ALBANY — The state Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for April 2022 last week. 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. To recap last week’s statewide press release, New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.6 percent in March to 4.5 percent in April 2022.
The data in the 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, April 2021 versus April 2022. 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: https://statistics.labor.ny.gov/lslaus.shtm
Labor force statistics, including unemployment rate for each state, are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
