Governor Hochul Announces Launch of New Online Dashboards to Expand Access to Unemployment Data

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of two new interactive online dashboards to improve access to unemployment data for all New Yorkers. The Local Area Unemployment Statistics dashboard, a joint effort between New York State and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides monthly and annual employment, unemployment, labor force, and unemployment rate data for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties, workforce investment regions, and municipalities of at least 25,000 people. The Unemployment Insurance dashboard contains weekly data on benefits paid, beneficiaries, and initial claims sorted by region, industry, and program. Data for the UI dashboard is available for New York State's 10 labor market regions, as well as out-of-state residents who were employed in New York and qualify for New York UI benefits.

"My administration has been committed to transparency since the beginning, and we will continue to prioritize advancements that allow New Yorkers to learn about what their government is doing for them," Governor Hochul said. "By making these new dashboards from the Department of Labor available to the public, it will streamline the process and allow New Yorkers to obtain data quickly and easily. This will give New Yorkers a clear picture of how our labor market is doing."

Distribution of this data will help to better connect New Yorkers to the resources and support they need. This data is used by a variety of policymakers, industry experts, and other stakeholders who will benefit from greater access. It will inform and help determine eligibility for federal assistance programs that benefit New York State. Estimates will also inform state and local budgetary processes. Private industry, researchers, the media, and other individuals use the data to assess local labor market conditions and make comparisons across geographic areas.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "These new, innovative data dashboards will not only support our long-term goal of increased transparency, but will also improve accessibility to data for State, local and federal government groups, as well as private citizens accessing the data to report on or assess labor market conditions. Initiatives like these bring New York State into the future, and show how technological innovation can further progress across our State and change the lives of the people we serve."

These new dashboards are part of an ongoing effort to modernize the New York State Department of Labor's systems and processes, increase data transparency across the department and enhance the overall customer experience. In March, Governor Hochul unveiled the Current Employment Statistics and the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics dashboards, giving New Yorkers greater access to current employment information and data trends. In June, the Governor announced that NYSDOL reached the halfway point of its 4-year Technology Implementation Plan, with developing enhancements to help the agency achieve its goal of handling 100% of customer inquiries.