In August 2017, the state’s private sector job count rose by 1,700, or less than 0.1%, to 8,094,500. This marked the fifth consecutive month in which the state’s economy has added private sector jobs. Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration, New York State’s economy has added more than one million private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 68 of the past 80 months. In August 2017, New York’s statewide unemployment rate increased from 4.7% to 4.8%.

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.

“The State’s private sector job count has now risen for five consecutive months and in seven of the eight months thus far this year. In August 2017, New York’s private sector employers added 1,700 jobs,” 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 2016 versus August 2017.

United States and New York State: July – August 2017

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 2017.

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 2017, the statewide unemployment rate increased from 4.7% to 4.8%. In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers increased over the month, from 452,900 to 466,300.

U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: August 2016 – August 2017

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 2016 and August 2017.

Job highlights since August 2016:

• Twelve metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs over the past year, with the most rapid employment growth in these areas:
  • New York City (+2.4%)
  • Orange-Rockland-Westchester (+2.2%)
  • Kingston (+2.1%)
  • Dutchess-Putnam (+2.0%)
  • Utica-Rome (+1.3%)
  • Binghamton (+1.1%)
• Over the past year, two metro areas in the state – Rochester (-0.3%) and Buffalo-Niagara Falls (less than -0.1%) – lost private sector jobs.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: August 2016 – August 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 August 2016 and August 2017.

Highlights among New York State sectors with job gains since August 2016:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+66,600) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+49,200), especially ambulatory health care (+26,100).
• From August 2016 to August 2017, the second largest employment increase occurred in leisure and hospitality (+44,300). Most over-the-year job gains in this sector were found in accommodation and food services (+30,000), especially food services and drinking places (+27,500).
• The third largest increase in jobs over the past year occurred in professional and business services, which grew by 43,000. Sector gains were centered in professional, scientific and technical services (+25,200) and administrative and support services (+15,400).
• Other services had the fourth largest increase in jobs (+8,100) between August 2016 and August 2017. Over-the-year sector gains were concentrated in religious, grant-making and civic organizations (+7,700).

Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since August 2016:

• Over the past 12 months, manufacturing lost the most jobs (-18,500) of any major industry sector in New York State. Over-the-year sector losses were concentrated in durable goods (-14,800), especially computers and electronic products (-3,600).
• From August 2016 to August 2017, the second largest employment decrease occurred in financial activities, which lost 4,000 jobs. Over-the-year sector job losses were concentrated in real estate and rental and leasing (-3,200).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: August 2017

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance:

For New York State, during the week that included August 12, 2017, there were 125,407 people (including 115,393 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.

In August 2017, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 25% 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.

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