SULLIVAN COUNTY - Sullivan County continues to stand out as the Hudson Valley’s strongest engine of job growth, according to the latest Labor Market Profile from the New York State Department of Labor. For the 12-month period ending in November 2025, the county posted the highest non-farm employment growth rate in the region, with jobs increasing by 3.5 percent. A growth amounting to 1,100 new non-farm positions – from 31,000 to 32,100 – well ahead of the Hudson Valley’s overall increase of just 0.8 percent.

The largest gains came from the private education and health services sector, which added 500 jobs — a 5.7 percent increase — bringing total employment in that category to 9,300. Leisure and hospitality also grew by 5.7 percent, while manufacturing expanded by 4.8 percent year-over-year. Professional and business services rose by 4.5 percent, and the “other services” sector posted the most significant percentage increase, up 9.1 percent.

Total non-farm employment in Sullivan County reached 32,100 jobs in November 2025, representing a 3.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. Government employment ticked up as well, adding 100 jobs for a 1.6 percent gain. While the Hudson Valley as a whole lost 1,500 jobs in the mining, logging, and construction sector, Sullivan County remained unchanged, holding steady at 1,300 jobs year-over-year.

At 3.5 percent growth, Sullivan County ranked first in the region. Hamilton County led the state in job growth, at 7.7 percent, and Allegany was third at 2.7 percent. Rockland County followed at 1.6 percent, Putnam County at 0.7 percent, and Westchester County at 0.2 percent. The Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan statistical area recorded a 0.3 percent increase, while the Kingston MSA was the only area to report a decline, down 0.2 percent. The county’s strong showing comes as the statewide unemployment rate climbed to 4.5 percent in November, underscoring Sullivan County’s continued labor market resilience.