Region’s job count down in February

The number of jobless workers in the Hudson Valley region rose more than 5 percent in February from the previous month, although both Westchester County and the region showed moderate employment gains from a year ago.

The state Department of Labor said the unemployment rate for the seven-county region was 6.6 percent in February, up from 6.3 percent in January. Of the state”™s 10 labor market regions, the Hudson Valley had the second-lowest unemployment rate in February, trailing only Long Island at 6.2 percent.

Unemployment in the region was at 7.7 percent in February 2013.

Westchester County had a 6.3 percent jobless rate in February, up from 6 percent in January. The county”™s unemployment rate stood at 7.3 percent in February 2013.

There were 73,300 workers in the region without jobs in February, up from 69,400 in January, a 5.6 percent increase. The region”™s unemployed workers numbered 85,800 in February 2013, according to the Labor Department.

The Hudson Valley”™s private sector companies added 8,100 jobs over the one-year period ending in February, a 1.1 percent increase. Private sector job growth in this region lagged behind the state, which showed 1.6 percent growth over the year, and the nation, at 1.9 percent.

Johny Nelson, labor market analyst at the state Labor Department office in White Plains, said the educational and health services sector remained the region”™s leading generator of employment, growing by 2.1 percent or 3,900 jobs for the one-year period.

Nelson said the region”™s February job growth was broad-based, with twice as many employment sectors reporting gains as those reporting losses.

The largest employment gains were in  professional and business services, which added 3,800 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities, with 1,300 added jobs; and financial activities and leisure and hospitality, each of which grew by 1,100 jobs over the 12-month period through February.

The natural resources, mining and construction sector lost 1,900 jobs from March 2013 through February this year, a 4.9 percent decline. Nelson said it was the hard-hit sector”™s largest February year-over-year decline since 2010.