The New York State economy added 22,700 private sector jobs in August 2013, for a growth rate of 0.3%, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. This raised New York State's private sector job count to 7,459,600, an all-time high. By way of comparison, the nation's private sector job count grew by 0.1% in August 2013.

Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's administration, the New York State economy has added 346,500 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 27 of the past 32 months. 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.

Between July and August 2013, New York State's unemployment rate increased from 7.5% to 7.6%, and the number of unemployed state residents rose by 12,300. These increases, however, stemmed in part from the state's expanding labor force, which grew by 24,500 in August as more New Yorkers had confidence about finding a job. The federal government calculates New York's unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 households in the state.

Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. For July 2013, the statewide private sector employment estimate was revised upward slightly.

"With the addition of 22,700 private sector jobs in August, the New York State economy experienced its largest monthly jobs gain since January 2013. New York remains just one of nine states to have regained all of the private sector jobs lost during the recession," said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Deputy Director of the 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 2012 versus August 2013.

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

U.S. and New York State, July 2013 - August 2013

The table below compares the over-the-month change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs in the United States and New York State between July and August 2013.

2) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

The state's unemployment rate, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is calculated by a statistical model that primarily uses the results of a telephone survey of 3,100 households in New York State. The statewide rate rose from 7.5% in July to 7.6% in August 2013. In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers increased over the month -- from 717,400 in July 2013 to 729,700 in August 2013.

3) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

U.S., New York State, Major Regions, and Metro Areas: August 2012 - August 2013

The table that follows compares the over-the-year change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs that occurred in the United States, New York State, the Upstate and Downstate regions, and metro areas in the state between August 2012 and August 2013.

Job highlights since August 2012:

• Since August 2012, the number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 126,800, or 1.7%.
• In the 10-county Downstate region, private sector jobs grew by 2.5% over the past year. Downstate's private sector job growth was most rapid in Nassau-Suffolk (+2.7%).
• In the 52-county Upstate region, the private sector job count grew by 0.8% over the past year. The Upstate region's private sector job growth was centered within its metro areas (+0.9%).
• Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in the state:
  • Kings (+2.8%)
  • Nassau-Suffolk (+2.7%)
  • New York City (+2.5%)
  • Glens Falls(+2.4%)
  • Putnam-Rockland-Westchester (+1.9%)
• The only metro area in the state to lose private sector jobs between August 2012 and August 2013 was Rochester (-0.2%).

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

Change in jobs by major industry sector, August 2012 - August 2013

The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs by major industry sector in New York State occurring between August 2012 and August 2013.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since August 2012:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+40,500) of any industry sector over the past year. Sector employment gains were centered in health care and social assistance (+24,600), especially ambulatory health care services (+16,500).
• The leisure and hospitality sector had the second largest increase in jobs (+30,000) between August 2012 and August 2013. Over the past year, sector job gains occurred in accommodation and food services (+19,700) and arts, entertainment and recreation (+10,300).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since August 2012:

• Over the past year, manufacturing lost more jobs (-11,100) than any other sector in the state. Manufacturing sector job losses in August 2012-August 2013 were greatest in durable goods (-6,800), especially computer and electronic products (-2,000) and transportation equipment (-1,800).
• Employment losses in the government sector (-6,400) were largest at the local (-2,400) and federal (-2,200) levels in August 2012-August 2013.

5) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC):

For New York State, during the week that included August 12, 2013, there were 311,301 people (including 286,147 who live in the state) who received benefits under:

• Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) or
• Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC)

New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 39% of the total unemployed in the state in August 2013.

See the table below for the maximum number of weeks available under current federal regulations.

We encourage people to use the Department's online Unemployment Insurance calculator to estimate how many weeks of benefits they may receive. See the calculator on the State Department of Labor's website or go here: http://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/UIBenefitsCalculator.shtm

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, 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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