SULLIVAN COUNTY –– Preliminary job data released by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) for October 2021, has Sullivan County leading the Hudson Valley region in year-over-year private sector job growth, up 4.4 percent.

The largest gain was in the leisure and hospitality sector, with an increase of 1,000 jobs.

Regionwide, the Hudson Valley’s private sector job count grew by 24,400, or 3.3 percent, to 764,100 in the year ending October 2021.

The largest gains were in leisure and hospitality (+14,400), professional and business services (+6,300), trade, transportation and utilities (+3,100), educational and health services (+2,900), manufacturing (+1,100), other services (+1,100) and information (+400).

Job losses were centered in natural resources, mining and construction (-3,500) and financial activities (-1,400).

On the unemployment rate front, according to the NYSDOL, Sullivan County’s is at 4.3 percent, which is down from 6.3 percent in October 2020.

However, Sullivan County still has the highest unemployment rate in the region for October 2021. Westchester and Orange Counties are at 4.2 percent, Ulster and Dutchess Counties are at four percent, Rockland County is at 3.9 percent and Putnam County has the lowest in the region, at 3.7 percent.