Orleans unemployment drops to 5.5%
Number of workers in county down by 1,100 in past year
Orleans County’s unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in September, a big drop from the 9.8 percent in August.
The 9.8 percent unemployment rate in August was the first time it dipped under 10 percent since April when it was 15.9 percent. Then the unemployment rate was 11.5 percent in May, 10.8 percent in June and 12.7 percent in July.
The total number of people working in the county has dropped from 17,000 in September 2019 to 15,900 last month, according to the state Department of Labor.
The number of people unemployed increased from 700 to 900 from September 2019 to September 2020.
The 5.5 percent unemployment rate compares to 3.9 percent in September 2019.
Statewide the unemployment rate was 9.4 percent in September, compared to 3.6 percent in September 2019. Nationally the rate was 7.7 percent in September, compared to 3.3 percent a year before.
The unemployment rates for other nearby counties include (with the rate for August in parentheses):
- Erie, 6.7 percent (10.8 percent)
- Genesee, 4.8 percent (8.1 percent)
- Livingston, 4.6 percent (7.6 percent)
- Monroe, 6.6 percent (10.5 percent)
- Niagara, 6.6 percent (10.9 percent)
- Wyoming, 4.4 percent (7.5 percent)
The highest rates in the state are in New York City with 18.8 percent in the Bronx, 14.1 percent in Kings, and 13.8 percent in Queens.
The lowest rates include 4.0 percent in Hamilton County, 4.1 percent in Yates County and 4.3 percent in Tompkins County.
