ALBANY – Chautauqua County’s unemployment rate remained steady at 5.3 percent during the months of September and August, but remained higher that New York State’s 4.6 percent, according to Department of Labor statistics.
The county’s 5.3 percent rate is the lowest since August 2017, and well below January’s 7.0 percent. Last September, 5.7 percent of county residents were counted as unemployed. The number of jobs declined as well, falling from August’s 57,000 to September’s 56,200 according to statistics. The number of county residents employed also tumbled from 53,900 in August to 53,200 in September.
In addition, the number of unemployed residents held steady at 3,000 people, down from last year’s 3,200. New York State lost 11,900 private sector jobs at the same time.
The latest statistics show Chautauqua County running behind Erie County, 4.8 percent, and even with Cattaraugus County’s 5.3 percent. The state numbers are lower than last September’s 4.8 percent. The national rate has improved from 4.8 percent last year in September to 4.1 percent this September.