NY unemployment rate dips below national average

New York's unemployment rate has dropped below the national average.

The state's rate dipped to 4.8 percent last month, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than its 5.1 percent rate in September, according to data from the state Department of Labor.

The drop put the state slightly lower than the national unemployment rate of 5 percent in October.

All told, the state's unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since November 2007, according to the labor department. A year ago, the New York rate was 5.9 percent.

The drop was fueled largely by New York City, which saw its unemployment rate drop from 5.2 percent in September to 4.8 percent last month. Outside the city, the rest of the state's rate was 4.9 percent, a slight decline from 5.0 percent in September.

When looking at the state's job count, the data showed New York added 28,700 non-farm jobs last month, a 0.3 percent increase. That includes both private-sector and government jobs.

When breaking it down regionally, most areas saw job gains, including Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties, which added 10,800 non-farm jobs. The Rochester metro area added 7,600, while New York City added 95,900.

Other areas weren't as fortunate: The Ithaca area and the Dutchess/Putnam county region saw the biggest job drop on a percentage basis at 2.2 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Ithaca lost about 1,600 non-farm jobs, while Duthcess and Putnam counties lost 2,900.

In the Southern Tier, Binghamton saw a drop of 1,500 non-farm jobs -- a 1.4 percent decline -- while Elmira lost about 500.