The number of people applying for new unemployment-insurance benefits in New York state fell by 1,348, or more than 7 percent, to 16,876 in the week ending May 17 from a week earlier.
New York posted the second-biggest decline in jobless claims of all 50 states in the most-recent week, behind only Wisconsin, according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release issued today.
Fewer layoffs in New York’s construction; professional, scientific, and technical services; and manufacturing industries led the dip in jobless claims, according to the Labor Department.
The Empire State is at its second-lowest level of first-time unemployment-benefit claims so far in 2014, Only the week ending April 19 saw fewer initial claims, with 16,729.
The number of New Yorkers continuing to receive unemployment benefits also fell in the latest week, ending May 17, to 179,060 from 186,456 the week before. This is the lowest level of continuing claims in New York year to date.
The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com