Contact: Press Office

Phone: 518-457-5519
www.labor.ny.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 2016

Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.7% in May,

Lowest Level Since August 2007
The statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.9% to 4.7% in May 2016. This
represented the states lowest unemployment rate since August 2007. New Yorks
unemployment rate was equal to the U.S. rate in May 2016. In addition, the number of
unemployed New Yorkers also decreased over the month falling from 476,600 in April to
461,800 in May 2016, reaching its lowest level since October 2007.
New York State's private sector job count declined by 19,600, or 0.2%, in May 2016. About
half of the state's private sector job losses in May were temporary, due to a strike in the
telecommunications industry. Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomos
administration, New York States economy has added 794,700 private sector jobs and
experienced employment growth in 56 of the past 65 months.
The States private sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York
employers conducted by the U.S. Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics. Monthly
payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more data becomes
available the following month. The federal government calculates New York States
unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the Current Population Survey, which
contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month.
Both the statewide unemployment rate and the number of unemployed New Yorkers
decreased in May. The states unemployment rate fell from 4.9% to 4.7% over the month, its
lowest level since August 2007. In addition, the number of unemployed state residents fell by
14,800 to reach its lowest level since October 2007, said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Deputy Director
of the New York State Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics.
Note: Seasonally adjusted data are used to 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, May 2015 versus May
2016.

The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

U.S. and New York State: April May 2016

1)

Jobs data (seasonally adjusted):

The table below compares the over-the-month change in total nonfarm and private sector
jobs in the United States and New York State in April-May 2016.

Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs

April May 2016

United States
New York State

2)

Change in
Total Nonfarm Jobs:
(private sector + government)
Net
%
+38,000
0.0%
-15,000
-0.2%

Change in
Private Sector Jobs:
Net
+25,000
-19,600

%
0.0%
-0.2%

Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

The States unemployment rate is calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, using a
statistical regression model that primarily uses the results of the Current Population Survey,
which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. In April-May
2016, the statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.9% to 4.7%. The number of
unemployed New Yorkers decreased from 476,600 in April to 461,800 in May 2016.
Unemployment Rates (%)*
May 2016*

April 2016
4.7
4.7
5.1
4.4

United States
New York State
New York City
NYS, outside NYC

May 2015
5.0
4.9
5.4
4.4

5.5
5.4
5.7
5.1

*Data are preliminary and subject to change, based on standard procedures outlined by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

U.S., New York State and Metro Areas: May 2015 May 2016
1)

Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The table that follows compares the over-the-year change in total nonfarm and private sector
jobs that occurred in the United States, New York State and metro areas within the State
between May 2015 and May 2016.

Change in Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs

May 2015 May 2016

United States
New York State
Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Binghamton
Buffalo-Niagara Falls
Dutchess-Putnam
Elmira
Glens Falls
Ithaca
Kingston
Nassau-Suffolk
New York City
Orange-Rockland-Westchester
Rochester
Syracuse
Utica-Rome
Watertown-Fort Drum
Non-metro Counties

Change in
Total Nonfarm Jobs:
(private sector +
government)
Net
%
+2,359,000
+1.7%
+81,800
+0.9%
-3,300
-1,000
+3,400
+2,200
-800
0
-300
+400
+4,400
+85,400
+10,200
-1,200
-400
+700
+600
+500

-0.7%
-1.0%
+0.6%
+1.5%
-2.1%
0.0%
-0.4%
+0.6%
+0.3%
+2.0%
+1.4%
-0.2%
-0.1%
+0.5%
+1.4%
+0.1%

Change in
Private Sector Jobs:

Net
+2,258,000
+74,900

%
+1.9%
+1.0%

-2,900
-700
+2,700
+1,800
-600
-200
0
+800
+2,200
+80,900
+8,700
-800
-800
+500
+700
+300

-0.8%
-0.9%
+0.6%
+1.5%
-1.8%
-0.4%
0.0%
+1.7%
+0.2%
+2.2%
+1.5%
-0.2%
-0.3%
+0.5%
+2.2%
+0.1%

Job highlights since May 2015:

Over the past year, private sector jobs grew most rapidly in these metro areas in New
York State:
o New York City (+2.2%)
o Watertown-Fort Drum (+2.2%)
o Kingston (+1.7%)
o Dutchess-Putnam (+1.5%)
o Orange-Rockland-Westchester (+1.5%)

Over the past year, six metro areas in the state Elmira (-1.8%), Binghamton (-0.9%),
Albany-Schenectady-Troy (-0.8%), Glens Falls (-0.4%), Syracuse (-0.3%) and Rochester
(-0.2%) lost private sector jobs.

Change in jobs by major industry sector: May 2015 May 2016

1)

Jobs data (not seasonally adjusted):

The table below compares the over-the-year change in jobs by major industry sector in New
York State occurring between May 2015 and May 2016.
Change in Jobs by Major Industry Sector
May 2015 May 2016
Sectors With Job Gains:
Educational & Health Services*
Professional & Business Services
Construction
Leisure & Hospitality
Government*
Other Services
Financial Activities
Trade, Transportation & Utilities
Sectors With Job Losses:
Information
Manufacturing
Natural Resources & Mining

+44,100
+13,200
+11,100
+7,000
+6,900
+6,700
+2,600
+1,400

-7,400
-3,500
-300

*Educational and health services is in the private sector.

Government includes public education and public health services.

Highlights among NYS sectors with job gains since May 2015:
Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+44,100) of any major
industry sector over the past year. Sector job gains were mostly in health care and social
assistance (+42,600), especially ambulatory health care services (+20,100).

The second largest employment increase over the past year occurred in professional and
business services (+13,200), with sector gains centered in professional, scientific and
technical services (+16,300), especially advertising (+4,400), and management, scientific,
and technical consulting (+3,900).

Construction had the third largest increase in jobs (+11,100) between May 2015 and May
2016. Over the past year, sector job gains were mostly in specialty trade contractors
(+13,700), especially building equipment contractors (+6,400).

Highlights among NYS sectors with job losses since May 2015:
Over the past 12 months, information lost the most jobs (-7,400) of any major industry
sector in New York. Job losses were focused in telecommunications (-11,000), due
primarily to the recent strike in that industry.

Manufacturing had the second largest decrease in jobs (-3,500). Sector losses were
focused in durable goods (-3,700), especially fabricated metals (-5,000).
4

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: May 2016

1)

Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI):

For New York State, during the week that included May 12, 2016, there were 118,458 people
(including 107,635 who live in the State) who received benefits under the regular Unemployment
Insurance (UI) program.
New York State residents who received Unemployment Insurance benefits made up 23% of
the total unemployed in the State in May 2016.

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 the 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. In New York State, payroll
jobs data by industry come from a monthly survey of 18,000 business establishments. Jobs data by
industry do not include agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers or domestic
workers in private households.

See State and Area Jobs Data

See Labor Market Overview
See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet