Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions remained in double-digit figures in July compared to a year ago, amid furloughs and layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic’s restrictions.

The Ithaca region was the only one in the state to register a single-figure jobless rate in July at 9.9 percent. The figures are part of the latest New York State (NYS) Department of Labor data released Aug. 25.

In addition, the Syracuse and Utica–Rome regions lost jobs in five-digit figures between July 2019 and this past July. The Binghamton, Watertown–Fort Drum, Ithaca, and Elmira areas lost jobs in four-digit figures in the same timeframe. That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the NYS Department of Labor issued Aug. 20.

Regional unemployment rates

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 13 percent in July, up from 4.3 percent in July 2019. The Utica–Rome region’s unemployment rate was 12.2 percent, up from 4.4 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area’s number rose to 12.3 percent from 4.9 percent a year ago; the Binghamton region hit 12.5 percent, up from 4.8 percent; the Ithaca area posted 9.9 percent, up from 4.2 percent; and the Elmira region’s rate rose to 12.5 percent in July from 4.4 percent in the same month a year ago.

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 NYS Labor Department said.

State unemployment rate

New York state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 15.9 percent in July from 15.6 percent in June and 3.9 percent in July 2019.

The state’s unemployment rate was higher than the U.S. jobless rate of 10.2 percent in July.

The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.

July jobs data

The Syracuse region lost more than 39,000 jobs in the past year, a decrease of 12.2 percent.

The Utica–Rome metro region lost nearly 14,000 jobs, a loss of about 11 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area lost 6,100 jobs, a decrease of 14 percent; the Binghamton region shed 8,700 jobs, an 8 percent drop; the Ithaca area lost 3,000 jobs, off 4.9 percent; and the Elmira area dropped 1,200 jobs, down about 3 percent.

New York state as a whole lost more than 1.3 million jobs, a decrease of 13.7 percent, in that 12-month period. The state economy gained more than 176,000 jobs, a 2.1 percent rise, from June to July, the NYS Labor Department said.