State gains jobs, unemployment up slightly in January

Most of the state saw strong job growth in January as the New York added 45,500 jobs, putting the state’s economic recovery well ahead of the nation’s.

The state, during the economic recovery that started in November 2009, has gained 245,400 jobs through December of 2011, including 76 percent of the private sector jobs lost during the recession. The nation, on the other hand, has recouped just 29 percent of private sector jobs.

Between 2010 and 2011, New York added 139,400 private-sector jobs, an increase of about 2 percent. In 2011, the nation grew private-sector jobs by 1.7 percent.

“Our new figures show that New York state’s economic recovery has been more robust than first calculated,” said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, deputy director of the division of research and statistics at the state Department of Labor. “We’ve added back more than 70 percent of the private-sector jobs lost in the recession. In addition, our state’s economy outperformed the nation with stronger job growth in 2011.”

The state’s unemployment rate edged up slightly to 8.3 percent in January, compared with 8.2 percent in December and 8.2 percent a year ago.

Locally, the Utica-Rome region saw the most job growth, gaining 3,800 non-farm jobs and 3,600 private-sector jobs between January 2011 and January 2012.

Syracuse was one of only three regions in the state to lose jobs during that period, dropping 600 non-farm jobs and 2,400 private-sector jobs.

The Binghamton area gained 600 non-farm jobs and 1,300 private-sector jobs.

The professional and business-services sector added 50,600 jobs, showing the largest gain of any employment sector, while the information sector lost the most by dropping 10,800 jobs.

The nation’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in January to 8.3 percent, down from 8.5 percent in December and 9.1 percent a year ago.

Contact DeLore at tgregory@tmvbj.com