New York State
Department of Labor

Albany, NY (August 18, 2011) -

New York State's economy gained 14,100 private sector jobs, or 0.2%, in July 2011, the State Labor Department reported today. Since the state's economic recovery began in November 2009, New York has recouped just over 57%, or 188,100, of the private sector jobs lost during the 2008-2009 recession.

The state's unemployment rate for July 2011 was 8.0%, unchanged from June 2011. The number of unemployed New Yorkers decreased over the month -- from 759,900 in June to 756,600 in July 2011.

"The New York State economy added 14,100 private sector jobs in July 2011, continuing its recovery from the effects of the last recession. The state's unemployment rate held steady at 8.0% over the month, remaining well below the nation's rate of 9.1%," said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Chief of Labor Statistics, 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, July 2010 versus July 2011.

1) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

In July 2011, New York State's unemployment rate was 8.0%, unchanged from June 2011. The U.S. rate decreased over the same time period-- from 9.2% in June to 9.1% in July 2011.

 

2) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and Extended Benefits (EB) programs:

During the week that included July 12, 2011, 448,303 people (including out-of-state claimants) received benefits under the regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), or Extended Benefits (EB) programs. This figure includes 411,638 who live in New York State. Residents who received benefits under these programs made up 54% of the total unemployed in the state in July 2011.

For the federally funded EB program:

• Since New York State's average unemployment rate fell below 8.0% for the three months ending May 2011, the number of available weeks of Extended Benefits decreased from 20 to 13, effective the week ending July 10, 2011 (i.e., the maximum number of weeks of all unemployment benefits available to claimants in New York decreased from 93 to 86 weeks).
• New Yorkers continue to be eligible for 13 weeks of EB until the end of the year. For the three months ending July 2011, New York State's average unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 7.9%. If the state's three-month average seasonally adjusted unemployment rate were to increase to 8.0% or above before the end of this year, New York State must wait at least 13 weeks after the week ending July 10, 2011 (i.e., mid-October) before becoming eligible once again for seven weeks of additional EB.


• The last week payable for EB in New York State is the week ending January 8, 2012.

For the EUC08 program:

• In order to be eligible for the 1st Tier of EUC08, claimants must exhaust 26 weeks of regular UI by December 25, 2011 and begin claiming EUC08 by January 1, 2012.
• Claimants who exhaust the 1st or 2nd Tier of EUC08 by January 1, 2012 are eligible to move to the next Tier of EUC08.
• The last week payable for EUC08 is the week ending June 10, 2012.

People establishing a new claim during the week beginning July 4, 2011 or later may only receive up to 26 weeks of regular Unemployment Insurance, and do not qualify for any extended or emergency compensation unemployment benefits. Claimants are encouraged to 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 go here: http://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/UIBenefitsCalculator.shtm

 

3) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

U.S. and New York State, June 2011 - July 2011

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 June 2011 and July 2011.

 

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

U.S., New York State, Major Regions, and Metro Areas: July 2010 - July 2011

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 July 2010 and July 2011.

 

Job highlights since July 2010:

• Since July 2010, the number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 127,000, or 1.8%. Over the same time frame, the nation's private sector job count increased by 1.7%.
• Private sector jobs grew by 1.4% over the past year in the 10-county Downstate region. Job gains in the Downstate region were centered in New York City, which grew by 2.0%.
• In the 52-county Upstate region, private sector jobs grew by 1.3% over the past year. Upstate's employment gains were most rapid in the region's metro areas, which grew by 1.4%.
• Over the past year, the private sector job count grew most rapidly in these metro areas:
  • Rochester (+2.6%)
  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy (+2.1%)
  • New York City (+2.0%)
  • Putnam-Rockland-Westchester (+1.9%)
• Glens Falls (-1.3%), Nassau-Suffolk (-0.5%), Binghamton (-0.2%), and Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown (-0.1%) were the metro areas in the state that lost private sector jobs between July 2010 and July 2011.

5) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

Change in jobs by major industry sector, July 2010 - July 2011

The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs by major industry sector in New York State between July 2010 and July 2011.

 

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since July 2010:

• Educational and health services added the most private sector jobs (+42,500) in the state between July 2010 and July 2011. Within that sector, both educational services (+35,800) and health care and social assistance (+6,700) added jobs.


• Professional and business (+42,300) had the second largest increase in jobs over the past year. Within that sector, job gains were greatest in administrative and support services (+21,900) and professional, scientific and technical services (+17,100).
• The third largest over-the-year jobs increase occurred in leisure and hospitality (+21,400). Sector gains were greatest in accommodation and food services (+18,800), especially food services and drinking places (+13,900).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since July 2010:

• Over the past year, government lost the most jobs (-12,800) of any sector. Employment declines were greatest at the federal level (-20,400), due to the loss of temporary Census positions.
• The manufacturing job count also declined (-1,800) over the past year, with factory losses centered in non-durable goods (-3,600), especially printing and related activities (-2,800).

 

6) Characteristics of the unemployed, New York State (not seasonally adjusted):

The tables below compare the 12-month moving average unemployment rate in New York State by racial/ethnic group and by level of educational attainment. All data come from the Current Population Survey, which is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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 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. 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 (opens in new window)
See Labor Market Overview (opens in new window)
See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)