What does this measure?

Unemployed individuals are those without jobs who are able, available and actively seeking work. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the total labor force (the total number of employed and unemployed individuals 16 or older and not living in prisons, mental hospitals or nursing homes).

Why is this important?

Unemployment rates are a timely and current indicator of local economic conditions, particularly employment opportunities and the potential needs for employment and training services.

How is the Greater Capital Region performing?

In 2008, the unemployment rate in Capital Region was 5.0%, up from 3.9% the year before and the highest it's been since 1996. Every county in the region experienced an increase in 2008 as the national recession took hold. However, the regional unemployment rate was lower than state (5.4%) and national figures (5.8%). And the region has fared better than New York State and the nation for the last 10 years. The unemployment rate in Schoharie County was consistently higher than the regional rate.

Notes about the data

The unemployment rate represents only those who are actively seeking employment and does not account for under-employment or discouraged workers who have stopped looking for jobs. Also, county-level estimates are based on relatively small samples, and the true number of unemployed residents may therefore vary considerably from the estimate. The rates reported here are averages of monthly rates.