Continuing January’s trend, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits and the number of people working in St. Lawrence County each fell in February from the same month a year ago, according to the state Department of Labor.

There were about 4,000 people receiving unemployment insurance in February, down from 4,500 in February 2014. That represents a .5 percent drop.

The unemployment rate was 8.4 percent, down .9 percent from 9.3 percent in February 2014.

The number of people working last month was 43,300 compared to 43,900 in February 2014, a .7 percent decrease.

According to DOL statistics, the unemployment rate in January was 8.7 percent, compared to 9.3 percent a year ago, a .6 percent drop. However, January's rate was an increase from the Dec. 2014 rate was 7.2 percent.

About 4,000 people received unemployment benefits in January, a .4 percent decrease from one year ago when 4,400 were on the dole and roughly 3,300 people in December 2014.

The DOL says 41,800 people were employed in St. Lawrence County in January compared to 42,500 a year ago, or a .7 percent drop.

To our east in Franklin County, there were 1,600 people on unemployment in February compared to 1,900 a year ago. That’s a .3 percent drop. The rate fell from 9 percent in February 2014 to 7.9 percent a year ago, a 1.1 percent shift. There were 19,200 people working a year ago, which fell to 18,700 last month, a .5 percent drop.

To our west in Jefferson County, 3,900 people received unemployment in February, down .7 percent from 4,600 in February 2014. The rate fell 1.2 percent from 9.9 percent last year to 8.7 percent last month. The number of people working fell by .6 percent from 41,900 in February 2014 to 41,300 last month, the DOL said.