August NNY unemployment decreases from 2014

Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. The USA preliminary rate for August was 5.1 percent, down 0.2 percent from July.

Rates fell in 112 counties overall, but rose in 6 counties while remaining the same in Lawrence and Lee counties.

In the city, the unemployment rate dipped to 5 percent, an impressive drop from the 6.5 percent reported for August 2014. Offsetting these losses, to some degree, has been the ongoing rebound in other industries, including construction. The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island area of Illinois and Iowa lost 4,200 jobs, the Peoria area lost 2,600, the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis lost 1,100, and the Springfield area lost 600 jobs.

Metro Gainesville had the lowest area jobless rate last month at 4.8 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 7.7 percent.

Five counties had unemployment rates at or above 6.5 percent in August. The rate of job growth since 2010, when Mississippi’s jobless rate reached 10.8%, has been well below the national average, according to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Steady economic growth has encouraged employers to hold onto the workers they already have and is spurring more hiring.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for last month was 5.9 percent.

The county gained 20 jobs in August, 50 fewer than expected. The latest August rates ranged from 2.7% in Madison and Sun Prairie to 6.6% in Racine. Accommodations, food service, finance, insurance, administrative, support services and retail were the declining sectors. Professional and business services lost about 300 jobs.

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