New York leading nation in job recovery

New York is leading the nation in recouping jobs lost in the Great Recession — with 76 percent recovered during 2011 compared to just 29 percent nationally.

“New York State’s economic recovery is stronger than first anticipated,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement, citing the state’s top rate.

New York is trailing Texas, however, in the most overall private jobs created in the past month, as well as all of 2011 — giving both Cuomo and Gov. Rick Perry bragging rights on strong comebacks for their turfs.

The Department of Labor yesterday said New York created 139,300 new jobs during 2011, second only to Texas, with 258,200. For January, New York added 44,000 new jobs, trailing Texas, with 67,200 new jobs.

New York’s payroll totaled 8.8 million people in January, while Texas had 10.7 million.

The report also said that the teen unemployment rate hit a record 24 percent in January, the highest since 1948 when record-keeping on teens began.

Washington, DC, had the highest teen jobless rate, at 48 percent, while New York was 17th, at 25.9 percent, followed by No. 18 Texas, at 25.6 percent.