CNY unemployment rates decline in November

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

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 5.8 percent in November, down from 6.6 percent in November 2013.

The unemployment rate in the Utica–Rome region was an even 6 percent in November, lower than the 6.8 percent figure posted in the year-earlier period.

The unemployment rate in the Binghamton region fell to 6 percent in November from 6.9 percent a year prior, according to figures from the state Labor Department.

And, the jobless rate in the Ithaca area came in at 3.8 percent in November, down from 4.2 percent in November 2013.

Despite the drop in the local unemployment rates, the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, and Binghamton metro areas all lost jobs between November 2013 and this November, according to state Labor Department data released Dec. 18.

The Syracuse metro area shed 900 total jobs, ranking it first in most jobs lost in the last year among New York state’s metro areas.

The Utica–Rome metro area lost 500 positions, and the Binghamton region shed 100 jobs in the last year.

Unemployment rates falling while the number of jobs also decline usually indicate a shrinking labor force and/or declining labor-force participation.

The Ithaca region was the only Central New York metro area that gained jobs, 800, in the last 12 months, 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.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com