Long Island Employment & Economy Statistics (Nassau & Suffolk)
Employment is one of the clearest measures of economic activity on Long Island. With nearly 3 million residents across Nassau County and Suffolk County, the region supports a large workforce spanning health care, education, retail, professional services, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, finance, government, transportation, and thousands of small businesses.
Long Island labor statistics are measured in several different ways. Resident labor-force data counts people who live in Nassau and Suffolk, regardless of where they work. Establishment-based employment counts jobs physically located in the region, regardless of where the employee lives. This distinction is particularly important on Long Island because many residents commute to New York City and other areas for work.
This page uses the latest available public data from the New York State Department of Labor, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, and related official labor-market releases.
Key Facts & Details
| Employment Measure | Latest Figure | Reference Period |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Civilian Labor Force | 1.557 million | July 2026, preliminary |
| Long Island Resident Employment | 1.497 million | July 2026, preliminary |
| Long Island Unemployed Residents | 59,500 | July 2026, preliminary |
| Long Island Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | July 2026, not seasonally adjusted |
| Nassau County Unemployment Rate | 3.7% | July 2026 |
| Suffolk County Unemployment Rate | 3.9% | July 2026 |
| Total Nonfarm Jobs Located on Long Island | 1,389,500 | August 2026, preliminary |
| Private-Sector Jobs | 1,194,100 | August 2026 |
| Private-Sector Job Change | -800 jobs (-0.1%) | August 2025 to August 2026 |
| Largest Year-Over-Year Private Job Gain | Education & Health Services: +10,300 | August 2025 to August 2026 |
| Nassau Average Weekly Wage | $1,607 | Q1 2026 QCEW |
| Suffolk Average Weekly Wage | $1,656 | Q1 2026 QCEW |
Sources: New York State Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Monthly labor-force and payroll data are preliminary and subject to revision. County unemployment rates and Long Island regional monthly figures shown here are not seasonally adjusted.
Current Labor Force & Unemployment
The latest county-level unemployment figures available when this page was reviewed are for July 2026. The New York State Department of Labor reported a 3.7% unemployment rate in Nassau County and 3.9% in Suffolk County. The combined Nassau-Suffolk labor market had an unemployment rate of 3.8%.
| July 2026 Resident Labor Measure | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | ≈731,100 | ≈826,000 | ≈1,557,000 |
| Employed Residents | ≈704,100 | ≈793,400 | ≈1,497,400 |
| Unemployed Residents | ≈27,000 | ≈32,600 | ≈59,500 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| July 2025 Rate | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.7% |
Compared with July 2025, the unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in Nassau, Suffolk, and the combined region. Resident employment nevertheless increased over the year by approximately 7,400 in Nassau and 8,000 in Suffolk, while the civilian labor force also grew.
Because these figures are not seasonally adjusted, the most meaningful monthly comparison is generally the same month one year earlier. Summer employment, school schedules, tourism, seasonal hiring, and other recurring factors can affect month-to-month rates.
Recent 2026 Long Island Unemployment Trend
| Month | Civilian Labor Force | Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 1.523 million | 1.466 million | 56,700 | 3.7% |
| April 2026 | 1.518 million | 1.466 million | 51,200 | 3.4% |
| May 2026 | 1.526 million | 1.472 million | 54,100 | 3.5% |
| June 2026 | 1.535 million | 1.481 million | 54,200 | 3.5% |
| July 2026 | 1.557 million | 1.497 million | 59,500 | 3.8% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Nassau-Suffolk Economy at a Glance and NYSDOL Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Figures are not seasonally adjusted and July 2026 data is preliminary.
The increase in the number of unemployed residents between spring and July does not necessarily mean that jobs were disappearing at the same pace. The labor force itself expanded by roughly 39,000 people between April and July, meaning more residents were working or actively looking for work.
Jobs Located on Long Island
Employment located within Nassau and Suffolk Counties is measured separately from the resident labor force. The establishment-based job series counts jobs at Long Island workplaces even if the employee lives somewhere else.
In August 2026, the region had approximately 1,389,500 total nonfarm jobs, according to BLS. The New York State Department of Labor reported 1,194,100 private-sector jobs, down 800 jobs, or 0.1%, from August 2025. Total nonfarm employment was essentially unchanged over the year.
