In November 2019, the number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by 15,300, or 0.2%, to 8,327,800, a new, all-time 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 1,229,700 private sector jobs.

In November 2019, New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.0%. Year to date, the jobless rate in New York State declined by 0.1 percentage points and the number of unemployed New Yorkers dropped by more than 16,000 compared to the same period in 2018.

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 the State each month.

“In November 2019, the New York State economy added 15,300 private sector jobs. In addition, the statewide unemployment rate held steady at 4.0% in November,” said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Director of the New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Research and Statistics.

United States and New York State: October – November 2019

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

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

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 from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month.

In November 2019, the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.0%. New York City’s unemployment rate decreased from 4.1% to 4.0%. Outside of New York City, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.9%.

The number of unemployed New Yorkers increased slightly, from 379,000 in October to 379,300 in November 2019.

United States, New York State and Metro Areas: November 2018 – November 2019

1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The following table compares the changes in total nonfarm and private sector jobs occurring in the United States, New York State and metro areas in the State, between November 2018 and November 2019.

Job highlights since November 2018:

• Eleven metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs since November 2018. The most rapid growth was in these metro areas:
  • Ithaca (+2.9%)
  • New York City (+1.8%)
  • Kingston (+1.6%)
  • Syracuse (+1.6%)
  • Rochester (+1.5%)
  • Dutchess-Putnam (+1.4%)
• Non-metro counties in New York added 4,900 private sector jobs over the past year.
• Over the past year, four metro areas in the state lost private sector jobs: Elmira (-0.6%), Binghamton (-0.5%), Glens Falls (-0.5%) and Utica-Rome (-0.2%).

Change in jobs by major industry sector: November 2018 – November 2019

1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The table below compares the change in jobs by major industry sector in New York State occurring between November 2018 and November 2019.

Highlights among New York State sectors with job gains since November 2018:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+65,300) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were focused in health care and social assistance (+67,900), especially ambulatory health care (+42,700).
• Over the past year, the second largest employment gain was in professional and business services (+25,400). Most sector job gains occurred in professional, scientific and technical services (+17,700), especially management, scientific and technical consulting services (+6,500) and architectural, engineering and related services (+6,200).
• The third largest employment increase in November 2018-November 2019 occurred in leisure and hospitality (+20,300). Within the sector, over-the-year job gains were largest in accommodation and food services (+15,700), especially food services and drinking places (+8,900).

Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since November 2018:

• Over the past year, manufacturing lost the most jobs (-4,300). Sector job losses were greatest in durable goods (-4,800), especially fabricated metal products (-1,700).
• The second largest over-the-year decline in jobs occurred in other services (-2,900), with losses focused in personal and laundry services (-5,900), especially personal care services (-2,400).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: November 2019

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance:

For New York State, during the week that included November 5, 2019, there were 94,638 people (including 85,795 who live in the state) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.

In November 2019, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 23% 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 NYS Department of Labor’s 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 website.

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.

In New York State, payroll jobs data by industry come from a monthly survey of 18,000 business establishments conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data are preliminary and subject to revision. Jobs data by industry do not include agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers or domestic workers in private households.

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. The state’s unemployment rate is based partly upon the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York each month.

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