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Local unemployment numbers rise

A skyline view of Rochester
Max Schulte
/
WXXI News
Downtown Rochester.

The latest monthly unemployment numbers from New York State show that the Rochester area unemployment figures jumped a bit compared to a year ago.

The unemployment rate for the Rochester Metro was 5.1 percent in November, up from 4.5 percent a year ago.

State Labor Analyst Tammy Marino says that rate is about in line with what we usually see this time of year.

“Typically unemployment in the Rochester area tends to average around 4.9 percent for the month of November. Currently, the local unemployment rate stands at 5.1 percent which is very close to the historical average,” Marino told WXXI News.

But Marino says there also may be some softening of the local job market. The state reported recently that the Rochester area lost 2,800 sector jobs in November compared to a year ago. Rochester was one of the few metro areas in the state to lose jobs in latest monthly numbers.

“Employers locally have created about 15,000 new jobs since January of this year, this number is a little below average and may be an early indication that hiring in the local job market is beginning to slow somewhat,” Marino said.

Marino says after seven years of fairly strong job growth, the local jobs picture may be moderating.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.