The overall headline masks significant differences among industries. Only three of the nine major private-sector groups gained jobs over the year, while government employment also increased.
Employment by Major Industry
| Industry | August 2026 Jobs | 12-Month Change |
|---|---|---|
| Education & Health Services | 320,800 | +3.3% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities | 249,600 | -0.5% |
| Professional & Business Services | 188,400 | +0.3% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 145,400 | -3.9% |
| Mining, Logging & Construction | 82,600 | -1.7% |
| Manufacturing | 67,800 | -1.3% |
| Financial Activities | 66,300 | -4.1% |
| Other Services | 60,100 | +2.0% |
| Information | 13,100 | -4.4% |
| Government | 195,400 | +0.6% |
| Total Nonfarm Employment | 1,389,500 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nassau County-Suffolk County Economy at a Glance, August 2026 preliminary establishment data. Job counts are not seasonally adjusted.
Private education and health services continued to be the region’s strongest job generator. NYSDOL reported that the sector added 10,300 jobs from August 2025 to August 2026. Other services added 1,200 jobs and professional and business services added 600. Government employment increased by approximately 1,100.
Several major sectors contracted over the same period. Leisure and hospitality was down 3.9%, financial activities declined 4.1%, information fell 4.4%, construction declined 1.7%, manufacturing fell 1.3%, and trade, transportation and utilities decreased 0.5%.
County Employment & Wages
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages provides a different and particularly detailed view of the local economy. QCEW uses unemployment-insurance records and covers the large majority of wage and salary employment. It reports establishments, covered employment, and wages by county and industry.
The most recent county wage release available when this page was reviewed covers the first quarter of 2026. Contrary to the assumption that Nassau always has the higher average wage, Suffolk’s average weekly wage was slightly higher during this period.
| Q1 2026 QCEW Measure | Nassau County | Suffolk County |
|---|---|---|
| Covered Establishments | 56,318 | 56,066 |
| Covered Employment, March 2026 | 630,639 | 681,732 |
| Employment Change, March 2025-2026 | -0.9% | -1.3% |
| Average Weekly Wage | $1,607 | $1,656 |
| Average Weekly Wage Change | +5.0% | +6.6% |
For comparison, the national average weekly wage in the first quarter of 2026 was $1,654. Suffolk’s $1,656 average was approximately equal to the national level, while Nassau’s $1,607 average was somewhat lower. New York State’s overall average was substantially higher at $2,363, influenced heavily by high-paying employment concentrated in New York City.
Average weekly wage is not the same as median worker earnings. Averages can be affected by unusually high-paying industries, bonuses, executive compensation, part-time employment, and changes in the mix of workers. QCEW wage figures are best used to compare covered payroll employment across counties and industries rather than to estimate the salary of a typical individual worker.
Recent Job Growth Has Been Uneven
The 2026 data shows a labor market that remains large and relatively stable but is not experiencing broad-based job growth. Private-sector employment declined slightly over the year through August even as education and health services continued to expand.
The health and education sector’s growth is significant because it is already the largest major private employment category on Long Island. Hospitals, physician networks, outpatient facilities, nursing and residential care, home health services, social assistance, private schools, colleges, and related organizations support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the region.
At the same time, weakness in leisure and hospitality, finance, information, manufacturing, construction, and trade shows that a low unemployment rate does not necessarily mean every part of the economy is expanding. Residents can remain highly employed even while the number of jobs located in particular industries declines.
Resident Workers vs. Long Island Jobs
One of the most important concepts in Long Island employment statistics is the difference between people and jobs. Local Area Unemployment Statistics measure residents. Current Employment Statistics and QCEW measure jobs at workplaces.
A Nassau County resident who commutes to Manhattan is counted as an employed Nassau resident in the labor-force data, but that person’s job is counted in New York City for establishment-based employment statistics. Conversely, someone who lives in Queens but works at a hospital in Nassau County contributes to Long Island’s workplace job count but not to its resident labor force.
This explains why Long Island can have a civilian labor force of roughly 1.56 million people while the regional nonfarm job count is approximately 1.39 million. The two statistics measure different economic populations and should not be expected to match.
2025 Annual Unemployment Benchmark
Annual-average unemployment rates provide a better year-to-year benchmark than comparing unrelated individual months. According to the BLS annual Local Area Unemployment Statistics series, Nassau County’s unemployment rate averaged 3.3% during 2025, while Suffolk County averaged approximately 3.5%.
