ALBANY - Since the beginning of the state’s economic recovery in November 2009, New York State’s economy has added 346,900 private sector jobs and regained all of the private sector jobs it lost during the recession, the State Labor Department reported today.  In comparison, the nation has only regained 44% of the private sector jobs lost during the recession.  Overall, the state’s private sector job count now stands at 7,331,400.

A labor-management dispute (now resolved) at Consolidated Edison in New York City affected the state’s private sector job count during July 2012. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Situation release on August 3, 2012, the dispute affected 8,500 utility workers. These workers were not counted as employed for the federal payroll survey, which determines the monthly job count. The state’s positive trend in private sector job growth would have continued in July if not for the labor-management dispute. Instead, the state’s economy lost 4,100 private sector jobs, or 0.1%, due to the effect the dispute had on the reported job count. By comparison, the nation’s private sector job count increased by 172,000, or 0.2%.

Since July 2011, New York State’s labor force grew by more than 100,000 as people have more confidence in the economy.  When more jobseekers enter or re-enter the labor market due to renewed confidence about finding employment, an area’s unemployment rate temporarily rises.  For the 12-month period ending July 2012, the number of discouraged workers (those not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available) in New York State fell 21.6%.  The state’s unemployment rate was 9.1% in July 2012, up from June 2012’s level of 8.9%.

“Growth in our statewide labor force in recent months has contributed to a higher state jobless rate, as more New Yorkers have confidence in the job market. The latest job statistics show that more than 100,000 New Yorkers entered the labor force over the past year,” said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, Deputy Director of the Division of Research and Statistics.