For the third consecutive month, the unemployment rate in Chautauqua County has decreased.
Even through it only went down .1 to 8.2 percent in September, the unemployment rate has decreased .6 percent since June, according to information from the state Labor Department. However, the rate is still higher than it was last year when it was 7.5 percent in September.
Only a couple of job sectors increased jobs in September. Government employees went up by 400, which was a 4 percent increase. Manufacturing increased by 100, a 1 percent rise.
Several job sectors decreased employees in September. Education and health services decreased by 900, an 8.8 percent drop. Leisure and hospitality lowered by 600 jobs, a 9.7 decrease. Financial activities and professional and business services both went down by 100 positions.
As for state employment information, in September the state's economy added 2,900 private sector jobs, bringing the state's job count to an all-time high of 7,337,000. This year the state has added 107,200 private sector jobs.
The state's unemployment rate fell in September by .2 percent to 8.9 percent. In addition, the number of unemployed in the state declined by 23,200, from 871,600 to 848,400.
"September 2012 was a good month for our state's economy," said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, state Division of Research and Statistics deputy director. "The private sector job count grew by 2,900, continuing the trend of growth in the state and leading to an all-time high job count. Additionally, the number of unemployed New Yorkers declined by 23,200 and our statewide unemployment rate dropped by .2 percentage points."
State job sectors with the largest increase in employment during the last year includes, professional and business services, which added 63,200. The second highest rise was in education and health services, jumping by 41,700.
The job sector with the largest decrease in jobs was construction, dropping 12,500 employees. The information sector had the second largest loss with 6,600.