New York is continuing its steady economic improvement with Rochester once again leading the way. Employment figures released today show that 136,300 new jobs have been added since May 2011. And the pace is picking up with 6100 of those jobs coming just in May!
New York has reclaimed approximately 330,000 jobs recovering all those lost during the recession!
Remarkably, Rochester is leading the recovery for Upstate for another month. The Greater Rochester region added about 9,900 private-sector jobs between May, 2011 – May, 2012, according to State Labor Department.
Oddly, the overall unemployment numbers went up slightly. The Labor Department described this a positive indicator claiming that folks who had quit looking for work are now returning to search. People who have been unemployed for a long period are optimistic that jobs are now out there. That’s encouraging for us all!
Data and Labor Statement here: http://labor.ny.gov/stats/pressreleases/pruistat.shtm
8 Comments
-
All numbers have spin. Certainly there is motivation to have a good headline here. But I also see some truth in these numbers. The truth, as always, is usually in the middle. I don’t write this off to hype – the region is doing better than many areas. You can find individual examples in all cases, but the numbers tell a real story.
-
Hi John
136,000 is a significant number, especially to those folks who have been looking for work.
As to questions about the validity of the stats, I’ll bet plenty of very smart people have challenged Labor Department statistics and the methodology. I’m pretty sure the data have withstood the scrutiny and are better for it. For example, the question about folks turning 18: I imagine that number is equal to, or less than, the folks who retire, quit or die. I see no advantage to the Labor department to try and “trick” us with such flimsy a device.
From what I gather Rochester has been adding very, very good jobs. High tech and manufacturing jobs! As to Kodak workers, frankly we are past that. Yes, people continue to be laid off but the huge losses happened years ago. Thankfully, our economy over the last 20years was able to absorb Kodak layoffs.
As to “good paying jobs for all who want to work,” don’t blame the government. Jobs are the result of demand. Rochester is quickly turning into a center for high-tech and new-tech manufacturing. If people are qualified they’ll get the jobs. If they don’t get an education and compete they’ll be in the service industry. Not everybody can get a good paying job. That’s life.
-
The real story is the ‘oddly overall unemployment went up numbers’ … the ‘officially counted’ 42,600 people who are ‘out of work and seeking employment. How many thousands are underemployed or working 2 jobs because they can’t find a decent job that are NOT counted? How many people in their prime working years are forced out and have to collect Social Security at 62 (and take much less money than if they could work to 65 or 70) because they can’t get a job. These are the unreported numbers that should tell the ‘real story’.
-
hhhhuuuummmmm.. I head your reasoning John. And I don’t doubt that this is happening… But how can “unreported numbers tell the real story?” That seems a little like circular logic to me. 😉
-
Pete/Adam…. It’s a glass of water ‘half filled or half empty”. I must admit that we are fortunate to live in the Rochester area that has a strong education system and new tech/ high tech that has been able to absorb our workers. 136000 is a significant number but so are the 42,600 who continue to look for work…
I do not blame the government for lack of good paying jobs … but ever notice that much of these high-tech new tech manufacturing jobs are reliant on government grants and tax breaks?? And how many of these ‘promise’ to hire XXX number of employees but fall short of this. The media (TV and paper) is full of these start ups (with all the politicians in the pictures) with headlines of new jobs to be created… I personally was interviewed for one of these companies …. they hired 2 people with promise of 20+ …. but ‘things’ are not progressing as ‘planned’ …hmm?
Most opportunities that I encounter have 100+ applicants and interview 5 for 1 or 2 jobs.Technicians who possess years of experience are now having to compete with 4+ yr degree college grads for a position that in reality does not require that degree.
-
On the ‘bright side’ L-3 Communications received a $500 DOD contract and will be ramping up their engineering and production capabilities to meet customer demand. The company could not say how many positions operations expects to hire in the coming months.Who said government doesn’t produce jobs?? LOL
-
If you want to see the result of cutting government jobs in a time of economic contraction, just look at Ireland. They started shrinking, and then decided it was the right moment to balance the books – which meant huge layoffs. Their unemployment is now in the high teens. It’s an interesting little case study.
This is just government HYPE … 136.000 looks like a big number… how many people have entered the work force in 1 year by turning 18? And what kind of jobs are being created? Low paying service industry? Ask Kodak workers how they are doing? Sure Rochester is leading the so called ‘recovery’ in upstate NY but until there are good paying jobs for all who want to work we are still in a slump.