Unemployment rate in Orleans falls to pandemic low
The unemployment rate in Orleans County was at a pandemic low in November – 3.7 percent.
The unemployment rate was down from 5.7 percent in November 2020 in Orleans County. The number employed in Orleans is up from 16,200 in November 2020 to 16,300 last month, while the number unemployed has dropped from 1,000 to 600 in the same 12 months.
State-wide the unemployment rate has dropped from 8.3 percent in November 2020 to 5.5 percent in November 2021.
Orleans County hit an unemployment high of 16.8 percent in April 2020, when many businesses were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The rate has been trending down most of the year in Orleans County from 7.3% in January, 7.6% in February, 7.1% in March, 5.6% in April, 5.1% in May, 5.5% in June, 5.7% in July, 5.6% in August, 4.2% in September, 4.1% in October and 3.7% in November.
Among the metro areas, New York City has the highest unemployment rate at 8.0 percent, while Ithaca is the lowest at 2.9 percent.
The rate among the rural GLOW counties include Genesee, 3.3 percent; Livingston, 3.1 percent; Orleans, 3.7 percent; and Wyoming, 3.6 percent.
