New Census Bureau stats show Cortland County was fifth in the state for population loss per 1,000 due to domestic migration.
The county dropped about 600 residents from July 2020 to July 2021. 42 of 62 counties lost population, but the largest portion of those leaving the state left from New York City.
The Census Bureau says that during this measuring period, many of the departures can be partially blamed on the pandemic.
Unemployment in New York State fell from 5.3% in January to 4.9% in February, as our economy slowly recovers from COVID job losses.
The upstate jobless rate dropped from 3.6% to 3.4%, a 45-year low.
The Labor Department notes many small businesses in our state are struggling with the low numbers of workers.
There are 18,800 non farm jobs In Cortland County, up a thousand from a year ago…about 5.6%.
