The New York State Department of Labor has released its latest statistics on unemployment rates across the state. The highest increase in unemployment was seen in Broome County, which jumped up by 1.2% compared to last year, followed closely by Delaware County with a 1.1% increase. Tioga and Chenango Counties both saw an increase of 1.0% from the previous year. Broome and Delaware counties now have some of the highest unemployment rates in the state, both at 4.7%. The lowest and highest unemployment rates in the state are 3.2% in Columbia County and 7.4% in Hamilton County respectively. The Binghamton Metropolitan Area also experienced a significant increase in unemployment, rising by 1.2% to 4.6%. This places it among the top three Metropolitan Statistical Areas for unemployment rates, alongside New York City at 5.1% and the Watertown-Fort Drum area at 5.4%. Overall, the state’s unemployment rate has risen from 3.8% to 4.4%, reflecting a similar national trend where the US unemployment rate increased from 3.3% to 3.5%.