In November 2017, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 26,000, or 0.3%, to 8,098,400, 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 more than one million private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 69 of the past 83 months. In November 2017, New York’s statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.8% to 4.7%.

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’s labor market strengthened in November 2017 as the State added 26,000 private sector jobs and saw its unemployment rate decline over the month to 4.7%,” 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, November 2016 versus November 2017.

United States and New York State: October – November 2017

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

The table below compares the over-the-month change in the total nonfarm and private sector job counts in the United States and New York State in October-November 2017.

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 November 2017, the statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.8% to 4.7%. In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased over the month, from 470,600 to 460,300.

U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: November 2016 – November 2017

1) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The following table compares the over-the-year changes in the total nonfarm and private sector job counts occurring in the United States, New York State and metro areas within the State between November 2016 and November 2017.

Job highlights since November 2016:

• Ten metro areas in New York State added private sector jobs over the past year, with the most rapid employment growth in these areas:
  • Dutchess-Putnam (+2.7%)
  • Ithaca (+2.6%)
  • Watertown-Fort Drum (+2.0%)
  • New York City (+1.8%)
  • Kingston (+1.7%)
  • Syracuse (+1.5%)
• Non-metro counties added 1,900 private sector jobs over the past year.
• Over the past 12 months, five metro areas in the state -- Elmira (-2.2%), Rochester (-0.6%), Binghamton (-0.4%), Nassau-Suffolk (-0.1%) and Buffalo-Niagara Falls (less than -0.1%) -- lost private sector jobs.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: November 2016 – November 2017

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 November 2016 and November 2017.

Highlights among New York State sectors with job gains since November 2016:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+53,400) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+43,400), especially ambulatory health care (+19,300).
• From November 2016 to November 2017, the second largest employment increase occurred in professional and business services (+34,600). Most over-the-year job gains in this sector were found in professional, scientific and technical services (+23,700) and administrative and support services (+8,700).
• The third largest increase in jobs over the past year occurred in leisure and hospitality, which grew by 23,800. Sector gains were centered in accommodation and food services (+21,500), especially food services and drinking places (+20,100).
• Construction had the fourth largest increase in jobs (+9,900) between November 2016 and November 2017. Over-the-year sector gains were concentrated in specialty trade contractors (+3,800) and heavy and civil engineering construction (+3,200).

Highlights among New York State sectors with job losses since November 2016:

• Over the past 12 months, manufacturing lost the most jobs (-13,900) of any major industry sector in New York State. Over-the-year sector losses were concentrated in durable goods (-10,600), especially computer and electronic products (-2,600).
• From November 2016 to November 2017, the second largest employment decrease occurred in trade, transportation and utilities, which lost 4,400 jobs. Over-the-year sector job losses were focused in retail trade (-10,200), especially clothing and clothing accessories stores (-5,600).
• The information sector lost 4,000 jobs over the past year. Sector losses were greatest in telecommunications (-2,800) and motion picture and sound recording (-2,200).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: November 2017

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance:

For New York State, during the week that included November 5, 2017, there were 109,169 people (including 99,419 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance program.

In November 2017, New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 22% 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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