Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions rose in March compared to a year ago.
The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released Tuesday.
The jobless rate in the Syracuse area rose to 5.6 percent in March from 5.2 percent in March 2017. The unemployment rate in the Utica–Rome region was 6.0 percent in March, up from 5.5 percent a year prior.
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The jobless rate in the Watertown–Fort Drum area rose to 8.0 percent in March from 7.6 percent a year ago, while in the Binghamton region it rose to 6.2 percent from 5.8 percent. In Ithaca, the unemployment rate increased to 4.2 percent in March from 4.0 percent in the same month in 2017, while in Elmira, unemployment rose to 6.1 percent in March from 5.8 percent in the year-earlier period.
The local unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.
The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
