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September 20, 2018

State’s Private Sector Job Count Grows by 8,900 in August 2018

NYS Unemployment Rate Reaches Lowest Level in More than 11½ Years

In August 2018, New York State’s private sector job count rose by 8,900, or 0.1%, to 8,181,100, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration, New York State’s economy has added 1,087,000 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 79 of the past 92 months.

The statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.3% to 4.2% in August 2018, its lowest level since January 2007. Contributing to this statewide rate drop was a decline in New York City’s unemployment rate, which fell from 4.2% in July to 4.1% in August 2018, reaching its lowest level on record (current records date back to 1976). In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers fell in August, from 419,500 to 408,900, its 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 become 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.

“New York State’s economy continued to show strength in August 2018. Our state’s private sector job count grew by 8,900, while the statewide unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in more than 11½ years,” said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, 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, August 2017 versus August 2018.

 

United States and New York State: July – August 2018

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

The table below compares the over-the-month change in the total nonfarm and private sector job counts in the United States and New York State in July-August 2018.

Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs
July – August 2018
  Change in
Total Nonfarm Jobs:

(private sector + government)
Change in
Private Sector Jobs:
 
Net
%
Net
%
United States +201,000 +0.1% +204,000 +0.2%
New York State +9,400 +0.1% +8,900 +0.1%

 

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 August 2018, the statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.3% to 4.2%. In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers fell over the month, from 419,500 to 408,900.


Unemployment Rates (%)*
*Data are preliminary and subject to change, based on standard procedures outlined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  August 2018*July 2018August 2017
United States 3.9 3.9 4.4
New York State 4.2 4.3 4.7
New York City 4.1 4.2 4.6
NYS, outside NYC 4.3 4.5 4.8

 

United States, New York State and Metro Areas: August 2017 – August 2018

1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The following table compares the over-the-year changes in the total nonfarm and private sector job counts occurring in the United States, New York State and metro areas within the State between August 2017 and August 2018.


Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs by Area
August 2017 – August 2018
  Change in
Total Nonfarm Jobs:

(private sector + government)
Change in
Private Sector Jobs:
 
Net
%
 
Net
%
 
United States +2,425,000 +1.7% +2,384,000 +1.9%
New York State +124,000 +1.3% +123,100 +1.5%
    Albany-Schenectady-Troy -200 0.0% -400 -0.1%
    Binghamton 0 0.0% +300 +0.4%
    Buffalo-Niagara Falls +9,200 +1.6% +9,000 +1.9%
    Dutchess-Putnam +1,000 +0.7% +1,000 +0.8%
    Elmira -500 -1.4% -100 -0.3%
    Glens Falls +1,000 +1.7% +900 +1.8%
    Ithaca +2,600 +4.2% +2,600 +4.9%
    Kingston +1,300 +2.1% +1,400 +2.9%
    Nassau-Suffolk +15,200 +1.1% +15,000 +1.3%
    New York City +72,300 +1.6% +74,200 +1.9%
    Orange-Rockland-Westchester +8,200 +1.1% +6,800 +1.1%
    Rochester +6,300 +1.2% +6,000 +1.3%
    Syracuse +3,400 +1.1% +3,200 +1.2%
    Utica-Rome +400 +0.3% +900 +0.9%
    Watertown-Fort Drum 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
    Non-metro Counties -1,300 -0.3% -300 -0.1%

 

Job highlights since August 2017:

  • Twelve metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs over the past year. The most rapid employment growth was in these areas:
    • Ithaca (+4.9%)
    • Kingston (+2.9%)
    • Buffalo-Niagara Falls (+1.9%)
    • New York City (+1.9%)
    • Glens Falls (+1.8%)
    • Nassau-Suffolk (+1.3%)
    • Rochester (+1.3%)
  • Non-metro counties in New York gained 300 private sector jobs over the past year.
  • Over the past 12 months, two metro areas in New York State lost private sector jobs: Elmira (-0.3%) and Albany-Schenectady-Troy (-0.1%).

Change in jobs by major industry sector: August 2017 – August 2018

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 August 2017 and August 2018.

Change in Jobs by Major Industry Sector
August 2017 – August 2018
*Educational and health services is in the private sector.
Government includes public education and public health services.
Sectors With Job Gains:
Educational & Health Services* +50,400
Leisure & Hospitality +29,300
Other Services +15,600
Construction +15,000
Professional & Business Services +12,500
Trade, Transportation & Utilities +6,100
Financial Activities +3,900
Government* +900
 
Sectors With Job Losses:
Information -7,400
Manufacturing -2,200
Natural Resources & Mining -100

 

Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since August 2017:

  • Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+50,400) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+44,100), especially ambulatory health care (+28,600).
  • From August 2017 to August 2018, the second largest employment increase occurred in leisure and hospitality (+29,300). Most over-the-year job gains in this sector were found in accommodation and food services (+19,300), especially food services and drinking places (+20,600).
  • The third largest increase in jobs over the past year occurred in other services, which saw its employment count grow by 15,600. Sector gains were centered in religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations (+8,300) and personal and laundry services (+4,800).
  • Construction had the fourth largest increase in jobs (+15,000) between August 2017 and August 2018. Sector gains were largest in specialty trade contractors (+11,400) and construction of buildings (+2,100) over the past year.

Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since July 2017:

  • Over the past 12 months, information lost the most jobs (-7,400) of any major industry sector in New York State. Over-the-year sector losses were focused in publishing (-4,200) and telecommunications (-900).
  • From August 2017 to August 2018, the second largest employment decrease occurred in manufacturing, which lost 2,200 jobs. Over-the-year sector job losses were focused in durable goods (-8,100), especially computer and electronic products (-2,300) and fabricated metal products (-1,200).

 

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: August 2018

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance:

For New York State, during the week that included August 12, 2018, there were 116,134 people (including 107,341 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.

In August 2018, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 26% 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.

 

See State and Area Job Data (opens in new window)
See Labor Market Overview (opens in new window)
See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)

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