New York”™s Labor Department announced last week that 29,600 jobs had been added in January, the 17th consecutive month with private sector job growth, a record.
January saw 166,000 jobs created nationally, meaning one in five jobs created was created in New York.
Despite the job growth, New York”™s unemployment rate rose from 8.2 percent to 8.4 percent. The number of unemployed New Yorkers increased from 787,100 in December 2012 to 806,200 in January 2013.
The Westchester-Putnam-Rockland region saw private sector jobs increase by 2,900, a 0.6 percent increase year-to-year.
Year-to-year, professional and business services and educational and health services gained the most jobs in the state, 32,900 and 32,400 respectively, while government shed 11,800 jobs and manufacturing shed 9,500 jobs.
Year-to-year in the Westchester-Putnam-Rockland region, professional and business services gained 2,800 jobs to 99,300, an increase of 2.9 percent, while education and health services gained 4,300 jobs to 188,000, an increase of 2.3 percent.
In the Westchester-Putnam-Rockland region, government shed 2,300 jobs to 156,400, a decrease of 1.4 percent, while manufacturing lost 800 jobs to 46,600, a decrease of 1.7 percent. Construction lost 1,500 jobs to 37,700, a decrease of 3.8 percent. Information jobs decreased 5.9 percent from 18,800 to 17,700.
On a month-to-month basis, the Westchester-Putnam-Rockland region lost 13,600 jobs, which was expected, given seasonal employment around the holidays. Manufacturing shed 500 jobs, while professional and business services shed 2,600 jobs. Education and health services lost 3,300 jobs.
The Westchester-Putnam-Rockland region ranked 9th out of 14 counties in private sector job growth. Westchester had an 8 percent unemployment rate, up from 7.1 percent in December and 7.6 percent in January 2012. Westchester”™s unemployment rate is tied for 5th in the state. Putnam is at 2nd at 7.3 percent, while Rockland is 3rd at 7.5 percent.
Overall, the area has an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, up from 7.5 percent last January. The area”™s unemployment rate is 2nd in the state, behind the Ithaca Metropolitan Area.
There are 434,700 people employed in Westchester, up from 433,900 a year ago. Westchester has 37,800 people unemployed, up from 35,500 a year ago.
