Employment & Economy Statistics (Nassau & Suffolk)
Employment is one of the most important indicators of economic health on Long Island. With nearly 3 million residents across Nassau County and Suffolk County, the region has a large and diverse workforce spanning health care, education, retail, construction, professional services, technology, hospitality, public-sector employment, and small business.
This page compiles data from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), NYSDOL Long Island labor statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), and BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) to provide a fact-based overview of unemployment rates, leading industries, wage trends, and job-growth patterns across Long Island.
Long Island Employment Snapshot (Latest Public Data)
| Category | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island Total / Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Force | Approximately 700,000+ | Approximately 750,000+ | Roughly 1.45 million to 1.50 million workers |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.3% | 3.5% | Approximately 3.4% combined, not seasonally adjusted |
| Private-Sector Jobs | Reported regionally by NYSDOL for Nassau + Suffolk | 1,176,300 private-sector jobs, April 2026 | |
| Over-the-Year Private-Sector Job Change | Long Island regional measure | +4,300 jobs, or +0.4%, from April 2025 to April 2026 | |
| Largest Recent Growth Sector | Private education and health services | +10,100 jobs year-over-year in April 2026 | |
| Seasonal Growth Sector | Leisure and hospitality | +1,100 jobs year-over-year; spring hiring remained important | |
| Wage Source | Average wages are best reviewed through BLS / NYSDOL QCEW, which reports county and industry-level employment, establishments, total wages, and average wages. | ||
Sources: NYSDOL Long Island labor-market statistics, BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Federal Reserve Economic Data using BLS county unemployment series, and BLS / NYSDOL QCEW wage and employment data. Monthly unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted at the county level and can move with seasonal hiring patterns.
Unemployment Rates (2015–2026)
The table below shows the broad unemployment trend for Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The most recent figures reflect April 2026 county unemployment rates, which are reported as not seasonally adjusted. Older annual figures are shown for context and may differ slightly from revised BLS/NYSDOL annual averages.
| Year / Period | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 4.7% | 4.9% | 4.8% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 10.0% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | 6.2% | 6.1% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | 4.3% | 4.2% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.6% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.6% |
| 2025 | About 3.3% | About 3.5%–3.7% | Low-to-mid 3% range |
| April 2026 | 3.3% | 3.5% | About 3.4% |
Note: County unemployment rates are published monthly and are not seasonally adjusted. Annual averages may be revised by BLS and NYSDOL. The 2020 spike reflects the COVID-19 labor-market shock, while 2022–2026 figures show a return to relatively low unemployment by historical standards.
Top Industries by Employment
Long Island’s employment base is broad, but several sectors consistently account for a large share of regional jobs. Health care, education, retail, professional services, hospitality, construction, and public-sector employment are especially important. NYSDOL’s April 2026 regional update showed year-over-year gains concentrated in private education and health services, while leisure and hospitality remained an important seasonal employer.
| Industry / Sector | Role in Long Island Economy | Recent Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Private Education & Health Services | Largest and most important employment sector, supported by hospitals, medical networks, elder care, private schools, colleges, and social services. | Strongest recent growth sector; NYSDOL reported +10,100 jobs year-over-year in April 2026. |
| Retail Trade | Large employment base tied to shopping centers, local stores, auto dealers, supermarkets, and service businesses. | Stable but sensitive to consumer spending, e-commerce, and seasonal demand. |
| Leisure & Hospitality | Includes restaurants, hotels, entertainment, tourism, and seasonal East End activity. | Seasonal hiring remains important; NYSDOL reported a stronger-than-average spring ramp-up in March and April 2026. |
| Professional & Business Services | Includes legal, accounting, engineering, consulting, administrative, technical, and business-support roles. | Important higher-wage sector, especially in Nassau and western Suffolk. |
| Construction | Supports residential, commercial, public works, infrastructure, and rebuilding activity. | Influenced by interest rates, housing demand, infrastructure projects, and local development approvals. |
| Manufacturing | Includes aerospace, defense, food production, medical devices, electronics, and specialty manufacturing. | Smaller than in prior decades but still important, especially in Suffolk and technology-oriented niches. |
| Government | Includes public schools, local governments, county agencies, public safety, and state/federal employment. | Large and stable, though NYSDOL reported a regional government-sector decline year-over-year in April 2026. |
Average Wages & Higher-Paying Sectors
Average annual wages vary widely by industry and county. Nassau generally has higher average wages than Suffolk because it has a larger concentration of professional, technical, finance, management, legal, and business-services jobs, along with proximity to New York City. Suffolk has a broader mix of health care, education, public-sector, tourism, construction, manufacturing, and logistics-related employment.
