Even though the number of employed residents has not changed, Cayuga County's unemployment rate for May was a percentage point higher than it was a year earlier, according to the latest state Department of Labor figures.

Cayuga County's May jobless rate of 4.9 percent was also slightly above the 4.7 percent mark reported for April.

The higher rates reflect an increase in the number of people who are looking for jobs. The county's labor force - which reflects the number of people who have a job or who are actively seeking one - reached 41,500 last month. That was up by 300 people from April and 400 from May 2007.

The higher unemployment rate marks the sixth straight month of year-over-year increases.

For the first time in several months, the county's unemployment rate was not higher than the statewide average. New York unemployment rate for May was also at 4.9 percent, up from 4.2 percent in May 2007 and 4.5 percent in April.

The county's higher rate comes despite job growth in the often troubled manufacturing sector, where numbers showed an annual gain of 200 jobs. The county did show fewer jobs in the construction, financial activities, and leisure and hospitality industries.