By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-896470.mp3
Albany, Ny – New State Department of Labor unemployment numbers for New York's Capital Region are encouraging, perhaps heralding an upturn in the local economy - Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
For the past three months, the national unemployment level has remained at 9.7 percent. The Capital Region's unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent in March, slightly higher than the 7.1 percent recorded for the same month one year ago. State Labor Commissioner Coleen Gardner announced the numbers at a press conference in the Red Mill of building of Regenron Corporation, located on Columbia turnpike in Rensselaer, where more than 40 workers have been hired since the beginning of the year.
Unemployment rates do not include individuals working part-time and those who have given up looking for work. Benefits have run out or are nearly exhausted for thousands of New Yorkers : Gardner encourages the unemployed to visit the Labor Department's one-stop career centers.
Dan Moran with Next-Act of Colonie says there are more opportunities out there than ever: "Last year at this time we would see 2,700 to maybe 3200 job postings on a week-by-week basis. This year, we are seeing numbers at 5,000 - 6,000 up to just over 7,000 on a weekly basis. The market has return with quite a bit of gusto and it has all happened in the last few months to a degree. In December and January, job postings were just under or at 3,000 - quite lower that the number of job postings we are seeing today. This is good news for job seekers who, as I have been hearing, are seeing more opportunities than before that meet their qualifications." Other markets in NYS saw similar results with a drop then return on a day-by-day basis. Moran notes that the Capital Region continues to outpace Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for job postings. "In metro NYC, after a few weeks of drops in job postings, I did see quite a rebound this past seven days". The Capital Region is the smallest of all these markets as well. Moran counts among fields with the most job openings health care, information technology and managerial positions.