According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provisional estimates, in July 2003 the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force in New York numbered 9,365,400, with approximately 571,600 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 6.1%, compared to the national average of 6.2% for the same period. Since the beginning of the BLS data series in 1978, the highest unemployment rate recorded was 9.2% in April 1983. The historical low was 3.9% in April 1988. In 2001, an estimated 4.7% of the labor force was employed in construction; 10.9% in manufacturing; 5.6% in transportation, communications, and public utilities; 17.3% in trade; 7.5% in finance, insurance, and real estate; 29.5% in services; 16.4% in government; and 1.1% in agriculture.
The labor force participation rate of women increased from 42.0% in 1974 to 55.8% in 1998. Over the same period, participation rates for men declined from 75.9% to 71.4%. Among minority groups, the unemployment rate in 1998 was 11.4% for blacks and 8.9% for Hispanics. At the turn of the 20th century, working conditions in New York were among the worst in the country. The flood of immigrants into the labor market and the absence of labor laws to protect them led to the development in New York City of cramped, ill-lit, poorly ventilated, and unhealthy factories—the sweatshops for which the garment industry became notorious. Since that time working conditions in the garment factories have improved, primarily through the efforts of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union and, later, its sister organization, the Amalgamated Clothing and Textiles Workers Union.
According to the US Census Bureau, 1,899,800 workers belonged to unions in 1998. That figure represented nearly 25.4% of the work force; 19.5% of workers in the private manufacturing sector belonged to unions in 1998. Under the Taylor Law, public employees do not have the right to strike. Penalties for striking may be exacted against both the unions and their leaders.
The US Department of Labor reported that in 2002, 1,987,000 of New York's 7,844,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of unions. This represented 25.3% of those so employed, down from 26.4% in 2001. The national average is 13.2%. New York, one of only four states with union membership over 20%, ranked first in the nation in union membership. New York ranked 2nd to California in the largest number of union members. In all, 2,088,000 workers (26.6%) were represented by unions. In addition to union members, this category includes workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union contract.