Service-providing industry sectors like health care, social assistance and food service have increased their share of total employment in New York over the last quarter-century while goods-producing sectors have continued a long decline, according to a report released Monday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office.
The comptroller said more than 85% of the almost 9.7 million jobs statewide, including New York City, were in service-providing industry sectors in 2024, with jobs in the health care and social assistance sector accounting for over 20% of total employment, followed by educational services (9.9%) and retail trade (8.6%).
The sectors that experienced statewide job growth greater than 30% between 2000 and 2024 were:
Health care and social assistance (63.3%)
Accommodation and food services (45.8%)
Professional, scientific and technical services (31.1%)
Transportation and warehousing (30.1%)
On a regional basis, each of the state’s nine regions outside of New York City share three of the five largest industry sectors – health care and social assistance, retail trade and educational services, the report said. Accommodation and food services was also one of the largest sectors in every region except the Mohawk Valley.
“Service-providing industry sectors have powered job growth across New York state and have helped shape the 21st century economic landscape,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “The strengthening of these service industries has been widespread, although there are still notable regional differences in the mixture of sectors. This report provides industry-level job and wage data and workforce trends to help policymakers as they continue their work to ensure quality employment opportunities for all New Yorkers.”
According to the report, the manufacturing sector remains one of the five largest in just over half of regions in 2024, including Central New York and the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and Western New York.
The state Department of Labor estimates that manufacturing employment statewide will decrease by 12% in the 10-year period between 2022 to 2032, while health care and social assistance is projected to see the strongest growth of any sector (27.8%), with an estimated increase of more than half a million jobs statewide. Accommodation and food services and educational services are expected to see job growth of 21% and 18.6%, respectively.