The latest numbers are out on job growth from the NY State Labor Department, and they again show a drop in private sector job growth compared to a year ago for the Rochester area.
In April, the figures down a drop of 1,600 private sector jobs compared to a year ago. That follows on the heels of declines in February and March. It was the worst showing in job growth for April in the various metro areas reported by the state.
State Labor Analyst Tammy Marino doesn't think this survey tells the whole story. She notes that it's based on talking to local business owners.
“And we use that survey to estimate local employment. Unfortunately, that survey appears to be undercounting employment and we believe that we’ve been undercounting employment since the final quarter of 2015. And because of that, we don’t have a real accurate picture of the local job market currently.”
Marino says other data her office looks at shows a drop in unemployment claims and also a healthy increase in seasonal employment and other sectors, including professional and technical jobs.
She says the recent declines are likely due to a change in methodology the labor department began using last year.
