State Labor Department Releases Preliminary March 2024 Area Unemployment Rates

 

 The New York State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for March 2024. Rates are calculated using methods prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State’s area unemployment rates rely in part on the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. To recap last week’s statewide press release, New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.4% in February to 4.3% in March 2024.

Local Area Unemployment Rates* (%)
March 2023 and March 2024
(Not seasonally adjusted)

The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires). Therefore, the most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, March 2023 versus March 2024. Labor force data for the current month are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. Revised estimates for prior months are available at: https://dol.ny.gov/local-area-unemployment-statistics

Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000.

Unemployment Rates By County, New York State, March 2024 Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet This fact sheet conveys important technical information that will contribute to a better understanding of labor force data (“household survey”), including resident employment/unemployment rates, and jobs by industry data (“business survey”), which are presented in the New York State Department of Labor’s monthly press release. State Unemployment Rates Based on Regression Model Beginning with data for January 1996, unemployment rates for New York State and all other states (as well as New York City and the City of Los Angeles) have been estimated using time-series regression statistical models developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Advantage of Regression Model Use of a time-series regression model reduces the month-to-month variation in unemployment rates and resident employment by reducing variation caused by sampling errors and other components of statistical noise (irregularities). Benchmarking of Estimates Once each year, labor force estimates, such as civilian labor force and the unemployment rate, are revised to reflect updated input data including new Census Bureau populations controls, newly revised establishment jobs data and new state-level annual average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). As part of this procedure, all state figures are reviewed, revised as necessary and then re-estimated. This process is commonly referred to as “benchmarking.” Changes in Methodology Labor force estimates are now produced with an improved time-series regression model, which utilizes “real-time” benchmarking. “Real-time” benchmarking reduces end-of-year revisions, which also means that major economic events will be reflected in a more timely manner in state labor force estimates. In addition, the new methodology includes an updated way of estimating for sub-state areas (e.g. counties, metro areas) the number of unemployed who are new entrants or re-entrants into the labor force. This change in methodology will result in lower unemployment rates in some areas and increased rates in others. Unemployed and UI Beneficiaries The estimate of the number of unemployed includes all persons who had no employment during the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month), were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Unemployment insurance (UI) beneficiaries include those who apply for and qualify for UI benefits. Consequently, the estimate of the number of unemployed and the number of UI beneficiaries do not necessarily move in tandem. Jobs Data Jobs data are obtained from a separate joint federal-state survey of business establishments. The survey, called the Current Employment Statistics of Establishments, samples establishments in New York State. It excludes self-employed workers, agricultural workers, unpaid family workers and domestic workers employed by private households. This data represents a count of jobs by place of work. Data for each month is revised the following month as more complete information becomes available. The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

NY State Comptroller DiNapoli Announces Responsible Workforce Management Policy for Private Equity Investment

 

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), today announced the Fund’s adoption of its Responsible Workforce Management Policy and Principles (Policy). As part of the Fund’s investment due diligence of new investments within its $38 billion private equity asset class, the new Policy will require an evaluation of relevant workforce management policies and practices.

DiNapoli will discuss the importance of adopting strong labor principles in private equity at the White House Workers’ Capital Event later today.

“The Fund is dedicated to championing workforce management best practices because they have the ability to enhance the performance and resilience of portfolio companies and, in turn, our investments,” DiNapoli said. “Our Responsible Workforce Management Policy will ensure our private equity investment managers understand our position clearly. We expect them to support fair treatment of workers throughout their portfolio companies by encouraging adoption of workforce management practices that prioritize workers‘ rights and protections, health and safety, fair compensation, and skills development and training. A diverse, reasonably compensated, and well-trained workforce can deliver higher quality products and services, which in turn can provide a competitive advantage for companies and their investors.”

The private equity industry has faced scrutiny of its approach to workforce issues, leading a growing number of limited partners in private equity funds, including pension funds, endowments, and multiemployer benefit trust funds, to adopt labor principles. Responsible business practices within the private equity industry can help mitigate risks and add value.

The Fund will share the policy with existing managers and engage with them on these important principles. The Fund’s due diligence review of potential private equity investments will include an evaluation of prospective managers’ workforce management policies and practices as part of its consideration of a variety of investment factors.

The Responsible Workforce Management Policy builds on the Fund’s commitment to workforce and labor best practices across its portfolios which includes the adoption of its Responsible Contractor Policy that applies to the Fund’s real estate and infrastructure investments, and its Environmental, Social & Governance Principles and Proxy Voting Guidelines, which outline expectations for public companies in its global equities portfolio.

NYS Common Retirement Fund Policy

Responsible Workforce Management Policy and Principles

The New York State Common Retirement Fund is one of the largest public pension funds in the United States. The Fund holds and invests the assets of the New York State and Local Retirement System on behalf of more than one million state and local government employees and retirees and their beneficiaries. It has consistently been ranked as one of the best managed and best funded plans in the nation.

