Albany, NY (November 18, 2010) -

New York State's economy gained 40,500 private sector jobs, or 0.6%, on a seasonally adjusted basis in October 2010, the State Labor Department reported today.  This was the state's largest monthly increase since April 2005.  The total nonfarm job count in New York also increased in October 2010, rising by 40,600, or 0.5%.  The nonfarm job count tracks all jobs in the private and public sectors.  It does not count the self-employed or workers on farms.

New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.3% between September and October 2010.  The number of unemployed New York State residents dropped very slightly, slipping from 798,600 in September to 797,800 in October 2010.  The statewide labor force rose by 1,200 over this period.

"New York State's labor market has regained some of the momentum it lost earlier this year.  In October, we added 40,500 private sector jobs -- the most since April 2005.  In addition, our unemployment rate held steady at 8.3%, remaining well below the nation's rate of 9.6%," said Norman A. Steele, Deputy Director of the Division of Research and Statistics.

Note:  When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison; for example, September 2010 versus October 2010.  Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month; for example, October 2009 versus October 2010.

1) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted)

New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.3% in October 2010.  The U.S. unemployment rate also was unchanged at 9.6% over the past month.  New York City's rate dropped slightly, from 9.3% to 9.2% between September and October 2010.  The rate in the rest of the state (outside of New York City) rose slightly from 7.5% in September to 7.6% in October 2010.

 

2) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), the four tiers of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and Extended Benefits (EB) data (not seasonally adjusted):

Some important changes recently occurred in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and the Extended Benefits (EB) programs.  EUC08 Tier 4 benefits ended in New York State as of August 15, 2010.  Federal authorization of the EUC08 program and 100 percent federal funding of the EB program were extended through November 2010.

For the EUC08 program:

• For the three months ending October 2010, New York State's unemployment rate was 8.3%.
• Because New York State's average unemployment rate for the three months ending in June 2010 fell below 8.5%, EUC08 Tier 4 benefits are available only to people who exhausted Tier 3 by August 15, 2010. People who exhausted Tier 3 after that date moved directly into the EB program.
• Based on the latest amendments to federal law, to qualify for EUC08 Tier 1 people must exhaust regular UI benefits by November 21, 2010.  They must claim EUC Tier 1 by November 28, 2010.  
• To qualify for EUC08 Tiers 2 and 3, people must exhaust Tier 1 or Tier 2 by November 28, 2010. Beneficiaries in the EUC08 program may continue to collect UI from the tier of EUC that they are in on December 5, 2010.  They can collect until those benefits run out, but they may not move to the next tier of EUC08.  

For the federally funded EB program:

• People may not claim benefits under the EB program after December 5, 2010. We cannot pay any benefits under the EB program for spells of unemployment after that date.
• If the state's three-month average unemployment rate falls below 8.0%, then the number of weeks of EB available drops from 20 to 13.

Use the department's online Unemployment Insurance calculator to estimate the amount of unemployment benefits due.  See the calculator on the Department of Labor's web site or click here:  http://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/UIBenefitsCalculator.shtm.

See the table below for beneficiary data for these programs.  During the week that included October 12, 2010, 526,949 people (including out-of-state claimants) received regular UI, EUC08, or EB.  This includes 480,861 who live in New York State.  Residents who received benefits under these programs made up 60 percent of the total unemployed in the state in October 2010.   

 

3) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

New York State and the nation, September 2010 - October 2010

Note: All data reported in this section are seasonally adjusted. These data are most useful when comparing different months; for example, September 2010 versus October 2010. 

The number of private sector jobs in New York State increased by 40,500, or 0.6%, to 7,047,500 in October 2010, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Nationally, the number of private sector jobs grew by 0.1% over the same period.

Between September and October 2010, the nonfarm job count (private and public sectors) in the state increased by 40,600 or 0.5%, to 8,519,600, after seasonal adjustment.  Nationally, the number of seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs increased by 0.1% in October.

 

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

New York State and the nation, October 2009 - October 2010

Note: All data reported in this section are not seasonally adjusted.  The most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month; for example, October 2009 versus October 2010.

                        New York State: Total nonfarm jobs                      +35,200

                        New York State: Private sector jobs                       +72,900

Since October 2009, the number of nonfarm jobs (private and public sectors) in New York State increased by 35,200, or 0.4%.  The number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 72,900, or 1.0%, over the last year.  Additional industry detail for New York State is shown in the table on the next page.

Nationally, the number of nonfarm jobs increased by 0.5% since October 2009.  The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.9% over the same period.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since October 2009

• Professional and business services added the most private sector jobs (+31,700) of any sector over the past year.  Sector job gains were greatest in administrative and support services (+17,900).
• The educational and health services sector (+25,300) had the second largest increase in jobs since October 2009.  Within that sector, job gains were greatest in health care and social assistance (+24,300), particularly ambulatory health care services (+9,600).
• The third largest increase in jobs occurred in other services (+15,500), where gains were concentrated in religious, grantmaking, civic, and professional organizations (+13,900).
• The job count also increased over the year in leisure and hospitality (+7,500).  Gains in accommodation and food services (+15,600) outweighed losses in arts, entertainment, and recreation (-8,100).
• Employment levels in trade, transportation and utilities (+1,100) were above year-ago levels for the first time in more than two years.  Sector job gains were driven by advances in transportation and warehousing (+3,100) and retail trade (+2,600).
• Financial activities (+600) and natural resources and mining (+200) also increased over the year.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since October 2009

• Over the past year, government lost the most jobs (-37,000) of any sector.  Losses were greatest at the local level (-24,100).  Losses also occurred at the state (-9,600) and federal (-4,000) levels.
• Information had the second largest jobs decline (-4,100). Sector job losses were largest in publishing (-3,400) and telecommunications (-2,000).
• Over-the-year losses in construction (-2,800) were greatest among specialty trade contractors (-8,100).
• The job count also fell over the year in manufacturing (-2,100), with factory losses largest in machinery   (-5,400) and computers and electronic products (-3,400).

 

5) Major Regions and Metropolitan Areas:

Job Growth and Unemployment Rates (not seasonally adjusted)

Note: All data reported in this section are not seasonally adjusted.  The most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month; for example, October 2009 versus October 2010.

Note: 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.  We 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.

See State and Area Job Data

See State and Area Unemployment Rates

See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet

See Labor Market Overview