County
Dec. 2014
Dec. 2013
Net change
State ranking
Putnam
4.1 %
4.8 %
-0.7
2
Rockland
4.3 %
4.9 %
-0.6
4
Columbia
4.5 %
5.3 %
0.8
7
Westchester
4.6 %
5.2 %
-0.6
8
Dutchess
4.6 %
5.8 %
-1.2
8
Orange
5.0 %
5.8 %
-0.8
13
Ulster
5.4 %
6.5 %
-1.1
13
Greene
6.0 %
7.2 %
-1.2
33
Sullivan
6.7 %
7.9 %
-1.2
48
WHITE PLAINS – December 2014 unemployment in the Hudson Valley region continued its decline with a rate of 4.7 percent. That is down from 5.0 percent in November 2014 and 5.5 percent in December 2013.
The region ranks second lowest in terms of joblessness in the entire state, coming in just behind Long Island, which experienced a 4.4 percent rate in December.
With unemployment shrinking steadily in recent months, that is a sign of an economic turnaround, said labor department analyst John Nelson.
“From the very high (unemployment) that we experienced from the
middle of the recession, certainly we should be far removed from those
numbers now to the lower levels that our region is truly accustomed to.
In December 2014, we had 4.7 percent in comparison to December 2013 where
we were at 5.5 percent,” Nelson said.
Putnam County continued to have the lowest rate in the region at 4.1
percent, second statewide only to Tompkins County, with a rate of 3.5
percent. “My hope is to seep Putnam ranked number one for having
the lowest unemployment in the state,” said Putnam County Executive
MaryEllen Odell. “Our residents are highly qualified and well-trained,
professional and non-professional alike. Many of our working men and women
choose to live and raise their families here in our beautiful county even
while they work elsewhere.”
Sullivan County had the highest rate in the region at 6.7 percent, but that was down 1.2 percent over the same period in December 2013.
Rockland County came in second in the region with 4.3 percent unemployment, followed by Columbia County with 4.5 percent, Westchester and Dutchess, each with 4.6 percent, Orange County with 5.0 percent, Ulster County with 5.4 percent and Greene County with 6.0 percent.
