New York State Jobs Growth
I write this newsletter because I believe that f
acts matter, now more than ever. I also believe that d
igging a little deeper into the data creates a better understanding of our world.
When it comes to the jobs picture, it is an undeniable fact that in December 2016 there were more private sector jobs across New York State than during any December over the last 26 years, as the graph above illustrates.
I compare December to December because December 2016 is the most recent data available from the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) and comparing to other Decembers controls for seasonal variation throughout the year.
https://www.labor.ny.gov/stats/lscesmaj.shtm
What is also undeniable is that the 13.8% growth statewide since the end of the Great Recession (in June 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research) is not uniform across all sectors of our economy. Nor has it been experienced in each and every community in New York State.
Policymakers focus a lot on Manufacturing, so I will as well. It is a fact that the rosy picture above does not extend to this sector, where jobs statewide have fallen by 29,200 or 6.2% since June 2009
.
It is also the case that the overall recovery has been concentrated in New York’s metropolitan areas, as the graph at the bottom shows.
NYS DOL identifies 24 counties that are not located in Metropolitan Areas. I aggregated the individual county totals to come up with the total for the Non-metro category.
So, it is a good and joyful fact that private sector job growth exists across New York State. But it is also a fact that the growth has not been felt everywhere. Because facts matter, look for more on this most important measure of economic performance in future editions.
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