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Rochester metro sees job losses in October

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

The latest numbers for job growth are out from the New York State Labor Department, and they show the Rochester with a decline of 3,200  private sector jobs in October compared to a year ago.

That was the largest loss of any metro area in the state, in fact, most metropolitan areas showed gains for the month.  Elmira was the only other metro to see a drop in jobs in October.

The Rochester metro has generally seen declines in the state numbers all year,  although State Labor Analyst Tammy Marino says some of the reason for the downward trend may be due to how businesses are surveyed. 

But in this latest report, Marino does say there are signs job growth locally may be dropping off a bit.

“Employers locally have created more than 14,000 new jobs since January of this year, and this number is a little  below average, and it actually be an early indication that hiring in the local job market is beginning to slow,” Marino told WXXI News.

Marino says areas that saw weaker growth include the retail trades and professional business services. She says areas that saw gains include education, healthcare and construction.

The statewide  unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, down slightly from last year. The Rochester unemployment rate will be out next week.

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.