News from New York State Department of Labor

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New York State's Job Count Shows Small Decline in March

ALBANY, NY (04/17/2008; 1307)(readMedia)-- New York State’s private sector job count decreased over the month by 1,100, or less than 0.1 percent, to 7,266,300 (seasonally adjusted) in March 2008, the State Labor Department reported today. Since the beginning of New York’s current economic expansion in July 2003, the state has added 359,000 private sector jobs.

New York State’s unemployment rate, after seasonal adjustment, was 4.8 percent in March 2008, up from 4.4 percent in February. New York City’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in March 2008, up from 4.1 percent in February 2008. The rate in the balance of the state outside New York City was 4.9 percent in March 2008, up from 4.7 percent in February 2008.

“In March 2008, New York State’s private sector job count experienced a small decline, like the nation as a whole. In addition, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased in March, but remained below the comparable national rate,” said Peter Neenan, director of the Division of Research and Statistics.

Note: When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison, for example, February 2008 versus March 2008. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, March 2007 versus March 2008.

1. Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

New York State’s unemployment rate, after seasonal adjustment, was 4.8 percent in March 2008, up from 4.4 percent in February. In March 2007, the state’s rate was 4.4 percent. The nation’s rate was 5.1 percent in March 2008, up from 4.8 percent in February. In March 2007, the nation’s rate was 4.4 percent. In New York City, the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in March 2008, up from 4.1 percent in February. In March 2007, the city’s rate was 4.7 percent. The rate for the balance of the state outside New York City was 4.9 percent in March 2008, up from 4.7 percent in February. In March 2007, the balance of state’s rate was 4.2 percent.

Unemployment Rates (seasonally adjusted)

				March 2008				February 2008				March 2007
New York State				4.8				4.4				4.4
United States				5.1				4.8				4.4
New York City				4.5				4.1				4.7
NYS, excluding NYC				4.9				4.7				4.2

2) Job data (seasonally adjusted):

New York State and the nation, February 2008 - March 2008:

The number of private sector jobs in New York State decreased by 1,100, or less than 0.1 percent, to 7,266,300 in March 2008, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Nationally, the number of private sector jobs decreased by 0.1 percent over the same period. After seasonal adjustment, the number of nonfarm jobs in the state decreased over the month by 200, or less than 0.1 percent, to 8,778,200 in March 2008. Nationally, the number of seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs decreased over the month by 0.1 percent.

3) Nonfarm jobs since March 2007 (not seasonally adjusted):

Total nonfarm jobs			+70,300
Private sector jobs			+54,900

Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs in New York State increased by 70,300, or 0.8 percent, and the number of private sector jobs increased by 54,900, or 0.8 percent. Nationally, the number of nonfarm jobs increased by 0.4 percent and the number of private sector jobs increased by 0.2 percent between March 2007 and March 2008.

Educational and health services added the largest number of jobs (+37,300) over the March 2007-March 2008 period, with most of the increase in health care and social assistance (+28,600). Employment also increased in government; leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; construction; other services; and information. Employment in natural resources and mining was unchanged.

Manufacturing (-16,100) registered the largest over-the-year drop among declining industries. Manufacturing job losses were mostly in non-durable goods. The over-the-year decline in non-durable goods employment (-9,300) was centered in chemical manufacturing (-3,900) and apparel manufacturing (-3,300). Employment losses in durable goods (-6,800) were centered in computer and electronic product manufacturing (-1,700) and transportation equipment manufacturing (-1,700). Employment also decreased over the year in professional and business services and financial activities.

Industries With Job Gains:
Educational & Health Services	+37,300
Government	+15,400
Leisure & Hospitality	+13,900
Trade, Transportation & Utilities	+6,400
Construction	+6,300
Other Services	+5,400
Information	+3,900
Industries With Job Losses:
Manufacturing	-16,100
Professional & Business Services	-2,100
Financial Activities	-100

4) Nonfarm jobs since February 2008 (not seasonally adjusted):

Total nonfarm jobs		+47,600
Private sector jobs		+42,700

In March 2008, New York State had 8,698,200 total nonfarm jobs, including 7,171,700 private sector jobs. From February 2008 to March 2008, the number of nonfarm jobs increased by 47,600 and the number of private sector jobs increased by 42,700. On average, in the previous ten years, the number of nonfarm jobs in New York increased by 57,400 from February to March, and the number of private sector jobs increased by 50,700.

