Capital Region jobless rate 4.2 percent in April

ALBANY — The Capital Region unemployment rate improved to 4.2 percent in April but remained higher than the national average, which fell to 3.7 percent.

The numbers were contained in the state Department of Labor’s monthly jobs report, issued Tuesday.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Area’s job market remained one of the healthiest in the state, and was better than the state as a whole, which had a 4.4 percent jobless rate in April.

The Capital Region’s jobless rate in April 2018 was down from 4.7 percent in March 2018 but higher than the 4.0 percent in April 2017.

Among metro areas across the state, one of the smallest — Ithaca — had the lowest unemployment rate in April 2018, at 3.9 percent. Watertown/Fort Drum was highest at 6.6 percent.

Two boroughs of New York City were tied for the lowest county unemployment rate in April 2018: Manhattan and Queens, each with 3.6 percent. Hamilton County, where a tiny population depends heavily on seasonal work, had by far the highest unemployment rate at 12.0 percent.