The number of private sector jobs in New York decreased over the month by 2,900, or less than 0.1%, in September, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

These put the total number of private sector jobs in the state to 8,392,500 in September. By contrast, private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.2% in September, the department said.

According to the state, private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 115,800, or 1.4%, over the year in September 2024, which matched the 1.4% increase in the number of private sector jobs in the U.S.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 4.4% in September, while the state’s labor force (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 3,400.

The number of private sector jobs is calculated by a payroll survey of New York businesses conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The statewide unemployment rate held steady at 4.4% in September. New York City’s unemployment rate increased from 5.2% to 5.3%. The rest of the state’s unemployment rate decreased from 3.8% to 3.7% in September.