BUFFALO, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for August 2020 on Tuesday.
The latest data from the New York State Department of Labor shows that the unemployment rate has decreased from July 2020 to August 2020 across the state. The data also shows that the area of Buffalo and Niagara Falls continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in New York.
According to the Department of Labor, the area of Buffalo and Niagara Falls tied with the area of Orange-Rockland-Westchester for the second highest unemployment rate in New York State during the month of August. This is the fourth month in a row that Buffalo and Niagara Falls has had the second highest unemployment rate.
The New York State Department of Labor reports Buffalo and Niagara Falls had a 19.2 percent unemployment rate back in April, which was the highest unemployment rate in the state during that month.
The unemployment rate for Buffalo and Niagara Falls then decreased in May to 14.3 percent and decreased again in June to 13.7 percent. That number then increased slightly in July to 14.1 percent.
As of August, the unemployment rate for Buffalo and Niagara Falls has decreased down to 10.8 percent. This time last year the unemployment rate in this area was at 4.5 percent.
Meanwhile, New York City continues to have the highest unemployment rate for the fourth month in a row at 16.3 percent in the month of August, which decreased from 20 percent in July. The metro area of Nassau-Suffolk comes in third with an unemployment rate of 10.5 percent.
