State Labor Department Releases Preliminary July 2020 Area Unemployment Rates

The New York State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for July 2020. Rates are calculated using methods prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State’s area unemployment rates rely in part on the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month.

From July 2019 to July 2020, the State’s private sector employment count decreased by 1,184,500. The State’s seasonally adjusted private sector job count increased over the month by 244,200, or 3.6%, to 7,116,200 in July 2020.The State’s private sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York employers, which is conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 15.6% to 15.9% in July 2020.

Local Area Unemployment Rates* (%)
July 2019 and July 2020
(not seasonally adjusted)

*Data are preliminary and subject to change.
	July 2020*	July 2019
Metro Areas	16.3	4.2
Albany-Schenectady-Troy	11.5	3.8
Binghamton	12.5	4.8
Buffalo-Niagara Falls	14.1	4.6
Dutchess-Putnam	12.5	3.8
Elmira	12.5	4.4
Glens Falls	11.1	3.6
Ithaca	9.9	4.2
Kingston	12.4	4.0
Nassau-Suffolk	13.8	3.8
New York City	20.0	4.3
Orange-Rockland-Westchester	14.0	4.0
Rochester	12.9	4.3
Syracuse	13.0	4.3
Utica-Rome	12.2	4.4
Watertown-Fort Drum	12.3	4.9
Non-metro counties	11.7	4.4

The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires). Therefore, the most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, July 2019 versus July 2020.

See County Unemployment Rates (opens in new window) for current unemployment rates for all 62 counties in New York State.

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: 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.

See State and Area Unemployment Rates (opens in new window)
See Unemployment Rate Map (opens in new window)
See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)

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