Region's jobless rate among lowest in state

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

The Capital Region’s unemployment rate fell to 6.5 percent in April, down from 7.2 percent a year earlier. That marked the state’s lowest metropolitan unemployment rate behind Ithaca and the suburban counties surrounding New York City, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the state Labor Department.

New York state’s unemployment rate was 7.6 percent last month, down from 8.1 percent in April 2012. During that time, the private sector gained 137,500 jobs.

Individual counties within the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area saw their unemployment rates fall in April from both the month before and one year ago. The region gained jobs in the education, health services, manufacturing and leisure and hospitality sectors but lost jobs in the government, trade, transportation and utility sectors.

Saratoga County had the area’s lowest rate at 6.1 percent. This was down from 6.9 percent in March and 6.6 percent in April 2012.

Albany County’s unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in April, down from 6.8 percent one month earlier and 7 percent one year earlier.

Schenectady County’s unemployment rate was 6.9 percent in April, down from 7.5 percent one month earlier and 7.7 percent one year earlier.

Schoharie County’s unemployment rate was 9 percent in April, down from 10.3 percent one month earlier and 9.2 percent one year earlier.

Fulton and Montgomery counties, which fall outside the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area, continued to see high unemployment rates, although they too fell last month.

In Montgomery County, the rate was 9.4 percent in April, down from 10.7 percent one month earlier and 10.4 percent one year earlier.

In Fulton County, the rate was 9.6 percent in April, down from 10.6 percent one month earlier and one year earlier.

Tompkins County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate last month at 4.8 percent. Hamilton County, which borders Fulton County on the north and Saratoga County on the west, had the highest at 11.4 percent.