CNY region jobless rates fall in April from a year ago

The unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions were all lower in April compared to April 2024, pointing to a strong job market. The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) data released on May 20.

Regional unemployment rates

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 3.0 percent this April, down from 3.4 percent in April 2024. Around the region, the Utica–Rome region’s unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent from 3.7 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area’s number dipped to 3.8 percent from 4.4 percent; the Binghamton region’s rate declined to 3.3 percent from 3.5 percent; the Ithaca area’s jobless number fell to 2.6 percent from 2.8 percent; and the Elmira region’s unemployment rate went down to 3.2 percent in April from 3.5 percent in the same month a year ago. The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires. The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.

State unemployment rate

New York state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent in April, compared to March, according to preliminary figures that the NYSDOL released. At the same time, New York State’s labor force (seasonally adjusted) increased by 14,600. The statewide labor-force participation rate edged up from 60.9 percent in March to 61.0 percent in April 2025. New York’s 4.2 percent unemployment rate was equal to the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.2 percent in April. The April statewide unemployment figure of 4.2 percent was also unchanged from a year ago, according to department figures. The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.