New York Unemployment

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New York Unemployment Stats and News

The following contains general information on Employment and Labor stats for the state of New York as well as the nation.

New York Unemployment Stats

According to The New York Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for the state of New York increased slightly in August from 4.7 to 4.8 percent. This rate remains lower than the national unemployment rate in the U.S., which is currently at 4.9 percent.  

According to a report from the New York State Department of Labor, between August 2015 to August 2016, New York’s private sector added 120,400 jobs, increasing by 1.5 percent for the year. Unfortunately, after that survey was completed, New York for the month of August 2016 has lost about 12,000 jobs in the private sector. Overall, the state of New York in 2016 has continued to add jobs in the private sector and has had a much needed growth in employment in the past 58 of the last 68 months.   

As of July 2016, the​ ​U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics​ listed the unemployment rate in the state of New York at 4.8 percent. To put all of this into perspective, let’s take a look at the history of New York’s unemployment rate. In January of 2007, New York’s unemployment rate was at a low of 4.3 percent. However, by November and December 2009 and January 2010, that rate had increased to 8.9 percent, which for the time, was relatively low compared to Florida who had an unemployment rate at that time of 11.2 percent. Since that time, New York’s  unemployment rate has been on a decline, residing at its current 4.8 percent.  

Monthly Unemployment Rates in New York

July 2015 through July 2016

 

*Data are preliminary and subject to change

 

July

2016*

July

2015

 

Metro Areas

5.0

5.3

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

4.1

4.7

Binghamton

5.2

5.9

Buffalo-Niagara Falls

4.9

5.7

Dutchess-Putnam

4.1

4.7

Elmira

5.3

6.0

Glens Falls

4.1

4.6

Ithaca

4.0

4.6

Kingston

4.4

5.1

Nassau-Suffolk

4.2

4.8

New York City

5.6

5.7

Orange-Rockland-Westchester

4.3

4.9

Rochester

4.7

5.3

Syracuse

4.7

5.5

Utica-Rome

4.5

5.4

Watertown-Fort Drum

5.2

6.0

Non-metro Counties

4.9

5.6


The data included in the table above does not account for seasonal difference. ( e.g. summer hires or holiday hires)


Why Unemployment Stats Are Valuable

By looking at federal and state unemployment stats and data, you can greatly enhance your ability to knowledgeably search for an adequate full-time working position. Knowing which industries, occupations, and even companies are most active in your area can make your job search more productive. and save you time from applying in places or industries that are currently in decline.  

The unemployment rate in any state can also pinpoint fluctuations in certain work related industries. For example, if there is an increase in construction jobs, this may signal that the housing market is improving. These are just some reasons why the unemployment rate is closely tied into and a valuable indicator of the U.S. economy.  

New York Unemployment Resources

The New York State Department of Labor program establishes monthly and yearly estimates of New York’s labor force, who are either currently employed or unemployed. In addition, NYSDL estimates the unemployment rate for the State of New York and its surrounding metropolitan areas, municipalities, and counties in which the population is over 25,000.

You can access localized information on the DOL Local Area Unemployment Statistics for more isolated New York unemployment stats, wages, and industries throughout the state. This site allows you to have a more in-depth look into the latest New York unemployment stats when narrowing down your search criteria.

  • Get Current Employment Statistics estimates on all nonagricultural occupations by industry and place of work and learn about salaries, hiring trends, and more. This page also shows all registered businesses – private, public, and governmental statistical information on wages and average hours per employee.
  • Explore the Occupational Employment Statistics and Wages page to view a statistical spreadsheet showing statewide wage estimates. You can also select various areas of the state to get more detailed salary data at the bottom of the page. There are more than 500 occupation wage estimates integrated into this tool. Using this data will help you to know what salary amount is fair to expect and request when you are interviewing for jobs.

New York Unemployment News

As of August 2016, the national unemployment rate sits at 4.8 percent, making the state of New York, whose unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, fall just below the national average of 4.9 percent. New York has added an additional 120,400 jobs this year in the private sector and since the start of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration, the state’s economy has added a little more than 843,000 private sector jobs, despite that number decreasing for the month of August.

New York State’s private job sector employment count is from a poll of 18,000 employers in New York and organized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here, New York’s unemployment rate is calculated by the federal government and is based on results from the Current Population Survey, which polls about 3,100 homes monthly.

Although the unemployment rate rose 1 percent this month, this survey indicates that New York’s economy is rebounding slightly with the addition of 120,000 private sector jobs and that the state’s unemployment rate remains below the national average.

Sources