NY Labor Officials Release Local Unemployment Rates

The New York State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for June 2016 Tuesday that describe a low jobless rate in the lower Hudson Valley.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.7 percent in June 2016, but the rate in four of the lower Hudson Valley counties was substantially lower.

The counties in New York State with the lowest unemployment rates in June 2016 include:

• Columbia County (3.2%)
• Saratoga County (3.4%)
• Hamilton County (3.5%)
• Nassau County (3.6%)
• Putnam County (3.7%)
• Genesee County (3.8%)
• Ontario County (3.8%)
• Washington County (3.8%)
• Rockland County (3.9%)
• Suffolk County (3.9%)
• Westchester County (3.9%)
• Yates County (3.9%)

Dutchess and Ulster counties just missed the cutoff, with an unemployment rate of 4.0 percent in June 2016. Greene County's jobless rate was 4.3 percent.

In terms of metro areas and year-over-year data, the Dutchess-Putnam county combo a saw a drop in unemployment to 3.9 percent from 4.6 percent from June 2015.

The Orange-Rockland-Westchester area did slightly better, though the outcome was the same. That metro area dropped to 3.9 percent from 4.7 percent in June 2015.

The Kingston metro area unemployment rate dropped to 4.0 from 4.9 percent in that same time period.

Labor force data for the current month are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. Revised estimates for prior months are available at: http://labor.ny.gov/stats/LSLAUS.shtm

Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000.