Rochester Business Journal

The Rochester metropolitan area economy continued its growth in May, adding both non-farm and private-sector jobs, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Over the last year Rochester has added 10,700 non-farm jobs, or 2.1 percent, while the private sector gained 9,900 jobs, or 2.3 percent. Job gains in the area again were concentrated primarily in the professional and business services industry.
 
The Buffalo area economy also improved last month, having added 2,300 non-farm jobs, or 0.4 percent, while the private sector added 2,100 jobs, or 0.5 percent. The Syracuse area gained 4,300 non-farm jobs, or 1.4 percent, while the private sector added 1,900 jobs, or 0.7 percent.

The Rochester area ranked sixth among upstate regions in terms of private-sector job growth in May and was one of five metropolitan statistical areas and four other counties gaining jobs faster than the state rate last month. The Elmira and Ithaca regions again were the only regions statewide to lose private-sector jobs from May 2011 and May 2012, the Department of Labor reported.

Among the 52-county Upstate New York region, non-farm job growth was 29,400 in May, while the private sector added 28,800 jobs. Statewide, some 134,500 non-farm jobs were added last month, while the private sector gained 136,300 jobs, not seasonally adjusted.

The non-farm job count tracks all jobs in the private and public sectors, but does not count the self-employed or workers on farms. Within the Rochester region, some 522,900 were employed in non-farm jobs in May, up from 517,500 in April and 512,200 a year ago, not seasonally adjusted.

Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons for the same month, for example, May 2011 versus May 2012, the Department of Labor has noted. When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 8.6 percent in May, up from 8.5 percent in April and 8.1 percent May 2011.

The professional and business services sector continued to show the largest job gains statewide in May, having added 58,500 jobs since May 2011. The construction sector reported the steepest declines, shedding 9,300 jobs since May 2011, primarily in specialty trade contracting.

Local employment rates are scheduled to be released next week.

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