Unemployment in New York holds at 8.2 percent

New York state’s total unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent in February, a figure unchanged from January but down from 8.8 percent last February.

On a seasonally adjusted basis — a process that weeds out monthly fluctuations in employment — the state added a total of 100 private sector jobs from January to February. Private sector job growth has been strongest in the downstate region, including Long Island, according to the state labor department.

The Long Island’s unemployment rate will not be released until Tuesday because of changes in federal regulations, according to Michael Crowell, a senior economist at the New York State Department of Labor.

However, jobs data was released for the region. Long Island gained a total of 12,100 private and public sector jobs between February 2010 and 2011, records show. The biggest gains were in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, which had an 8.7 percent increase over last February; and in the amusement, gambling and recreation industries, which saw a 7.9 percent increase over the same time period.

The biggest job losers on Long Island between February 2010 and 2011 were couriers and messengers, whose field lost 7.5 percent of jobs year-over-year; and natural resources, mining and construction, which saw a 6.2 percent loss of jobs in the same 12 months.

State government hospitals also saw jobs decline by 5.6 percent during the year.