The latest Census data shows New York’s population increased by 401,645 people from 2000 to 2010. While that is positive growth, New York still lost a net of 1.6 million residents to other states in the last decade, according to a report released last week by the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Empire Center also looked at other trends. The think tank found that 7.3 million residents of New York have moved to other states since 1960.

According to the Empire Center report, the state’s population loss due to domestic migration was the highest of any other state for the second consecutive decade.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said by phone last week that the report shows the state has work to do to prevent people from leaving for other states.

“I think it’s futher evidence that we’ve got our challenges here in New York state,” he said. “You need to offer people good paying jobs and a cost of living that’s affordable. We still have a long ways to go on both topics.”

There are some pockets of success throughout the state, Kolb said, but rural areas have been impacted by manufacturing job losses and upstate urban areas are struggling

“We have to focus on the economy and job creation and attracting businesses here,” he said.

Brian Sampson, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, says the report helps validate what his organization has been saying.

“As a state, we have to figure out a way to create more private sector jobs, which will keep our people here and draw in new people that will be contributing taxes to our local economies,” he said….

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