The unemployment rate in New York state continued to drop in March as the private sector added 27,500 jobs to the economy, the state Department of Labor on Thursday announced. 

New York's growth in jobs, at about 0.3%, matched the same rate of increase in the country in March. But the state as a whole continues to lag the rest of the country on average in its jobless rate, which stands at 3.6% nationally. 

The state's economy was battered by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, with the unemployment rate reaching double-digit percentages in the initial months when restrictions led to the shutdown of businesses and public gathering spaces. 

New York's unemployment fell from February to March from 4.9% to 4.6%. In New York City, the rate dropped from 6.9% to 6.5%. Outside of New York City, unemployment dropped from 3.4% to 3.2%. 

Sectors in New York City's economy like hospitality and tourism took a big hit during the initial wave of closures during the pandemic and have been slow to recover.