The Ithaca area, home to colleges and universities, is the only metropolitan area in the state with an unemployment rate below 10% last month, numbers released on Tuesday from the state Department of Labor show. 

Ithaca's unemployment rate stood at 9.9%, the labor statistics show. New York City, meanwhile, continues to have the highest unemployment rate of 20% in July.

Ithaca's comparatively lower rate last month is not wholly surprising; the area typically has one of the lower unemployment rates in the state, regardless of a recession. It's a sign of the strength of the higher education sector, while other industries like hospitality have suffered. 

New York's economy nosedived in March as businesses and workplaces shutdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. The statewide unemployment remained 15.9% in July, though labor officials have said the economy added priave sector jobs as more businesses begin to reopen.