Employment in the Buffalo area remains lower than a year ago, but several sectors of the local economy have entered the recovery phase, according to numbers released Thursday afternoon by the New York State Department of Labor.
Total employment in Erie and Niagara counties dropped 1.2 percent between February 2009 and the same month this year, resulting in the loss of 6,300 jobs.
The unemployment rate for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls market was 9.2 percent in February, up from 9.0 percent a year ago.
The manufacturing sector took the hardest hit, losing 3,700 jobs on the durable-goods side and 1,400 on the nondurable side.
But five sectors actually have more employees today than they did a year ago.
Local retail-trade outlets have added 2,000 jobs since February 2009. Firms in the field of business services have tacked on 600 jobs, health care agencies have increased employment by 500, local governments have added 400 workers, and a catchall category known as "other services" has posted an increase of 600 jobs.
Here are the current employment levels and changes since February 2009 in 15 sectors, ranked according to total jobs in Erie and Niagara counties:
• Health care, 72,700 jobs (up 500 jobs in the past year)
• Business services, 69,900 jobs (up 600 jobs in the past year)
• Local government, 63,600 jobs (up 400 jobs in the past year)
• Retail trade, 60,600 jobs (up 2,000 jobs in the past year)
• Leisure and hospitality, 46,800 jobs (down 700 jobs in the past year)
• Financial activities, 30,900 jobs (down 400 jobs in the past year)
• Durable manufacturing, 27,700 jobs (down 3,700 jobs in the past year)
• Other services, 24,200 jobs (up 600 jobs in the past year)
• State government, 22,800 jobs (down 100 jobs in the past year)
• Wholesale trade, 20,500 jobs (down 1,300 jobs in the past year)
• Nondurable manufacturing, 19,600 jobs (down 1,400 jobs in the past year)
• Construction, 16,300 jobs (down 300 jobs in the past year)
• Transportation, 15,100 jobs (down 1,400 jobs in the past year)
• Federal government, 10,100 jobs (no change in the past year)
• Information, 7,900 jobs (down 300 jobs in the past year)
New York state's economy gained 8,100 private-sector jobs, up 0.1 percent in February 2010, the state's second straight monthly increase. The state's total nonfarm job count increased by 5,800, or 0.1 percent in February 2010. The nonfarm job count measures total employment in the private and public sectors. It excludes the self-employed, and workers in private households and agriculture.
