Employment growth in most upstate New York regions remained weak during the year ending in February, according to the latest monthly state Department of Labor jobs report.
The state as a whole gained 122,700 private sector jobs on a year-over-year basis — a 1.6 percent growth rate, compared to the preliminary estimate of 2.2 percent for the nation as a whole in February. In line with a longer-term trend, virtually all net job growth was measured downstate, mainly in New York City, where the 104,300 additional private jobs represented a growth rate of 2.9 percent.
Upstate, the national and statewide rates were exceeded only by two small metro areas, Ithaca and Watertown-Fort Drum. Among larger upstate metros, Rochester lost jobs, Syracuse had no change and Buffalo-Niagara Falls grew by a mediocre 0.9 percent rate. Elmira also showed a year-over-year decline. Figures for Albany-Schenectady-Troy were down but not final “due to a reporting error,” NYSDOL said.
The generally weak upstate figures come on the heels of annual revisions that showed private employment upstate declining in 2015. Meanwhile, Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to push for a much higher minimum wage—even in upstate regions where median hourly wages are generally $16 to $17.
Here’s the regional summary table from today’s report.
You may also like
After Tariff Shock, Albany Should Face its New Fiscal Reality
This year, for once, state lawmakers' failure to pass a timely budget could prove to be a stroke of luck.
When President Trump rolled out his on April 2, Albany leaders had not agreed on a spending plan for the f Read More
New York’s Home Health Workforce Jumps by Another 10 Percent
New York's home health employment is continuing to soar, growing by 57,000 jobs or 10 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read More
Hochul Pushes New Energy Tax Past Next Election
Governor Hochul has further delayed what amounts to a tax on energy until after the next general election.
Almost six years after the state adopted an aggressive emissions-cutting Read More
Sorting Fact from Fiction on the Future of Medicaid
As Washington contemplates cutbacks to federal funding for Medicaid, officials in Albany have reacted in two self-contradictory ways.
On one hand, they warn of Read More
The 411 On New York’s 911 Skim
New York for decades has collected, under various names, a special tax on mobile phones. The tax, which today shows up on customer bills as the “public safety communications surcharge,” devolved from being a fee to pay for 911 services to a general revenue source with 911 services as a near second thought. Since 2009, almost half the surcharges paid by customers for public safety communications—more than $1 billion—have been redirected to New York’s general fund. Read More
Immigrant Enrollment in ‘Emergency Medicaid’ Surges to 480,000
One of the biggest drivers of New York's Medicaid enrollment growth over the past decade has been "emergency Medicaid" for undocumented immigrants, newly released state records show.
Read More
Medicaid’s Missing Million
The Health Department has been either unable or unwilling to document the eligibility status of almost one million Medicaid recipients, raising further concern about the possibility of large-scale over-enrollment. Read More
New York’s Medicaid Spiral Is Worse Than Hochul Admitted
Although Governor Hochul said last week that the current trajectory of Medicaid spending is "not sustainable," the upward trend is even steeper than she and her budget director have acknowledged.
Read More