Region’s job market holds steady in July

The private sector lost 1,000 jobs in July in the seven-county Hudson Valley region, a slight decrease of 0.1 percent from the region”™s June employment level, according to the state Department of Labor.

Westchester County”™s monthly unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 6.2 percent. The county”™s jobless rate last month improved by 1.5 percent from July 2012.

Putnam County had the lowest July unemployment rate in the region and the fifth lowest among New York counties at 5.7 percent, followed by Rockland County at 6 percent. Unemployment in Dutchess County dipped slightly in July to 6.7 percent.

The region”™s more rural counties continued to have the highest jobless rates. Unemployment in Orange County was at 7.4 percent in July, followed by Ulster County at 7.7 percent and Sullivan County at 7.8 percent.

The statewide unemployment rate showed no change from June, holding at 7.6 percent. That was a 1.3 percent decrease from the state jobless rate in July 2012.

Overall, the state”™s private sector lost 18,500 jobs from June to July, a 0.2 percent decrease. Since July 2012, though, private employers in the state have added 129,300 jobs, a 1.8 percent gain. New York is one of only nine states in the nation to have fully recovered all of the private-sector jobs lost in the economic downturn, according to Labor Department researchers.

In this region, the Putnam-Westchester-Rockland labor market gained 200 jobs from June to July. Over a one-year period, the tricounty area led the region”™s private-sector job growth, with 8,700 added jobs that amounted to a 1.8 percent increase from July 2012.

The seven-county Hudson Valley labor market through July netted 10,600 additional jobs over 12 months, a 1.4 percent increase.

Johny Nelson, regional labor market analyst at the state Labor Department in White Plains, said private-sector job growth for the one-year period was spread throughout most industries, with an approximately 6-to-1 ratio of job gains to losses.

The leisure and hospitality industry posted the largest month-to-month gain, adding 3,100 jobs in July, a 3.4 percent increase from June. In the last 12 months, that service industry added 3,300 jobs in the region, a 3.7 percent increase.

Trade, transportation and utilities lost 4,300 jobs in the region from June to July, a 2.3 percent decrease. Over the last year, though, that employment sector added 3,900 jobs, a 2.2 percent increase.

Nelson said employment is “robust” in retail trade and transportation and warehousing.

The region”™s manufacturers shed 400 jobs from June to July. Over a one-year period, manufacturing through July lost 1,000 jobs in the region, a 2.1 percent decrease.

Since July 2012, the region”™s information services sector has been hardest hit by employment swings, losing 1,100 jobs, a 5.9 percent decrease. The industry lost 100 jobs in the region from June to July.

Government employment in the Hudson Valley was down 2,700 jobs for the one-year period through July, a 1.7 percent decrease. Government entities in all cut 5,000 jobs in the region from June to July, a 3.1 percent decrease.

The state”™s private-sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York employers conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

UPDATED: An earlier version of this article appeared online, Aug. 15.