The number of people with jobs in Genesee County has improved, according to statistics released today by the state Department of Labor.
The sunnier employment picture for local residents comes a couple of weeks after a labor department report revealed that the county fell flat on in-county job growth in May, but the same jobs report showed an increase in the workforce in Monroe and Erie counties.
There are 300 more local residents with jobs now than there were a year ago, according to today's report. The total has climbed from 28,900 in May 2014 to 29,200 this May.
That puts the Genesee County unemployment rate at 4.7 percent, compared to 5.0 in May 2014.
The 4.7-percent rate is low, but not the lowest figure of the past 12 months. The rate was 4.6 in October. In the past 12 months it's been as high as 6.8 percent, which was the figure in January.
The unemployment rate in Wyoming County is 5.2 percent, down form 5.8 percent a year ago. In Orleans it's dropped from 7.0 to 6.2 and in Livingston, from 5.7 to 5.1.
The state rate is 5.3 percent and the national rate is 5.3.
From this post: "There are
From this post: "There are 300 more local residents with jobs now than there was a year ago, according to today's report. The total has climbed from 28,900 in May 2015 to 29,200 this May."
Two things about that statement strikes me as VERY suspicious.
1) "climbed from 28,900 in May 2015 to 29,200 this May."
Isn't "this May" ALREADY May 2015?
2) Am I the only one that finds the numbers cited, 28,900, 29,200, and 300 to be just a little "odd"? Well, actually, I guess I should've said, I find them to be just a little "TOO EVEN".
While I admit that it is POSSIBLE that there were EXACTLY 28,900 local residents with jobs (before), and that EXACTLY 300 more local residents with jobs added, I believe those numbers are 'rounded off'. Had they stated that there were, say, 297, 301, 303 or so jobs added to, say, 28,897, 28,899 or 28,902, it would be SO MUCH more believable. In my thinking, their numbers are TOO EXACT to believe.
" Figures lie.......and Liers
" Figures lie.......and Liers figure."
My apologies, Mr Hunt, but
My apologies, Mr Hunt, but the correct quote is "Figures don't lie, but liars figure", generally attributed to Mark Twain. He also quoted Benjamin Disraeli as saying "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics".
Maybe, just maybe....
Maybe, just maybe....
1) a typo was made, and May 2014 was mistyped as May 2015 (please note "May 2014" was referenced correctly in the next paragraph); and
2) rounded figures were used, as is common when publishing statistics.