Unemployment in the Northeast Kingdom followed the rest of the state lower in April

Unemployment in the Northeast Kingdom followed the rest of the state lower in April and shows year-over-year gains. The Labor Department reported the unemployment rate for the entire state dropped from 2.4% to 1.9% between March and April (not seasonally adjusted). The 2023 numbers were also down from last year when the unemployment rate stood at 2.5%. The NEK numbers showed a similar trend. In Derby the unemployment rate stood at 4.0%, down from 5.3% in March and 4.6% in April 2022. There were 12,035 people employed and 496 unemployed. A year-over-year comparison shows growth in both the labor force and the number of people employed in the Derby area.