In November 2015, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 13,100, or 0.2%, to 7,869,600, a new record 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 759,300 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 51 of the past 59 months.

The statewide unemployment rate stayed at 4.8% in November 2015, remaining at its lowest level since November 2007. In addition, New York State’s unemployment rate remained below the comparable national unemployment rate of 5.0% in November 2015.

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 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.

“The State’s labor market continued to strengthen in November 2015. Not only did New York State’s private sector job count reach a new record high, but our unemployment rate remained at its lowest level in eight years,” 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 2014 versus November 2015.

U.S. and New York State: October - November 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 October-November 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 October-November 2015, the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8%. The number of unemployed New Yorkers declined from 466,000 in October to 465,600 in November 2015, its lowest level since November 2007.

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

Job highlights since November 2014:

• Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in New York State:
  • New York City (+2.8%)
  • Nassau-Suffolk (+2.1%)
  • Glens Falls (+1.8%)
  • Orange-Rockland-Westchester (+1.8%)
  • Buffalo-Niagara Falls (+1.7%)
• Between November 2014 and November 2015, four metro areas in the state -- Dutchess-Putnam (-2.7%), Binghamton (-1.9%), Ithaca (-1.7%) and Elmira (-0.9%) -- lost private sector jobs.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: November 2014 – November 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 November 2014 and November 2015.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since November 2014:

• Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+73,500) of any major industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social assistance (+57,600), especially ambulatory health care services (+34,200).
• Construction had the second largest increase in jobs (+30,400) between November 2014 and November 2015. Over the past year, sector job gains were mostly in specialty trade contractors (+20,900).
• The third largest employment increase over the past year occurred in professional and business services (+28,300), with sector gains centered in professional, scientific and technical services (+16,800) and administrative and support services (+9,900).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since November 2014:

• Over the past 12 months, government lost more jobs (-4,100) than any other major industry sector in New York State. Losses at the local (-4,000) and state (-800) levels offset a gain in federal jobs (+700).
• Manufacturing had the second largest decrease in jobs (-1,300) over the past year, with losses split between durable goods (-900) and nondurable goods (-400).

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: November 2015

1) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI):

For New York State, during the week that included November 5, 2015, there were 115,097 people (including 104,728 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 November 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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See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)