Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that New York's unemployment rate did not change in February, staying at 4.2 percent, the state Department of Labor said on March 23. The private sector added 21,200 jobs, but New York's unemployment rate is worse than the national rate of 3.6 percent. New York's labor force participation rate is still below pre-pandemic levels. Read. more about this story at New York State of Politics.