Hudson Valley unemployment rate unchanged in May

An estimated 200 fewer workers were unemployed in the Hudson Valley in May, according to preliminary figures released by the state Department of Labor, but the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent.

About 45,900 people were unemployed in the seven-county region last month, compared to 46,100 in April. The labor picture was better a year ago, with 2,000 fewer people out of work and a 3.9 percent unemployment rate.

Within the Hudson Valley, Putnam County had the lowest unemployment, at 3.8 percent, followed by Rockland, 3.9, Dutchess, 4, Westchester, 4.1, Orange and Ulster, 4.2, and Sullivan, 4.3.

The region”™s unemployment matches the national rate and is better than the state”™s 4.3 percent rate.

Unemployment rates are calculated with a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics model and based partly on a survey of 3,100 households. The numbers can be revised in the following months as more information becomes available. They are not adjusted for seasonal influences, such as holiday and summer jobs.