In February 2019, the number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by 7,900, or 0.1%, to 8,254,400, 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 1,156,300 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 84 of the past 98 months. In February 2019, New York’s statewide unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.9%.

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 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.

“New York State’s labor market continued to strengthen in February 2019. We reached a new record high in private sector jobs as the state’s growth rate outpaced the comparable U.S. rate,” 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, February 2018 versus February 2019.

United States and New York State: January – February 2019

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 January-February 2019.

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 February 2019, the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.9%, since the month prior. New York City’s unemployment rate increased from 4.1% in January to 4.2% in February 2019. Outside of New York City, the unemployment rate decreased from 3.8% in January to 3.7% in February 2019.

United States, New York State and Metro Areas: February 2018 – February 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 within the State, between February 2018 and February 2019.

Job highlights since February 2018:

• No metro area in New York State lost private sector jobs over the past year.
• Thirteen metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs since February 2018. The most rapid growth was in these metro areas:
  • Syracuse (+2.4%)
  • Kingston (+2.1%)
  • Ithaca (+2.0%)
  • Glens Falls (+1.9%)
  • New York City (+1.8%)
  • Dutchess-Putnam (+1.7%)
  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy (+1.6%)
• Non-metro counties in New York added 1,600 private sector jobs over the past year.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: February 2018 – February 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 February 2018 and February 2019.

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

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+58,000) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+61,200), especially ambulatory health care (+37,700).
• Over the past year, the second largest gain in jobs was in professional and business services (+9,300). Sector gains were greatest in professional, scientific and technical services (+7,700) and administrative and support services (+3,400).
• The third largest increase in jobs over the past 12 months occurred in construction (+9,100). Residential building (+6,800) added the most jobs within the sector.
• Other services had the fourth largest over-the year gain in jobs (+5,700). Sector gains were centered in religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and similar organizations (+4,600).

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

• Financial activities (-3,200) was the only major industry sector in the state to lose employment over the past year as the job count fell in both real estate and rental and leasing (-2,300) and finance and insurance (-900).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: February 2019

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance:

For New York State, during the week that included February 12, 2019, there were 136,712 people (including 125,803 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.

In February 2019, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 33% 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.

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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