These annual averages remain far below the extraordinary unemployment levels recorded during the 2020 pandemic disruption. Since that shock, Long Island’s unemployment rate has generally returned to the low single digits, although monthly readings continue to move with seasonal and economic conditions.
Broader Economic Context
Employment is only one part of the regional economy. Wage growth, inflation, housing costs, commuting expenses, population change, and consumer spending all affect how economic conditions are experienced by households.
The BLS Consumer Price Index for the broader New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area was 4.3% higher in August 2026 than one year earlier. This CPI measure covers a much larger metropolitan area than Long Island and should not be interpreted as a Nassau-Suffolk-specific inflation rate, but it provides regional context for the purchasing power of wages and household income.
Long Island also continues to face a combination of high housing costs, substantial commuting expenses, an aging population, and migration pressures. Those factors can influence labor-force participation, recruitment, employee retention, and where employers choose to locate jobs even when headline unemployment remains relatively low.
Understanding the Labor Market Data
The unemployment rate does not measure everyone without a job. A person must be without employment, available for work, and actively seeking employment or meet certain recall criteria to be classified as unemployed. People who are not working and are not in the labor force are not included in the unemployment rate.
County rates are not seasonally adjusted. Seasonal hiring, school schedules, tourism, weather, and other recurring patterns can move Nassau and Suffolk unemployment rates during the year. Year-over-year comparisons of the same month are generally more informative than simply comparing consecutive months.
One worker can differ from one job. A person holding multiple payroll jobs can be counted more than once in establishment employment statistics, while the household labor-force survey counts each employed person once.
Private-sector jobs and total nonfarm jobs are different measures. Total nonfarm employment includes government jobs. In August 2026, Long Island had approximately 1.194 million private-sector jobs and 1.390 million total nonfarm jobs.
QCEW and monthly payroll employment also differ. QCEW is based primarily on unemployment-insurance records and provides detailed county and industry wage information. Monthly establishment employment is designed to provide faster estimates and is released much sooner.
Methodology
- Resident labor force: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and corresponding NYSDOL releases. These estimates measure people by place of residence.
- Latest county unemployment rates: July 2026 preliminary figures from NYSDOL. Nassau was 3.7%, Suffolk was 3.9%, and the combined Nassau-Suffolk area was 3.8%.
- Monthly job counts: BLS Current Employment Statistics and NYSDOL Long Island regional reports. These figures count jobs by place of work.
- Latest regional job data: August 2026 preliminary figures. Long Island had 1,389,500 total nonfarm jobs and 1,194,100 private-sector jobs.
- County employment and wages: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. The newest county release available for this review covers first-quarter 2026 employment and average weekly wages.
- QCEW coverage: Includes employment covered by state unemployment-insurance programs and federal civilian workers covered by Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees.
- Average weekly wages: QCEW averages are calculated from total covered wages and employment and are not equivalent to median salaries.
- Inflation context: The New York-Newark-Jersey City CPI is a broader metropolitan measure and is not a Long Island-only price index.
- Revisions: Monthly labor-market estimates are routinely revised as additional information becomes available. QCEW data can also be revised after initial publication.
Data Sources & Updates
Data reviewed: September 23, 2026.
Latest regional payroll data: August 2026.
Latest county unemployment data: July 2026.
Latest county QCEW wage data: First quarter 2026.
The primary sources for this page are the New York State Department of Labor Long Island regional statistics, NYSDOL Local Area Unemployment Statistics, the BLS Nassau County-Suffolk County Economy at a Glance, the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, and the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
The most recent BLS county employment and wage release reviewed for this page was published in September 2026 and covers the first quarter of 2026. It reported 630,639 covered jobs in Nassau County and 681,732 in Suffolk County in March, with average weekly wages of $1,607 and $1,656, respectively.
Long Island’s current labor market combines low unemployment with relatively little overall payroll growth. Health and education continue to add jobs, but several other private industries contracted over the year through August 2026. At the same time, county wage data shows meaningful pay growth in both Nassau and Suffolk. Future monthly and quarterly releases may revise these figures and will provide a clearer picture of whether the region’s employment base returns to broader growth.
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