In December 2016, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 9,000, or 0.1%, to 7,963,900, a new record high, 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 869,600 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 61 of the past 72 months. In December 2016, New York’s statewide unemployment rate decreased from 5.1% to 4.9%.

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 continued to expand in December 2016. Not only did the statewide economy reach a new record high for private sector jobs, but New York State’s unemployment rate decreased from 5.1% to 4.9% in December,” 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, December 2015 versus December 2016.

U.S. and New York State: November – December 2016

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 November-December 2016.

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 December 2016, the statewide unemployment rate decreased from 5.1% to 4.9%. The number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased from 490,800 in November to 473,900 in December 2016.

U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: December 2015 – December 2016

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 December 2015 and December 2016.

Job highlights since December 2015:

• Ten metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs over the past year, with the most rapid growth in these areas:
  • Ithaca (+3.7%)
  • Glens Falls (+2.5%)
  • Buffalo-Niagara (+1.5%)
  • Kingston (+1.5%)
  • Nassau-Suffolk (+1.5%)
  • New York City (+1.5%)
• Over the past year, three metro areas in the state – Binghamton (-1.6%), Utica-Rome (-1.5%) and Syracuse (-0.4%) – lost private sector jobs.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: December 2015 – December 2016

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 December 2015 and December 2016.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since December 2015:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+65,300) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+45,700), especially ambulatory health care (+25,300).
• From December 2015 to December 2016, the second largest employment increase occurred in leisure and hospitality, which grew by 23,300. Over-the-year sector job gains were mostly in accommodation and food services (+18,400), especially food services and drinking places (+20,200).
• The third largest employment increase over the past year occurred in professional and business services (+13,800). Sector gains were centered in professional, scientific and technical services (+9,400), especially management, scientific, and technical consulting services (+6,300).
• Trade, transportation and utilities also increased by 13,800 between December 2015 and December 2016. Over-the-year sector job gains were centered in wholesale trade (+5,000) and transportation, warehousing and utilities (+5,000).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since December 2015:

• Over the past 12 months, construction lost the most jobs (-10,200) of any major industry sector in New York. Job losses were focused in heavy and civil engineering construction (-7,700).
• From December 2015 to December 2016, the second largest employment decrease occurred in manufacturing, which lost 9,900 jobs. Over-the-year sector job losses were concentrated in durable goods (-8,700), especially fabricated metals (-5,000).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: December 2016

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI):

For New York State, during the week that included December 5, 2016, there were 126,586 people (including 115,276 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

In December 2016, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 24% 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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