Over 14,000 Positions Added Last Month
The New York State economy added 14,100 private sector jobs in March 2013, according to preliminary figures released last Thursday, Apr. 18, by the state Department of Labor.
This job growth, according to the agency, resulted in New York reaching an all-time high private sector job count of 7,426,100. The state’s private sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York employers conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Furthermore, the state’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.4 percent to 8.2 percent between February and March 2013. The rate in New York City also decreased over the month from 9.1 percent to 8.9 percent, while the rest of the state experienced an unemployment rate drop from 7.9 to 7.7 percent.
The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 households in the state conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Monthly employment estimates are provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, and are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. After revision, the state’s estimated total nonfarm job count for February 2013 was revised upwards by 1,000.
As a result, the January-February change in nonfarm jobs showed a gain of 100 rather than a loss of 900. In addition, the state’s private sector job count for February was revised upwards by 1,200.
Since March 2012, the number of private sector jobs in the state increased by 97,100, or 1.3 percent. Over the same time frame, the nation’s private sector job count increased by 1.9 percent.
In the 10-county Downstate region, private sector jobs grew by 1.7 percent over the past year. In the 52- county Upstate region, the private sector job count grew by 0.5 percent over the past year.
Particularly, New York City’s private sector jobs grew by 1.8 percent in March. The only metro areas in the state to lose private sector jobs between March 2012 and March 2013 were Elmira, Binghamton and Utica- Rome.
Private educational and health services added the most jobs (up 35,800) of any industry sector over the past year. Sector employment gains were centered in health care and social assistance (up 28,500), especially ambulatory health care services (up 15,200).
Professional and business services had the second largest increase in jobs (up 32,600) between March 2012 and March 2013. Sector job gains over this period were concentrated in administrative and support services (up 20,400), and professional, scientific and technical services (up 12,600).
Over the past year, government lost more jobs (down 17,200) than any other sector in the state. Government sector job losses were concentrated at the local level (down 12,900).
Employment losses in the manufacturing sector (down 13,500) were greatest in durable goods (down 8,200), especially computer and electronic products (down 2,800).
For New York State, during the week that included Mar. 12, 2013, there were 367,668 people (including 338,125 who live in the state) who received benefits under regular, emergency or extended unemployment benefit programs. State residents who received unemployment insurance benefits made up 43 percent of the total unemployed in the state in March 2013.
Unemployed individuals are encouraged to use the state Labor Department’s online Unemployment Insurance calculator to estimate how many weeks of benefits they may receive.
See the calculator on the State Department of Labor’s website or visit www.labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/ UIBenefitsCalculator.shtm.
