New York State’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.7% to 7.4% in November 2013, its lowest level since January 2009, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. In addition, the state’s economy added 4,300 private sector jobs, raising New York State’s private sector job count to 7,493,500 – another all-time high.

Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration, the New York State economy has added 380,400 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 30 of the past 35 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’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. 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.

"In November 2013, the state’s economy continued to expand, reaching another all-time high number of private sector jobs – 7,493,500. In addition, the state’s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since early 2009," 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, November 2012 versus November 2013.

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

U.S. and New York State, October 2013 - November 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 October and November 2013.

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 a telephone survey of 3,100 households in New York State. The statewide rate fell from 7.7% in October to 7.4% in November 2013, reaching its lowest level since January 2009. The number of unemployed New Yorkers also decreased over the month -- from 739,800 in October 2013 to 716,000 in November 2013.

3) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

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

Job highlights since November 2012:

• Since November 2012, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased by 141,700, or 1.9%.
• In the 10-county Downstate region, private sector jobs grew by 3.0% over the past year. Downstate’s private sector job growth was most rapid in New York City (+3.4%) and Nassau-Suffolk (+3.0%).
• In the 52-county Upstate region, the private sector job count grew by 0.7% over the past year. The Upstate region’s private sector job growth was centered within its metro areas (+0.7%).
• Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in the state:
  • New York City (+3.4%)
  • Nassau-Suffolk (+3.0%)
  • Buffalo-Niagara Falls (+1.6%)
  • Utica-Rome (+1.5%)
  • Glens Falls (+1.4%)
• Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown (-1.5%) and Binghamton (-0.2%) were the only metro areas in the state to lose private sector jobs between November 2012 and November 2013.

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

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

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

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since November 2012:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+61,200) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector employment gains were centered in health care and social assistance (+38,500), especially ambulatory health care services (+27,400).
• Leisure and hospitality had the second largest increase in jobs (+34,100) between November 2012 and November 2013. Over the past year, sector job gains were mostly in accommodation and food services (+29,500).
• The third largest employment increase over the past year was registered in trade, transportation and utilities (+27,300), with sector gains focused in retail trade (+18,800).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since November 2012:

• Over the past year, government lost more jobs (-13,100) than any other sector in the state. Government employment losses between November 2012 and November 2013 were largest at the local (-8,500) level.
• Manufacturing job losses (-12,300) between November 2012 and November 2013 were greatest in durable goods (-7,500), especially computer and electronic products (-2,300).

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

For New York State, during the week that included November 5, 2013, there were 277,535 people (including 253,653 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 35% of the total unemployed in the state in November 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

Unless legislation is introduced by Congress to reauthorize the EUC program, the program and benefits will end on December 29, 2013.

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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