SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse’s unemployment rate fell to 3% in April 2025, the lowest level in the past year and the first time it has reached this mark in nearly two years, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Statewide, New York added 114,300 nonfarm payroll jobs over the past year, marking one of the largest gains in the country. Syracuse’s local increases contribute to that broader trend. One local economist says that the drop is more than just a statistic; it may reflect meaningful growth across the Central New York economy.
“It seems to me it’s a very broad-based expansion in jobs,” said Don Dutkowsky, a retired economics professor at Syracuse University. “A number of different sectors, including the largest ones in Syracuse.”
The area’s largest employers, including Upstate Medical University, Syracuse University, and Wegmans, are driving job growth across health care, retail, and logistics, all sectors that have remained stable even amid recent economic uncertainty.
New developments in the region, like Amazon’s fulfillment facility and the planned Micron plant, both in Clay, are also boosting employment figures.
“What certainly seems to be similar is kind of a continuing need for medical,” Dutkowsky said. “And some expansion in Syracuse in the last couple of years with Amazon building, potentially Micron building, and continued health and growth in our retail trade sector.”
Despite national concerns about a challenging labor market for new college graduates, the outlook may be more promising in Central New York.
“It’s a tough market for college graduates right now, nationally,” Dutkowsky said. “But locally, we seem to have experienced some very broad-based job growth.”
With more jobs available and industries expanding, Dutkowsky believes Central New York may also see a shift in population movement.
“It seems like the migration out of New York state has slowed down, or out of upstate New York has slowed down. And it seems like more people are finding jobs in New York state, which bodes well for Syracuse. And, you know, I’d encourage people that Syracuse is a good place to move to, and find employment.”