Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions remained in single-digit figures in May and were much lower compared to a year ago with the impact of layoffs in the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released June 22. In addition, the Syracuse […]
Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions remained in single-digit figures in May and were much lower compared to a year ago with the impact of layoffs in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released June 22.
In addition, the Syracuse and Utica–Rome regions gained jobs in five-digit figures between May 2020 and this past May.
At the same time, the Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions gained jobs in four-digit figures in the same period.
That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor issued June 17.
Regional unemployment rates
The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 4.9 percent in May, down from the 12.7 percent figure in May 2020.
The Utica–Rome region's rate was 5.1 percent, down from 12.1 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area's number fell to 4.8 percent from 12.5 percent; the Binghamton region's rate was 4.8 percent, down from 12 percent; the Ithaca area's number hit 3.6 percent, down from 8.7 percent; and the unemployment rate in the Elmira region was 5.2 percent in May, down from 13.8 percent in the same month a year ago.
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 state Labor Department said.
State unemployment rate
New York state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 8.2 percent in April to 7.8 percent in May, according to preliminary figures released by the New York State Department of Labor.
The 7.8 percent unemployment rate was higher than the U.S. unemployment rate of 5.8 percent in May.
The May statewide unemployment figure of 7.8 percent was down compared to the 15.7 percent figure reported in May 2020, according to department figures.
The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.
May jobs data
The Syracuse region gained more than 26,000 jobs in the past year, an increase of about 10 percent in the past year.
The Utica–Rome metro area gained more than 10,000 jobs, an increase of about 9 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area gained 4,400 jobs, up about 12 percent; the Binghamton region picked up nearly 8,000 jobs, an increase of 9 percent; the Ithaca area gained 4,200 jobs, a rise of about 8 percent; and the Elmira region gained 3,000 jobs in the past year, an increase of about 10.0 percent.
New York state as a whole gained more than 893,000 jobs, an increase of about 11 percent, in that 12-month time period.
The number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased over the month by 38,500, from 774,900 in April to 736,400 in May 2021, the department said.