The number of men and women working in Chautauqua County, in addition to the overall labor force, reported its lowest totals in several decades.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — which tracks employment data on a monthly basis — said 50,200 people were employed for the month of April throughout the county. That’s 100 less people working than in March and 1,600 less employed compared to April 2017.

Total employment has seen a steady decline since 2009, when there were about 60,000 county residents working. The highest average of employment was reported in 1997, when 65,700 workers lived in Chautauqua County.

The decline has mirrored the county’s total labor force — the number of employed and those looking for work. The labor force does not include those jobless who aren’t looking for work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the labor force was 53,400 people strong in the county this past April, also a record low.

The average labor force last spiked in 2008, with about 67,300 people either working or actively searching for work. However, that yearly average has declined every year since.

In 2017, the labor force in the United States was 153 million, ranking the fourth largest in the world.

Both statistics aren’t overly surprising, given that the U.S. Census Bureau reported last month that some of the largest cities, towns and villages in the county saw population decreases. Those areas include Jamestown, Pomfret, Dunkirk, Fredonia, Ellicott, Busti and Hanover and are part of the Census Bureau’s annual population review outside its 10-year count.

In Jamestown, the population has gone from 31, 146 in 2010, the last major census count. In 2016, there were 29,591 estimated people living in the city. The city’s population height came in the 1930s, when more than 45,000 people lived in Jamestown.

Countywide, the population also has seen a continual decline. The county’s population is estimated at 129,046, down from 131,748 people living here in 2016 and 134,905 in 2010.