The most reliable source for county and industry wage comparisons is the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), which reports employment, establishments, total wages, and average wages by industry and ownership. Because QCEW data can be reported quarterly or annually and may be revised, this page uses wage categories and relative comparisons rather than treating rounded wage estimates as fixed values.
| Industry | Typical Wage Pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | Higher-wage sector | Generally stronger in Nassau and western Suffolk; includes technical, legal, engineering, consulting, and scientific work. |
| Finance, Insurance & Management | Higher-wage sector | Often contributes to Nassau’s wage advantage, though many residents also commute to New York City jobs. |
| Manufacturing | Middle-to-higher wage sector | Includes defense, aerospace, electronics, food production, and specialized manufacturing. |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | Wide wage range | Includes physicians, nurses, technicians, aides, administrators, social-service workers, and support staff. |
| Educational Services | Middle-to-higher wage sector | Includes private education employment and interacts with public-sector education employment in local labor analysis. |
| Retail Trade | Lower-to-middle wage sector | Large employer but average wages are lower than professional, health, or manufacturing sectors. |
| Accommodation & Food Services | Lower average wage sector | Important seasonal and entry-level employer, especially in tourism and restaurant-heavy communities. |
For precise current wage figures by county, ownership, and industry, use the BLS QCEW or NYSDOL QCEW dashboard, selecting Nassau County, Suffolk County, annual or quarterly period, and NAICS industry sector.
Job Growth Trends
- Low unemployment: Nassau and Suffolk unemployment rates remained low in April 2026, at 3.3% and 3.5%, respectively, according to BLS/FRED county unemployment data.
- Moderate private-sector growth: NYSDOL reported that Long Island private-sector jobs increased by 4,300, or 0.4%, over the year to 1,176,300 in April 2026.
- Health and education strength: Private education and health services drove recent job gains, adding 10,100 jobs year-over-year in April 2026.
- Seasonal hospitality hiring: Leisure and hospitality added jobs during the spring hiring ramp-up, reflecting Long Island’s restaurants, events, tourism, and East End seasonal economy.
- Public-sector and industry shifts: Government employment can move differently from private-sector employment; NYSDOL reported a year-over-year government-sector decline in the April 2026 regional update.
- Long-term labor-market pressure: Housing costs, commuting patterns, aging demographics, childcare costs, and out-migration can affect labor supply even when unemployment remains low.
Methodology
- Unemployment rates: Based on BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), also published through NYSDOL and Federal Reserve Economic Data. County rates are generally not seasonally adjusted.
- Labor force numbers: Based on LAUS civilian labor-force estimates, which measure residents by place of residence, not necessarily where they work.
- Jobs by industry: Based primarily on NYSDOL Long Island regional labor-market reports and Current Employment Statistics / QCEW-style industry reporting. Jobs are generally counted by place of work.
- Wage data: Based on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), which includes employment, total wages, average wages, establishments, ownership, and industry classifications.
- Coverage: Employment data may count private-sector jobs, public-sector jobs, covered employment, nonfarm employment, or resident labor force depending on the source. These categories are related but not identical.
- Limitations: Monthly labor data is revised, seasonal hiring can affect month-to-month comparisons, and county unemployment rates should not be directly compared with seasonally adjusted state or national rates without noting the difference.
FAQ
Q: Why is Nassau’s average wage generally higher than Suffolk’s?
A: Nassau has a larger concentration of professional, technical, finance, management, and business-services jobs, and it is closer to New York City’s high-wage labor market. Suffolk has many high-paying jobs as well, but its employment base includes a broader mix of health care, education, retail, tourism, construction, manufacturing, and service-sector work.
Q: Why is health care such a large employment sector on Long Island?
A: Long Island has a large and aging population, major hospital systems, outpatient networks, medical practices, nursing facilities, home-care agencies, and social-service providers. These factors make private education and health services one of the region’s most important job sectors.
Q: Why do labor-force numbers and job numbers differ?
A: Labor-force data counts residents who are working or looking for work, regardless of where their job is located. Job-count data counts jobs located in the region, regardless of where workers live. A Long Island resident who works in New York City is counted in the local labor force but not as a Long Island-based job.
Q: How often is this data updated?
A: County unemployment rates are published monthly. Regional jobs data is updated monthly by NYSDOL, while QCEW employment and wage data is released quarterly and annually, often with revisions.
Q: Are monthly unemployment rates seasonally adjusted?
A: County-level unemployment rates are typically reported as not seasonally adjusted. This means they can reflect seasonal patterns such as summer hiring, school calendars, holiday employment, weather, and tourism cycles.
Data Sources & Updates
Data Last Updated: June 2026.
The employment and economy information presented on this page is compiled from official and public labor-market sources, including the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), NYSDOL Long Island Region labor statistics, NYSDOL labor-market statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), NYSDOL QCEW data tools, and Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) using BLS labor-market series. Data is reviewed periodically and updated as new monthly unemployment figures, regional employment reports, QCEW wage releases, and revised labor-market statistics become available.
Because employment statistics come from multiple reporting systems, figures may not align perfectly across sources. Labor-force estimates, unemployment rates, private-sector jobs, nonfarm employment, covered employment, wages, and industry employment each measure different parts of the labor market. Monthly data may be revised, and county-level rates are generally not seasonally adjusted.
