In September 2015, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 11,400, or 0.1%, to 7,821,700, 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’s economy has added 711,400 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 49 of the past 57 months.

The statewide unemployment rate decreased from 5.2% to 5.1% in September 2015, reaching its lowest level since April 2008 and falling in line with the United States as a whole. New York City’s unemployment rate also dropped over the month, declining from 5.4% to 5.2%. This was New York City’s lowest unemployment rate since May 2008.

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’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 added 11,400 private sector jobs in September 2015, keeping pace with the nation as a whole. Moreover, the state’s unemployment rate continued its recent downward trend, dropping to 5.1%, its lowest level since April 2008,” 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, September 2014 versus September 2015.

U.S. and New York State: August - September 2015

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 August-September 2015.

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, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. In August-September 2015, the statewide unemployment rate decreased from 5.2% to 5.1%. The number of unemployed New Yorkers declined from 501,700 in August to 486,100 in September 2015, its lowest level since April 2008.

U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: September 2014 - September 2015

1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

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 and metro areas within the State between September 2014 and September 2015.

Job highlights since September 2014:

• Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in New York State:
  • Glens Falls (+2.0%)
  • New York City (+2.0%)
  • Nassau-Suffolk (+1.9%)
  • Buffalo-Niagara Falls (+1.8%)
  • Rochester (+1.7%)
• Five metro areas in the state – Watertown-Fort Drum (-1.6%), Binghamton (-1.2%), Dutchess-Putnam (-1.1%), Elmira (-0.6%) and Ithaca (-0.6%) – lost private sector jobs between September 2014 and September 2015.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: September 2014 – September 2015

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 September 2014 and September 2015.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since September 2014:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+54,800) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+48,300), especially ambulatory health care services (+34,200).
• Professional and business services had the second largest increase in jobs (+30,300) between September 2014 and September 2015. Over the past year, sector job gains were mostly in professional, scientific and technical services (+17,200) and in administrative and support services (+12,300).
• The third largest employment increase over the past year occurred in leisure and hospitality (+19,900), with sector gains centered in accommodation and food services (+13,600), especially in food services and drinking places (+11,200).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since September 2014:

• Over the past 12 months, government lost more jobs (-2,400) than any other major industry sector in New York. Losses in local government (-2,900) and state government (-500) offset a gain in federal government (+1,000).
• Manufacturing had the second largest decrease in jobs (-2,300) over the past year. Job losses were focused in non-durable goods (-2,300), especially in chemicals (-1,100).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: September 2015

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI):

For New York State, during the week that included September 12, 2015, there were 117,983 people (including 107,617 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 22% of the total unemployed in the State in September 2015.

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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