NEW YORK, NY — In April 2017, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 4,700, or 0.1%, to 8,032,300, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. Since the end of the State’s recession in late 2009, New York has added more than one million private sector jobs. Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration, New York State’s economy has added 938,200 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 64 of the past 76 months.
New York’s statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in April 2017. This unemployment rate matches New York State’s lowest level since February 2007.
The State’s private sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York employers conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more data becomes available the following month. The federal government calculates New York State’s unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month.
“The State’s labor market added 4,700 private sector jobs in April 2017 and the unemployment rate remained at its lowest level in over a decade,” said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Deputy Director of the New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Research and Statistics.
Note: Seasonally adjusted data are used to provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month – for example, April 2016 versus April 2017.
United States and New York State: March – April 2017
1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):
The table below compares the over-the-month change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs in the United States and New York State in March-April 2017.
Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs
March – April 2017
| Change in Total Nonfarm Jobs: | Change in Private Sector Jobs: | |||
| (private sector + government) | ||||
| Net | % | Net | % | |
| United States | 2,11,000 | 0.10% | 1,94,000 | 0.20% |
| New York State | 5,600 | 0.10% | 4,700 | 0.10% |
2) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):
The State’s unemployment rate is calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, using a statistical regression model that primarily uses the results of the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. In April 2017, the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%. The number of unemployed New Yorkers increased slightly over the month, from 409,000 to 416,900.
| Unemployment Rates (%)* | |||||
| April 2017* | Mar-17 | 42,461 | |||
| United States | 4.4 | Jan-00 | 5 | ||
| New York State | 4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | ||
| New York City | 4 | 4 | 5.2 | ||
| NYS, outside NYC | 5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | ||
| *Data are preliminary and subject to change, based on standard procedures outlined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. | |||||
U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: April 2016 – April 2017
1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):
The following table compares the over-the-year change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs that occurred in the United States, New York State and metro areas within the State between April 2016 and April 2017.
Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs April 2016 – April 2017
| Change in Total Nonfarm Jobs: | Change in Private Sector Jobs: | |||
| (private sector + government) | ||||
| Net | % | Net | % | |
| United States | 20,85,000 | 1.40% | 19,40,000 | 1.60% |
| New York State | 76,800 | 0.80% | 68,900 | 0.90% |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | 1,400 | 0.30% | 100 | 0.00% |
| Binghamton | -400 | -0.40% | -700 | -0.90% |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls | 0 | 0.00% | -1,400 | -0.30% |
| Dutchess-Putnam | 1,600 | 1.10% | 1,400 | 1.20% |
| Elmira | -900 | -2.40% | -1,000 | -3.20% |
| Glens Falls | 1,400 | 2.60% | 1,000 | 2.30% |
| Ithaca | 200 | 0.30% | 200 | 0.30% |
| Kingston | 600 | 1.00% | 400 | 0.90% |
| Nassau-Suffolk | 14,000 | 1.10% | 11,100 | 1.00% |
| New York City | 40,300 | 0.90% | 38,500 | 1.00% |
| Orange-Rockland-Westchester | 5,500 | 0.80% | 4,600 | 0.80% |
| Rochester | -4,500 | -0.80% | -4,100 | -0.90% |
| Syracuse | 2,700 | 0.80% | 2,600 | 1.00% |
| Utica-Rome | -500 | -0.40% | -300 | -0.30% |
| Watertown-Fort Drum | 100 | 0.20% | 300 | 1.00% |
| Non-metro Counties | 2,000 | 0.40% | 3,200 | 0.90% |
Job highlights since April 2016:
- Ten metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs over the past year, with the most rapid growth in these areas:
- Glens Falls (+2.3%)
- Dutchess-Putnam (+1.2%)
- Nassau-Suffolk (+1.0%)
- New York City (+1.0%)
- Syracuse (+1.0%)
- Watertown-Fort Drum (+1.0%)
- Over the past year, five metro areas in the state – Elmira (-3.2%), Binghamton (-0.9%), Rochester (-0.9%), Buffalo-Niagara Falls (-0.3%) and Utica-Rome (-0.3%) – lost private sector jobs.
Change in jobs by major industry sector: April 2016 – April 2017
1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):
The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs by major industry sector in New York State occurring between April 2016 and April 2017.
| Change in Jobs by Major Industry Sector | ||||
| April 2016 – April 2017 | ||||
| Sectors With Job Gains: | ||||
| Educational & Health Services* | 46,600 | |||
| Professional & Business Services | 27,700 | |||
| Government* | 7,900 | |||
| Other Services | 4,100 | |||
| Leisure & Hospitality | 2,900 | |||
| Financial Activities | 2,100 | |||
| Information | 2,000 | |||
| Construction | 1,900 | |||
| Natural Resources & Mining | 100 | |||
| Sectors With Job Losses: | ||||
| Manufacturing | -14,900 | |||
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | -3,600 | |||
|
*Educational and health services is in the private sector. Government includes public education and public health services. |
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Highlights among New York State sectors with job gains since April 2016:
- Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+46,600) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+55,900), especially ambulatory health care (+23,100).
- From April 2016 to April 2017, the second largest employment increase occurred in professional and business services (+27,700). Sector gains were centered in professional, scientific and technical services (+19,000) and administrative and support services (+8,100).
- The third largest increase in jobs over the past year occurred in government, which grew by 7,900. Over-the-year job gains in this sector were centered at the local level (+3,900), especially local education (+4,700).
- Other services had the fourth largest increase in jobs (+4,100) between April 2016 and April 2017. Over-the-year sector job gains were concentrated in religious, grant-making and civic organizations (+2,500) and repair and maintenance services (+1,600).
Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since April 2016:
- Over the past 12 months, manufacturing lost the most jobs (-14,900) of any major industry sector in New York State. Over-the-year sector losses were concentrated in durable goods (-12,000), especially computers and electronic products (-3,500).
Unemployment Insurance Benefits: April 2017
1) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI):
For New York State, during the week that included April 12, 2017, there were 142,431 people (including 131,078 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.
In April 2017, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 31% of the total unemployed.
Note: The responsibility for the production of monthly estimates of state and metro area nonfarm employment by industry moved from the Division of Research and Statistics to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), starting with the March 2011 estimates. More detailed information on the change is available on the BLS web site.
Many economic data series have a seasonal pattern, which means they tend to occur at the same time each year (e.g., retail jobs usually increase in December). Seasonal adjustment is the process of removing seasonal effects from a data series. This is done to simplify the data so that they may be more easily interpreted and help to reveal true underlying trends. Seasonal adjustment permits comparisons of data from one month to data from any other month.
Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In New York State, payroll jobs data by industry come from a monthly survey of 18,000 business establishments. Jobs data by industry do not include agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers or domestic workers in private households.