3.0% unemployment rate in Orleans in November is second lowest on record

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 January 2023 at 10:24 am

The unemployment rate in Orleans County for November was 3,0 percent, which is the second lowest rate in the county in the 32 years of data available from the state Department of labor.

The only month it was lower was in October when the rate was 2.5 percent.

The 3.0 percent rate in November 2022, compares to 3.4 percent in November 2021, 5.2 percent in November 2020 and 4.4 percent in November 2019.

In Orleans County there were 16,300 employed in November and 500 on unemployment.

The labor force has shrunk in the past three years from 18,000 in November 2019 to 17,100 in November 2020, to 16,900 in November 2021 and November 2022, according to DOL data.

Statewide the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in November, compared to 4.9 percent the previous November and 8.5 percent in November 2020. The 3.8 percent was up from the 3.6 percent in October. It was at 3.9 percent in September.

Here are the unemployment rates among Western New York counties:

Orleans, 3.0 percent
Genesee, 2.5 percent
Livingston, 2.6 percent
Wyoming, 2.7 percent
Monroe, 2.9 percent
Niagara, 3.2 percent
Erie, 3.1 percent
Chautauqua, 3.5 percent
Cattaraugus, 3.5 percent
Allegany, 3.2 percent