CONCORD (AP) – New Hampshire’s unemployment rate for April reflects the impact of the coronavirus pandemic at 16.3 percent, the highest rate since 1976, the earliest year such data is available.

The unemployment rate was an increase of 13.9% from the March rate. The April 2019 rate was 2.5%.

The New Hampshire Employment Security agency released the seasonally adjusted numbers Tuesday. It said although its statistics that aren’t seasonally adjusted typically should not be used for comparison purposes, they present a more accurate measure of the state’s employment situation in April. The unadjusted April unemployment rate for New Hampshire was 17.2%, also the highest rate in its records. This was an increase of 14.4% from the March rate.

The state estimated that 590,980 people were employed last month, a decrease of 152,150 from March and the lowest level since May 1994, according to estimates that weren’t seasonally adjusted. The number of unemployed residents increased by 101,490 over the month to 122,570, the highest level in its records. From March to April this year, the total labor force decreased by 50,660 to 713,550.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 14.7%, an increase of 10.3 percentage points from March.