NYS Department of Labor unemployment percentage - what is the unemployment percentage right now for New York?

The NYS Department of Labor releases monthly unemployment statistics through their Labor Market Information division. The most recent data I've seen shows New York at around 4.2% unemployment rate as of the latest reporting period. You can find the official numbers on the DOL's labor statistics page - they update it monthly usually around the 3rd week.

unemployment rates change so much month to month anyway, why does it even matter what the exact percentage is right now??

For the most accurate current data, check the Bureau of Labor Statistics in conjunction with NYS Department of Labor reports. They break it down by region too - NYC metro area typically runs different from Buffalo or Albany regions. The unemployment percentage varies significantly across the state. If you need help navigating the NYS Department of Labor phone system to speak with someone in their research division, I've had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through their busy lines. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.

I think the unemployment percentage right now is lower than it was during COVID but still higher than pre-2020 levels. My company's HR department mentioned something about 4-5% range for New York State but I'm not sure if that was statewide or just our region.

OMG I hope the unemployment percentage isn't going up because I'm worried about layoffs at my job! Does anyone know if there are early warning signs when unemployment rates start climbing? Should I be filing for unemployment insurance already just in case??

For the most up-to-date unemployment percentage data, I'd recommend checking the New York State Department of Labor's official Labor Market Information page directly. They typically release preliminary monthly data around the 3rd Friday of each month. The unemployment percentage can vary quite a bit between regions - NYC metro area often differs from upstate regions like Rochester, Syracuse, or the North Country. You might also want to look at both the seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted numbers depending on what your analysis requires. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also publishes state-level data that complements the NYS DOL reports, which can be helpful for comparing trends over time.

The NYS Department of Labor does publish county-level unemployment data! For the Capital Region/Albany area specifically, you can find detailed breakdowns that include Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. They usually group it as the "Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area" in their reports. The county-level data sometimes lags a bit behind the statewide numbers by a few weeks, but it's definitely available. I'd also suggest checking out the "Local Area Unemployment Statistics" section on their site - that's where they dive into the more granular geographic data that sounds like what you're looking for.