Putnam again boasts lowest unemployment rate in N.Y.S.

PUTNAM COUNTY- For the fifth consecutive month, Putnam County has the distinction of having the lowest rate of unemployment in New York State.

The state Labor Department released New York’s August statistics on Tuesday, and Putnam recorded a rate of 3.5 percent unemployment.

Overall, Hudson Valley was second in the state behind only the Capital Region with 3.7 percent unemployment among the 10 labor market regions in New York State.

While Putnam’s rate was 3.5 percent, Rockland and Sullivan Counties’ rate of unemployment was 3.8 percent followed by Dutchess County at 3.9 percent; Westchester County’s rate was 4 percent while Ulster County had a rate of 4.1 percent and Orange County had the highest rate in the Hudson Valley at 4.3 percent.

In August 2026, there were 49.400 unemployed in the region, up from 48,100 in July 2026 and up from 47,900 in August 2025.  Year-over-year in August 2026, labor force increased by 21,300 or 1.7 percent, to 1,249,400.