The unemployment rate in Chautauqua County dropped another half-percent in April.
It was the second consecutive month the unemployment rate dropped a half-percent, according to information released by the state Labor Department. In February, the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent, but it dropped to 8.6 percent in March and fell again in April to 8.1 percent.
Even with the decrease, the unemployment rate is .3 percent higher than it was in April 2011 when it was at 7.8 percent.
Job sectors in the county both increased and decreased in employment between March and April. The number of jobs for manufacturing; natural resources, mining and construction; education and health services; and other services all increased by 100. The jump in jobs for natural resources, mining and construction was a 5.3 percent hike. The jump in jobs for manufacturing represented a 1 percent increase.
The number of jobs for leisure and hospitality decreased by 400, or 8 percent, and government dropped by 100, which was a .9 percent lower.
The state's economy added 100 private-sector jobs in April. The state's private-sector job count now stands at 7,319,600 - an all-time high. Although the state's unemployment rate of 8.5 percent remained unchanged from March to April, the number of unemployed New Yorkers declined by 3,000 from 810,700 to 807,700.
Fact Box
Chautauqua County Statistics
Unemployment Rate
April 2012March 2012April 2011
8.1 percent8.6 percent7.8 percent
Unemployed
April 2012March 2012April 2011
5,0005,4004,800
Employed
April 2012March 2012April 2011
56,70056,70056,900
* Information according to the state Labor Department
''The statistics show New York grew and continues to grow jobs in the private sector, and we are seeing that growth reflected in the number of job seekers returning to work,'' said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, state Division of Research and Statistics deputy director. ''In April, the number of unemployed state residents fell by 3,000.''.
Job sectors statewide that have seen the largest increase in the number of jobs during the last year is professional and business services, which gained 51,400. Next was educational and health services which jumped by 31,100 jobs. Leisure and hospitality added 16,100 jobs during the past year.
Information was the job sector which decreased by the most jobs, losing 4,800. The construction sector lost 4,600 jobs during the past year.