New York’s Uneven Economy

Although the COVID pandemic caused double-digit unemployment levels in 2020, the nation’s recovery has been rapid. Unemployment decreased quickly in New York and the country, dropping to 4.4% percent in New York and 3.5% in the nation in July 2022. The recently announced July number for the United States is as low as pre-pandemic unemployment […]

The Continuing Racial and Ethnic Income Gap in New York and the Nation

Race has been a defining aspect of American society since Europeans came to this continent. Although racial identification reflects where people’s ancestors lived, not biological differences between people, it gained a connotation of superiority or inferiority as a justification for actions by dominant settlers of European descent to subjugate non-Europeans for economic benefit. One consequence […]

New York’s Census Population Roller Coaster – A Follow-up

Estimates of New York’s population have recently been on a roller coaster. The Census Bureau’s Annual Population Estimate for 2020 for New York was 19,382,373, increasing only 4,271 since 2010. In 2021, the Census Bureau released its 2020 Decennial Census of the nation’s population. The decennial Census showed that New York’s population was 20,201,249, increasing […]

Census Surveys, Data Limitations, and Household Income Change in New York State

On the surface, finding the answer to how household median incomes changed over the decade from 2010 to 2020 is simple. At the national level, data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey is sufficiently robust to allow us to know the incomes of each group for each year and measure change during the period. […]

The Economic Value of College Depends upon Where You Live

College graduates enjoy a substantial income premium over those with a high school degree. In New York State, the median income in 2019 for people aged 25 or older with a Bachelor’s degree was $62,699. The median income for high school graduates was only $33,491. For those with advanced degrees, the median was $81,041. But […]

Look Deeper – Much more to New York exodus than tax rates

An opinion piece for the Albany Times-Union: https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Look-deeper-Much-more-to-New-York-exodus-than-16920413.php?IPID=Times-Union-opinion-centerpiece

A Caution About the Use of Census Population Estimates

Note – An updated post on this subject may be found here: New Yorkers were surprised when the Census Bureau announced that instead of gaining 4,271 residents between 2010 and 2020, as reported in the Census Bureau’s Annual Population Estimate, the Decennial Census showed that the state’s population had grown by 823,147. The Annual Estimate […]

With a New Governor, New York Faces Economic Challenges

For decades, New York has had substantial disparities in economic performance. Although some parts of the State are doing relatively well, much of it has declining employment, higher levels of poverty, lower household income levels, and fewer adults working than the nation. Over most of the past decade, job growth was limited to Eastern New […]

COVID-19 erased New York’s Employment Gains over the Past Decade

From June 2011 to June 2019, New York saw employment increase by 388,440 – 4.4%. But by June 2021, the pandemic had erased all those gains. In June, the state’s employment was lower than in 2011 – by 72,916 jobs or 0.8%. Both before the COVID pandemic and in June 2021, New York’s job performance […]

New York’s Population Increased by 823,147 between 2010 and 2020 while Upstate’s Declined

Based on the newly released 2020 Census data, New York’s population grew by 823,147 residents – 4.25% – between 2010 and 2020. The State’s performance was similar to others in its region and not far from the median growth rate for all states – 5.9%. But, more than three-quarters of the population growth took place […]