New York State
Department of Labor

Albany, NY (April 14, 2011) -

New York State's economy gained 5,000 private sector jobs, or 0.1%, in March 2011 on a seasonally adjusted basis, the State Labor Department reported today. Since New York's economic recovery began in November 2009, the state has added 119,500 private sector jobs. (Note: The Department's monthly economic index now indicates the state's economic recovery started in November 2009.)

In March 2011, New York's total nonfarm job count increased by 1,700, or less than 0.1%, to 8,584,600. 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 was 8.0% in March 2011, down from 8.2% in February. The number of unemployed New York State residents dropped from 786,600 in February to 767,000 in March 2011. Both the state's unemployment rate and number of unemployed were at their lowest levels since March 2009.

"During the current economic recovery, the state has added 119,500 private sector jobs. In March 2011, both the state's unemployment rate and number of unemployed were at their lowest levels since March 2009," said Bohdan Wynnyk, Chief of Labor Statistics, Division of Research and Statistics.

Note: When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison; for example, February 2011 versus March 2011. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month; for example, March 2010 versus March 2011.

1) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted)

New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to a two-year low of 8.0% in March 2011. The U.S. unemployment rate also dropped, from 8.9% in February to 8.8% in March 2011. New York City's rate dropped from 8.9% to 8.7% over the month, while the rate outside of New York City slipped from 7.7% in February to 7.5% in March 2011.

 

2) Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), the four tiers of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and Extended Benefits (EB) data:

 

Some important changes recently occurred in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and the Extended Benefits (EB) programs. Federal legislation was signed into law, which extended the EUC08 program and 100% federal funding of the EB program through the end of 2011. On March 28, 2011, Governor Cuomo signed legislation that allows unemployed New Yorkers to receive federally funded EB through 2011.

For the EUC08 program:

• For the three months ending March 2011, New York State's average unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 8.2%.
• 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 December 25, 2011. They must claim EUC Tier 1 by January 1, 2012.
• To qualify for EUC08 Tiers 2 and 3, people must exhaust Tier 1 or 13 weeks of Tier 2 by January 1, 2012. Beneficiaries in the EUC08 program may continue to collect UI from the tier of EUC that they are in on January 8, 2012. They can collect until those benefits run out, or until June 10, 2012, whichever comes first, 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 January 8, 2012. We cannot pay any benefits under the EB program for periods of unemployment after that date.
• If the state's three-month average unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) 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 go 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 March 12, 2011, 533,473 people (including out-of-state claimants) received regular UI, EUC08, or EB. This includes 489,257 who live in New York State. Residents who received benefits under these programs made up 64% of the total unemployed in the state in March 2011.

*Data are preliminary and subject to revision. Note: EUC08 Tier 1 began 7/13/2008; Tier 2 began 2/22/2009; Tier 3 began 11/15/2009; Tier 4 began 2/21/2010. EB began 5/24/2009.
Program and Data Item*	March 2011	February 2011	March 2010
Regular UI, reference week beneficiaries	261,962	268,833	291,926
Regular UI, year-to-date beneficiaries	482,190	431,789	537,449
EUC08, reference week beneficiaries	206,996	210,403	366,374
EUC08, year-to-date beneficiaries	315,058	285,564	472,216
EB, reference week beneficiaries	64,524	70,889	7,181
EB, year-to-date beneficiaries	140,295	125,111	33,887

 

3) Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

New York State and the U.S., February 2011 - March 2011

Note: All data reported in this section are seasonally adjusted. These data are most useful when comparing different months; for example, February 2011 versus March 2011.

The table below compares the over-the-month change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs in New York State and the United States between February and March 2011 (seasonally adjusted). 

 

4) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

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

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,  March 2010 versus March 2011.

The table below compares the over-the-year change in total nonfarm and private sector jobs in New York State, the U.S., the Upstate and Downstate regions, and metro areas between March 2010 and March 2011 (not seasonally adjusted).

 

Job highlights since March 2010:

• Since March 2010, the number of nonfarm jobs (private and public sectors) in New York State increased by 58,800, or 0.7%. The number of nonfarm jobs in the U.S. increased by 1.0% over the same period.



• The number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 93,400, or 1.4%, over the last year. The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 1.6% over the same time frame.



• Within New York State, private sector job growth was strongest in the 10-county Downstate region, which increased by 1.4%. Regional gains were driven by New York City (+1.6%).



• The 52-county Upstate region also added private sector jobs over the year (+0.8%), with regional gains centered in metro areas (+0.9%).



• Over the past year, private sector employment grew most rapidly in these metro areas:
  • Glens Falls (+4.6%)
  • New York City (+1.6%)
  • Rochester (+1.2%)
  • Syracuse (+1.1%)


• Utica-Rome (-1.0%) and Binghamton (-0.1%) were the only metro areas in the state to lose private sector jobs between March 2010 and March 2011.

5) Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

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

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, March 2010 versus March 2011.

The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs in New York State by major industry sector between March 2010 and March 2011 (not seasonally adjusted).

 

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since March 2010:

• Educational and health services added the most private sector jobs (+36,800) over the past year. Within that sector, job gains were greatest in health care and social assistance (+19,600), particularly ambulatory health care services (+11,300). Educational services added 17,200 jobs over the year, with gains centered in colleges, universities and professional schools (+25,500).



• Professional and business services (+29,400) had the second greatest increase in jobs since March 2010. Sector job gains were greatest in administrative and support services (+16,300).



• The third largest increase in jobs occurred in leisure and hospitality (+21,300), where gains were centered in accommodation and food services (+18,100).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since March 2010:

• Over the past year, government lost the most jobs (-34,600) of any sector. Losses were greatest at the local level (-19,500), especially at local school districts (-13,900). Employment losses also occurred at the state (-7,300) and federal (-7,800) levels.



• Construction had the second largest jobs decline (-13,500) over the past year, with job losses centered in specialty trade contractors (-13,100).



• Since March 2010, manufacturing had the third largest jobs decline (-5,900). Sector job losses were concentrated in durable goods (-4,700), especially fabricated metal products (-1,100).

 

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