One of the major objectives of the workforce development system is to encourage local workforce development boards (LWDBs) to plan strategically and focus their resources in priority industries (and eventually on priority occupations within those industries). To assist in this effort, the New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Research and Statistics decided to concentrate this series of reports on industries identified as “significant industries.”

Significant industries were identified on the basis of job counts, wage levels, job growth (both net and percent) over the 2013-2018 period, and expected job growth based on industry employment projections through 2026. Priority industries that may have been designated as such by economic development or workforce development officials were also considered. Industries presented here are classified according to their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

We hope that local workforce investment boards, as well as others involved in the workforce system, may find these reports helpful in allocating their limited resources.