Attorney General James’ Statement on Antisemitic Incidents at Columbia University

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement on the antisemitic incidents occurring at Columbia University:  

“The events that have occurred at Columbia University have been deeply concerning and painful for many. The right to protest peacefully is the bedrock of our nation’s democracy. However, when peaceful protest devolves into hate and antisemitic violence, the line is crossed and will not be tolerated. My office is monitoring the situation closely.   

“We know the dire consequences of failing to stand tall in the face of hate, and this moment must be a clarion call to respond to those who seek to spark the flames of division.”

Comptroller Lander Investigation Finds City Must Bolster Key Emergency Response Infrastructure & Communications Before Next Major Storm

 

While City agencies began to improve monitoring & community engagement after Hurricane Ida, Tropical Storm Ophelia revealed major gaps in preparedness and response

Comptroller’s findings include: 2/3 of City’s catch basin cleaning trucks were out of service when the storm hit; only 2.7% of New Yorkers 16+ received NotifyNYC alerts; the Mayor had yet to appoint an Extreme Weather Coordinator

Seven months after Tropical Storm Ophelia inundated New York City with over eight inches of rain, Comptroller Brad Lander released findings of his office’s investigation into the City’s handling of the storm, along with key recommendations for New York City agencies to better prepare for extreme weather and flooding conditions. The investigation, Is New York City Ready for Rain?, analyzed the City’s storm operations, interagency coordination, emergency communications to the public, community preparedness, and storm water infrastructure improvements.  

“Extreme storms are coming more frequently, so New York City must do the work to be more prepared for them,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “That means modernizing our catch basins, making sure the cleaning trucks are in service, and notifying New Yorkers—especially the most vulnerable—more swiftly before the next storm hits. And it means focusing capital process reforms and leadership attention on stormwater infrastructure improvements, so those projects don’t languish for decades while the climate crisis moves faster than we do.”   

“New York City’s state of preparedness is only as good as its physical and social infrastructure. Sadly, the woefully low number of NotifyNYC subscribers, out-of-order catch basin cleaning trucks, and emergency sewer repairs indicate that we’re already behind the tide of the next extreme rainfall event. New Yorkers will be safer if we’re able to better manage and communicate how the City is handling weather emergencies,” said Louise Yeung, Chief Climate Officer for the New York City Comptroller. 

On September 29, 2023, New York City experienced 8.65 inches of total rainfall as a result of the storm—at its peak, exceeding 3 inches per hour in parts of Brooklyn. The heaviest rains persisted for over an hour in southern Brooklyn and along the East River from DUMBO, through the Lower East Side, up through Astoria and East Harlem. Real-time sensors—many of which had been added by NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in recent years as part of its storm preparation—recorded more than 24 inches of flooding in Gowanus, south Williamsburg, and Midland Beach, while parts of Southern Queens and coastal Staten Island saw significant flooding despite not receiving intense rainfall, pointing to the inadequacy of existing stormwater infrastructure.  

The Fire Department rescued 11 people, including four from basement units. Mercifully, no New Yorkers were killed by this storm, unlike Hurricane Ida, in which 13 New Yorkers died. Woodhull Hospital had to be fully evacuated after flooding required disconnecting the electricity. Flooding occurred at 45 subway stations and eight yards; the MTA suspended or saw severe disruptions to 11 subway lines, Metro-North services, and parts of the LIRR Far Rockaway and Long Island Branch lines while NYC Transit pumped four million gallons of water out of the subway system. The Major Deegan Expressway, FDR Drive, Grand Central Parkway, Belt Parkway, and 4th Ave in Brooklyn were shut down; flooded portions of the Cross Island Parkway caused vehicles to be stuck, and the overflow Bronx River flooded the Bronx River Parkway until 6:30 am the following morning. 

In the wake of Hurricane Ida in 2021, the City enacted three plans for extreme rainfall events: The New Normal, Rainfall Ready, and Ida Action Plan. These plans detail the City’s commitments to improve communications, operations, planning, and infrastructure to manage heavy rain. Comptroller Lander’s investigation probed how well the City implemented these commitments in its preparation for and response to Ophelia.  

The investigation comes as a new survey from Citizens Budget Commission shows plummeting confidence in how the City prepares for an emergency. Comptroller Lander investigation’s key findings include: 

Storm Operations  

• Nearly two-thirds of the City’s catch basin cleaning trucks were out of service during the storm, leaving only 19 trucks to clean catch basins across all five boroughs. Catch basin cleaning is one of the City’s best tools to prevent localized flooding before heavy rains, yet DEP only had 19-out-of-51 trucks— which DEP operates but DSNY maintains—available to clean priority catch basins across the city at the time of the storm. 

Interagency Storm Coordination  

• Mayor Adams had not appointed an Extreme Weather Coordinator when Tropical Storm Ophelia hit more than 18 months into his term. Six months later, in March 2024, City Hall informed the Comptroller’s office that this role has been assigned to Camille Joseph Varlack, Chief of Staff to the Mayor. 

