The Daily Freeman is reporting unemployment rates in local counties were sharply lower last month than in April 2013, according to the state Department of Labor. In some cases the rate fell below 5 percent. Columbia County had the lowest local jobless rate in April, at 4.7 percent, down from 6.2 percent one year ago. In Greene County, the rate fell to 6.3 percent, down from 8.8 percent in April 2013. Dutchess was the other local county with an unemployment rate below 5 percent last month, reporting a 4.9 percent jobless rate, down from 6.6 percent in one year ago. The New York county with the lowest unemployment rate last month was Tompkins (in the Ithaca area), at 3.5 percent. The highest rate, 10.3 percent, was recorded in Bronx County. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.