The latest numbers from the NYS Labor Department show a drop in unemployment for July compared to a year ago. The July jobless rate was 5.4 percent, up slightly from 5.1 percent in June, but down from 5.9 percent in July of 2014.
State labor analyst Tammy Marino says the unemployment numbers have steadily been declining in the last few years, partly due to more jobs being added, but also because the size of the labor pool is shrinking.
"We've had an expanding economy that's helped to put thousands of people back to work , and we also have a share of the population that's beginning to age out of the workforce, so that's affecting the numbers as well."
Last week, the labor department said the Rochester area saw a gain of 9700 private sector jobs in July compared to July of 2014. Many of those increases came in sectors such as education and health, business and professional services, and leisure and hospitality.
Marino says that while the unemployment numbers for the manufacturing sector in the Rochester area had been leveling off, they did pick up a bit over the summer.
"The local financial sector also had some moderate weakness as well, however on a more positive note, these losses are being more than offset by a strengthening regional economy."
Last week, the labor department said the Rochester area saw a gain of 97-hundred private sector jobs in July compared to July of 2014.
