The Capital region posted the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.7%. New York City’s unemployment rate in August was 5.3%. In August 2026, the lowest unemployment rate within the region (3.5%) was recorded in Putnam County, followed by Rockland County 3.8%; Sullivan County 3.8%; Dutchess County 3.9%; Westchester County 4.0%; Ulster County 4.1% and Orange County 4.3%.

Earlier this month, the Department of Labor released data on the private sector labor market, Over the past year, the private sector job count in the Hudson Valley rose by 14,000, or 1.7%, to 859,900 in August 2026. Employment gains were largest in private education and health services (+6,500), leisure and hospitality (+2,100), trade, transportation and utilities (+1,500), other services (+1,300), professional and business services (+1,200), financial activities (+800), manufacturing (+500) and mining, logging and construction (+500). Job losses were greatest in information (-400).

The region’s private sector continued to trend upward. Job count reached 859,900 in August 2026—its highest August employment count on record. Job growth was broad-based with eight of nine sectors posting year-over-year job gains. Three sectors posted year-over-year gains of at least 2.0%. Private education and health services remained the region’s leading jobs generator. Year-over-year in August 2026, the sector climbed 2.8%, to reach 239,800—a record high for the month (dating back to 2000).

Within the region, Sullivan County’s private employment sector grew the fastest year-over-year, up 5.1%. The second fastest growth was recorded in Rockland County (+3.5%), followed by Westchester County (+2.4%), Putnam County (+1.3%), and the Kingston MSA (+0.2%). The Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh MSA (-0.7%) was the only area that declined over the period.