New York State
Department of Labor

Albany, NY (October 18, 2012) -

In September 2012, New York State's economy added 2,900 private sector jobs, bringing the state's job count to an all-time high of 7,337,000, the State Department of Labor reported today. In 2012, the state has added 107,200 private sector jobs. This year-to-date increase contributed to the state's overall recovery of 352,500 private sector jobs since November 2009. New York State is one of only five states in the country that have regained all of the private sector jobs lost in the recession.

The state's unemployment rate fell in September by 0.2% to 8.9%. In addition, the number of unemployed in the state declined by 23,200, from 871,600 to 848,400.

"September 2012 was a good month for our state's economy. The private sector job count grew by 2,900, continuing the trend of growth in the state and leading to an all-time high job count. Additionally, the number of unemployed New Yorkers declined by 23,200 and our statewide unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points," said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Deputy Director of the Division of Research and Statistics.

Note: The data above are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data 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 2011 versus September 2012.

1) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

U.S. and New York State, August 2012 - September 2012

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 August 2012 and September 2012.

 

2) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

The state's unemployment rate, as determined by USDOL, is calculated primarily on the results of a telephone survey of 3,100 people. The rate decreased from 9.1% in August 2012 to 8.9% in September 2012. In addition, the number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased over the month -- from 871,600 in August 2012 to 848,400 in September 2012.

 

3) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

U.S., New York State, Major Regions, and Metro Areas: September 2011 - September 2012

The table below compares the over-the-year change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs in the United States, New York State, the Upstate and Downstate regions, and metro areas in the state between September 2011 and September 2012.

 

Job highlights since September 2011:

• Since September 2011, the number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 134,300, or 1.9%. Over the same time frame, the nation's private sector job count increased by 1.7%.
• In the 10-county Downstate region, private sector jobs grew by 2.3% over the past year. Within the Downstate region, jobs grew by 2.9% in New York City and by 1.1% in the suburban counties.
• In the 52-county Upstate region, the private sector job count grew by 0.8% over the past year, with job growth occurring in both the region's metro areas (+0.8%) and in counties outside of metro areas (+0.8%).
• Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in the state:
  • Ithaca (+3.9%)
  • New York City (+2.9%)
  • Rochester (+2.1%)
  • Utica-Rome (+1.7%)
• The metro areas in the state that lost private sector jobs between September 2011 and September 2012 were:
  • Elmira (-3.0%)
  • Binghamton (-0.4%)
  • Kingston (-0.4%)
  • Buffalo-Niagara Falls (-0.1%)

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

Change in jobs by major industry sector, September 2011 - September 2012

The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs by major industry sector in New York State between September 2011 and September 2012.

 

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since September 2011:

• Professional and business services added the most jobs (+63,200) of any sector between September 2011 and September 2012. Sector job gains over this period were focused in professional, scientific and technical services (+31,500) and administrative and support services (+28,500).
• Private educational and health services (+41,700) had the second largest increase in jobs over the past year. Sector employment gains occurred in both educational services (+21,100) and health care and social assistance (+20,600).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since September 2011:

• Over the past year, construction lost more jobs (-12,500) than any other sector in the state. Sector job losses were concentrated in specialty trade contractors (-10,100).
• Employment losses in the information sector (-6,600) were greatest in motion picture and sound recording (-5,300) and publishing (-2,000).

 

5) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) programs:

For New York, during the week that included September 12, 2012, there were 381,460 people (including 348,335 who live in the state) who received benefits under:

• Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI),
• Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), or
• Federal Extended Benefits (EB) programs.

New Yorker State residents who received Unemployment Insurance made up 41% of the total unemployed in the state in September 2012.

In February 2012, Congress passed an extension of EUC and EB through December 2012. However, since then there have been significant changes to the maximum number of weeks of benefits available to the unemployed in New York State. People who filed a new claim during the week that began June 25, 2012 or later are likely to only receive up to 26 weeks of regular UI.

• On September 2, 2012, the weeks of available benefits in EUC Tier 1 were reduced from 20 to 14. In addition, the weeks of available benefits in EUC Tier 3 were reduced from 13 to 9.
• On September 9, 2012, EUC Tier 4 ended in New York State. Claimants who exhausted Tier 3 benefits by September 9, 2012 may continue to collect up to 6 weeks of Tier 4 benefits through December 2012. Claimants who exhausted Tier 3 after September 9, 2012 may be eligible to receive EB.
• On September 16, 2012, claimants in New York State again became eligible for up to 20 weeks of EB. This is because the 3-month average seasonally adjusted unemployment rate again meets the federal criteria. Unemployed claimants who had received fewer than 20 weeks of EB, when it ended in June 2012, may pick up where they left off and continue to receive EB. Claimants who exhaust Tier 4 prior to December 30, 2012 may be eligible for EB. Claimants who exhaust Tier 3 on or after September 16, 2012, but prior to December 30, 2012, may also be eligible for EB.

See the table below for the maximum number of weeks available under the new federal regulations.

 

We encourage people to use the Department's online Unemployment Insurance calculator to estimate how many weeks 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

 

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. Department of Labor. They survey 18,000 business establishments to get jobs data for New York State by industry. The jobs data do not include agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers and domestic workers in private households.

 

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