Genesee County's unemployment rate for March was 6.1 percent according to the NYS Department of Labor, which is a percentage point higher than the previous year, the month local pandemic-related lockdowns started.
While layoffs started in late March 2020, the reported unemployment was 5.2 percent. The layoffs didn't hit the books through unemployment claims until April when the rate jumped to 15.9 percent, the highest local unemployment rate since 1990 (the earliest data available from the DOL). In May, the rate was 11.1 percent and the rate has remained in single digits since then.
The lowest rate for March since 1990 was in 2019 when the rate was 4.6 percent.
The labor force for Genesee County (people who have work or are seeking work) was 28,200 in March, the lowest level since at least 1990. A year ago it was 28,700 and 29,100 in 2019.
There are 26,500 people living in the county who are employed and 1,700 without jobs who are seeking jobs.
The state's unemployment rate is 8.5 percent and the nation's is 6.2.
There were 20,700 non-farm jobs reported in Genesee County for March compared to 22,200 in 2020.
Government jobs declined from 5,700 to 5,200 and private sector jobs declined from 16,500 to 15,500.