The not seasonally adjusted job count increased over the month in educational and health services (+9,400), leisure and hospitality (+9,200), construction (+8,300), professional and business services (+5,800), trade, transportation and utilities (+5,000), government (+4,900), other services (+3,100), manufacturing (+600), information (+500), financial activities (+500), and natural resources and mining (+300).

5) New York State nonfarm job highlights since February 2008 (not seasonally adjusted):

Educational and health services

Sector employment increased, with gains in both educational services and health care and social assistance.

Leisure and hospitality

Leisure and hospitality employment increased, with hiring focused in accommodation and food services, particularly food services and drinking places.

Construction

Construction employment experienced its typical seasonal increase, with most increases in specialty trade contractors.

Professional and business services

Over-the-month hiring was concentrated in administrative and support services.

Trade, transportation and utilities

Employment gains were centered in retail trade, especially general merchandise stores.

Government

Almost all of the over-the-month increase in government employment was due to expansion at the local government level.

Other services

This sector’s over-the-month employment gain was centered in religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and similar organizations.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing’s job count rose over the month, as gains in non-durable goods outpaced losses in durable goods.

Information

Job gains in motion picture and sound recording and in telecommunications more than offset employment losses in publishing industries.

Financial activities

Sector employment gains were centered in real estate and rental leasing.

Natural resources and mining

Natural resources and mining employment experienced its typical February-March seasonal increase.

6) Metropolitan Areas:

Job Growth and Unemployment Rates (not seasonally adjusted):

Albany-Schenectady-Troy: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 600, or 0.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 100, or less than 0.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.1 in February and 4.0 in March 2007.

Binghamton: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 600, or 0.5 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 700, or 0.8 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.7 in February and 4.9 in March 2007.

Buffalo-Niagara Falls: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 1,100, or 0.2 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 1,200, or 0.3 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in March 2008, compared with 6.3 in February and 4.9 in March 2007.

Glens Falls: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 900, or 1.7 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 700, or 1.7 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in March 2008, compared with 6.5 in February and 5.0 in March 2007.

Ithaca: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 700, or 1.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 600, or 1.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in March 2008, compared with 3.5 in February and 3.3 in March 2007.

Kingston: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has decreased by 400, or 0.6 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 200, or 0.4 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.4 in February and 4.1 in March 2007.

Nassau-Suffolk: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 11,400, or 0.9 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 8,600, or 0.8 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in March 2008, compared with 4.6 in February and 3.7 in March 2007.

New York City (five boroughs): Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 43,600, or 1.2 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 39,600, or 1.3 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in March 2008, compared with 4.4 in February and 4.6 in March 2007.

Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 300, or 0.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 300, or 0.2 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.1 in February and 4.1 in March 2007.

Putnam-Rockland-Westchester: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 5,500, or 1.0 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 4,100, or 0.9 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in March 2008, compared with 4.5 in February and 3.6 in March 2007.

Rochester: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 700, or 0.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 600, or 0.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.7 in February and 4.5 in March 2007.

Syracuse: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 3,200, or 1.0 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 2,500, or 1.0 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in March 2008, compared with 5.7 in February and 4.6 in March 2007.

Utica-Rome: Since March 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 600, or 0.5 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 100, or 0.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in March 2008, compared with 6.1 in February and 4.8 in March 2007.

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. Jobs data for New York are obtained from a survey of 18,000 business establishments. Jobs data exclude agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers and domestic workers in private households.

See State and Area Jobs Data

See State and Area Unemployment Rates

Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet

Labor Market Overview