The Syracuse–area economy added 3,200 jobs, a 1 percent increase, in the last year to lead Central New York regions in jobs gained, according to the latest monthly employment report from the New York State Department of Labor.
The Utica–Rome metro area picked up 1,100 jobs, a 0.9 percent rise, between May 2016 and this past May.
The Ithaca region added 700 jobs, an increase of 1.1 percent, in that time period. Ithaca posted the largest percentage increase in jobs in Central New York.
The Watertown–Fort Drum area gained 200 jobs in the past 12 months, an increase of 0.5 percent.
The Binghamton region shed 100 jobs, a 0.1 percent decline, in the last year. The Elmira area lost 800 positions, a drop of 2.2 percent, in the period.
New York state as a whole gained nearly 149,000 jobs from May of last year to this May — an increase of 1.6 percent. The state economy added nearly 28,000 jobs, a 0.3 percent rise, between April and May of this year, the labor department said.
Private-sector jobs
The Syracuse region gained 2,600 private-sector jobs between May 2016 and this past May, an increase of 1 percent, according to the state Labor Department data.
The Utica–Rome area gained 1,200 private-sector positions in the same 12-month time period, an increase of 1.3 percent. That’s the biggest percentage increase in Central New York.
The Watertown–Fort Drum region added 300 private-sector jobs, an increase of 1.0 percent in the last 12 months.
The Ithaca area gained 600 private-sector positions between May 2016 and this past May, a pickup of 1.1 percent.
Meanwhile, the Binghamton area lost 400 private-sector jobs in the past 12 months, a decrease of 0.5 percent. Elmira shed 900 private-sector positions, a 2.9 percent decline.
New York state’s economy added more than 138,000 private-sector jobs, a 1.7 percent rise in the last 12 months, with most of those positions located Downstate.
The state also gained more than 32,000 private-sector jobs, a 0.4 percent increase, between April and May of this year, the state Labor Department reported.
The state’s private-sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York state employers that the U.S. Department of Labor conducts.
Unemployment rate
New York state’s unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3 percent in April to 4.4 percent in May. That was due “in large part” to a 27,700 expansion in the statewide workforce as “more re-entrants and new entrants to the labor force sought employment,” the Labor Department said.
However, the statewide unemployment figure was lower than the 4.8 percent rate reported in May 2016.
The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.
Local jobless rates
Despite the region’s job gains, the jobless rate in the Syracuse area rose to 4.6 percent in May from 4.4 percent a year earlier.
The unemployment rate in the Utica–Rome region hit 4.7 percent in May, up from 4.5 percent in May 2016.
The jobless rate in the Watertown–Fort Drum area rose to 5.7 percent in May from 5.3 percent a year prior.
The unemployment rate in the Binghamton region was 4.9 percent in May, up 0.1 percent from May 2016, according to figures from the state Labor Department.
The jobless rate in the Ithaca region was 3.8 percent in May, unchanged from a year earlier.
The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.