get started, visit the Events link on the front page of all Patch sites. Statewide calendar roundups are published on most Sundays and Wednesdays. Visit any of the 223 New Hampshire Patch Event sites (patch.com/map/new-hampshire) for updated listings.
Join us for a community conversation exploring how land conservation supports thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and local economies. Recent research from Maine highlights the growing economic value of conserved lands — from supporting recreation, forestry, agriculture, and tourism to protecting clean water, storing carbon, and strengthening climate resilience. The findings reveal something important: protecting natural landscapes is not only good for the environment, but also for the people and communities that depend on them.
Together, we’ll explore what this research means both regionally and here at home. How do conserved lands shape our quality of life, local economy, and sense of place? How can communities balance growth, conservation, and long-term sustainability? And what role can each of us play in protecting the landscapes that support both nature and people?
At each “Let’s Talk Nature” gathering, we share a short article in advance and come together for an informal, welcoming discussion. Each session stands on its own, and everyone is welcome. No expertise needed. Bring your curiosity and a willingness to listen and share. Drinks and cookies provided.
Read this session’s article: Conserved Land in Maine has Growing Economic Power
Grey Rocks Conservation Center
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM on Wed, 1 Jul 2026
Event Supported By
Newfound Lake Region Association
603-744-8689
info@NewfoundLake.org
High winds and widespread rain contributed to more than 12,000 power outages Saturday as a low pressure system passes over New Hampshire.
A high wind advisory remains in effect for southeastern New Hampshire until midday.
There is a high surf advisory in effect for the Seacoast area until 8 p.m. Saturday, with large-breaking waves in the range of 6-9 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast warns of dangerous wintry winds for hikers and campers, with heavy wet snow likely at higher elevations and a foot of snow possible on summits in the White Mountains.
In southeastern New Hampshire, the wind advisory calls for steady winds of 15-25 mph, and potential wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Eversource reported over 10,000 outages as of 9:30 a.m. Unitil had about 1,400 outages at that time.
The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded winterlike weather over the past 24 hours. Weather observers there say over half a foot of snow and sleet has fallen at the summit.
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