ALBANY - New York State's unemployment rate was 8.0% in December 2011, remaining unchanged from November 2011 - the State Labor Department reported today.  The number of unemployed New Yorkers increased over the month -- from 759,500 in November to 768,200 in December 2011.

New York State’s private sector job count declined by 16,800 or 0.2% in December.  Since the state’s economic recovery began in November 2009, New York has recouped 54%, or 180,400, of the private sector jobs lost during the state’s recession in 2008-2009.

“The New York State economy has added 90,100 private sector jobs over the past year, while our state’s unemployment rate remained below the nation’s rate in December 2011,” said Bohdan Wynnyk, Deputy Director of the Division of Research and Statistics.