New numbers from the New York State Labor Department show a drop in jobs and a rise in unemployment in the Rochester area.
The figures from the state show the Rochester Metro saw a loss of 1,300 private sector jobs in August compared to a year ago. This area was one of only two metros in the state to see a drop in private sector jobs, Buffalo was the other, with a loss of 100 jobs.
State labor analyst Tammy Marino believes the method used to determine job growth has been undercounting the number of jobs being created.
Marino says that other indicators have actually shown strong job growth locally.
“Unemployment insurance claims, those are down, they’ve been down fairly consistently over the past few years, and the quarterly census of employment and wages indicates that the local job market is actually robust and expanding,” Marino told WXXI News.
Marino believes that when revised numbers come out early next year, they will reflect job gains in the local economy.
The unemployment rate for the Rochester area was 4.9 percent, up from 4.6 a year ago. Marino says that is still below the average unemployment numbers for the month of August in past years.