Emergency Communications to the Public  

• Broad and high-profile public communications only picked up after flash flooding already began to impact commutes, homes, and critical facilities. The Mayor’s first press conference occurred on September 29 at 11:40 am, nearly three hours after heavy rains and flooding began. NYCHA’s robocalls occurred at 4:45 pm, 9 hours after the flooding was well underway. NYC Public Schools first posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) at 12:35 pm and only updated its website with guidance on school dismissal and after-school activities at 2:30 pm when many schools already dismissed students.
• Only 2.7% of New Yorkers over 16 years old received NotifyNYC emergency alerts for the flash flooding on September 29. NotifyNYC is the City’s primary way to broadcast emergency notifications but is an opt-in service and the vast majority of New Yorkers have not enrolled.
• New York City Emergency Management’s (NYCEM) new basement notification list only includes 2,378 subscribers, less than 1% of the estimated number of basement residents in NYC. People who live in basement apartments are especially vulnerable to flash floods and especially hard-to-reach because many speak languages other than English and their basement apartments are not formally permitted.  

Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements  

• DEP can install new catch basin designs that would reduce the time and labor to clean catch basins, for a modest $22.5 million. Catch basin inspections and cleanings before and during a storm requires substantial lead time and labor. DEP has identified new modern street grate designs that, if installed at key locations, would reduce clogging from trash and debris and thereby reducing the labor and time needed to clean catch basins.
• More than 60% of the City’s stormwater infrastructure projects are behind schedule, with an average delay of nearly two years, and 69% of projects are over-budget, with an average budget overrun of 310%.
• DEP’s 10-year capital plan includes $875 million for emergency reconstruction of sewers across 66 projects—more than 8% of DEP’s capital budget. While DEP prudently budgets for emergency repairs, this level of emergency sewer repairs indicates the sewer system is far from a state of good repair.

The Comptroller’s review also noted positive storm preparedness steps that the City took in advance of Tropical Storm Ophelia:

• The City began monitoring Tropical Storm Ophelia a week in advance, and NYCEM proactively activated the emergency flash flood plan at 8:30 am the day before. Once activated, NYCEM initiated coordination calls with key operational and first responder agencies.
• DEP incorporated many new data sources to identify where flooding is happening in real-time and to inform priority catch basin inspections and cleaning with flood sensor data, 311 flooding complaints, field reports from other agencies, video feed from DOT’s live traffic cameras, and social media posts to paint a more comprehensive picture of flooding issues. 

• For the first time, NYCEM paid community networks, who are more effective at connecting with hard-to-reach New Yorkers, to amplify emergency notifications. NYCEM funded 20 partners in its Strengthening Communities Program on average $3,915 to share emergency alerts with their networks. In total, this effort resulted in over 800 phone calls, 169 emails to 58,625 recipients, and 381 text messages to 13,216 recipients. However, NYCEM activated these community groups at 10 am, after heavy rains began.  
• DEP held flood preparedness events to distribute 4,000 flood barriers, 7,500 rain barrels, 500 sump pumps, and 500 flood sensors in flood-prone neighborhoods. The City also partially restarted FloodHelpNY, a program intended to provide education, resiliency audits, financial counseling, and retrofit assistance for homeowners after a storm.

The Comptroller’s Office made 11 recommendations as a result of its investigation: 

1. The City should expand emergency communications beyond the limited number of New Yorkers who currently receive NotifyNYC and communicate flood risks to the public earlier.
2. NYCEM should expand Strengthening Communities to reach more diverse at-risk New Yorkers.
3. NYCEM should establish baseline funding for annual emergency activations of community networks.
4. NYCEM should formalize the role of community-led emergency canvassing into City’s emergency protocols.
5. DEP should replace its aging catch basin cleaning trucks and take over maintenance of its catch basin cleaning truck fleet from DSNY and establish new protocols to ensure that trucks are well-maintained to be deployed whenever a storm hits.
6. DEP should be funded to retrofit catch basin across the city with new modern designs that reduce clogging.
7. MTA, DOT, and DEP should dramatically expand subway flood protection improvements.
8. DEP should improve stormwater infrastructure assessments to maintain a state of good repair.
9. The State legislature should greenlight capital process reforms proposed by the Adams Administration to pick up the pace of completing stormwater projects, including state legislation to authorize New York City the ability to utilize proven alternative delivery methods for its infrastructure projects.
10. The Adams Administration should improve the City’s Capital Project Dashboard and use it as a tool to better manage stormwater capital project delivery. 
11. The City should develop a shared interagency tracking and data sharing tool to better coordinate storm operations.  

“As Tropical Storm Ophelia reminded us, low-income communities of color across New York City are on the frontlines of climate disasters—often seeing their homes, subways, and streets inundated by extreme rain,” said Eddie Bautista, Executive Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. “As this investigation demonstrated, environmental justice communities are often the last to be informed of an oncoming emergency. The City must bolster the safety and resiliency of frontline communities as climate change-fueled storms continue to intensify.” 

“The flash floods last fall remind us of the growing risks that basement residents face from climate change,” said Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director of Chhaya Community Development Corporation. “The Comptroller’s investigation shows us just how little progress the City has made to reach basement residents in these emergencies, leaving New Yorkers to fend for themselves. At a time when climate change is threatening affordable housing across the city, we need better protections for New Yorkers now so that no more lives or homes are washed away.” 

View the report Is New York City Ready for Rain? here.