CNY unemployment rates decline in December from a year ago

Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Binghamton, Utica–Rome, and Ithaca metro areas fell in December, compared to a year ago, according to the latest New York State Department of Labor data released Tuesday.

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 5.7 percent in December, down from 6.5 percent in December 2013.

The unemployment rate in the Utica–Rome region was 6.1 percent in December, lower than the 6.8 percent figure posted in the year-earlier period.

The unemployment rate in the Binghamton region fell to 6.1 percent in December from 6.9 percent a year ago, according to figures from the state Labor Department.

And, the jobless rate in the Ithaca area came in at 3.5 percent in December, down from 4 percent in December 2013.

Despite the drop in local unemployment rates, the Syracuse and Utica–Rome metro areas lost jobs between December 2013 and this past December, according to state Labor Department data released Jan. 22.

The Binghamton and Ithaca metro areas gained jobs in the same period.

The Syracuse region shed 1,800 total jobs between December 2013 and this past December, representing the highest figure of year-over-year job losses in December among the state’s metro areas.

The Utica–Rome region lost 200 positions in the same period, a decline of 0.2 percent.

When the unemployment rate falls while the number of jobs also declines, it usually indicates a shrinking labor force and/or declining labor-force participation.

The Binghamton region gained 500 jobs in the same 12-month time span, representing an increase of 0.5 percent, according to the state Labor Department data.

The Ithaca region gained 1,200 jobs between December 2013 and this December, an increase of 1.7 percent, the department said.

The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.

The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New York Labor Department said.