CHENANGO COUNTY – Unemployment figures released by the New York State Department of Labor this week show the unemployment rate in Chenango County has dropped below the 7 percent benchmark for the third consecutive month - good news for the county as this is the first time the local unemployment rate has been less than 7 percent since 2008.

According to the Department of Labor Statistics, July’s unemployment rate in Chenango County currently stands at 6.5 percent; down .4 percent since June. Unemployment county-wide has dropped steadily since January, when it reached 9.7 percent and far exceeded the 2012 average of 8.4 percent.

Chenango’s unemployment rate is presently lower than most surrounding counties, including Madison (7.2 percent), Delaware (7.6 percent), Broome (7.7 percent) and Cortland (7.8 percent). Otsego is the only county of the five surrounding counties with a lower unemployment rate (6.4 percent).

Despite the recent decline in the local unemployment rate, the number of those who are unemployed in the county has stayed steady for the last three months at approximately 1,700 people. Meanwhile, the number of those who are employed has climbed from 23,500 to 24,000 which could be attributed to more people seeking employment or to people who are already employed and moving into the area.

“The nation as a whole is gradually improving,” explained Southern Tier Region Labor Market Analyst Christian Harris. “Over the year, most if not all counties in the state have shown a notable decline in unemployment rates.”