Long Island gained 700 private-sector jobs in 2025, a 0.1% increase from last year.

Consulting economist Dr. Martin Cantor says the small bump is no surprise.

“We’ve been in a downward spiral of job creation for several years now," said Dr. Martin Cantor, a consulting economist. "It’s no secret that New York state is losing jobs.”

Cantor says companies and job creators are continuing to leave Long Island and New York State for less expensive areas of the country.

“Long Island has systemic high costs, and unless the region deals with those high costs, like property taxes, insurance, health care and energy costs, the Island is going to be in trouble for the next year or so," Cantor said.

State data shows that between August and September, jobs fell by 17,000—far steeper than the typical decline of about 4,600 for that period.

“This year, we had the Ryder Cup and the summer before, we had cricket in Nassau County," Cantor said. "Those created a lot of jobs, but they were temporary.”

The construction sector lost 1,600 jobs this September, which the state says is a record high decline for the month.

Cantor says Long Island’s high costs are shaping not only the workforce, but also the region’s population.

“I think it is unrealistic to assume that we are going to attract a large amount of new people to Long Island because young people can’t afford to live here," he said.

The State Department of Labor says Long Island gained jobs in the private education sector and the health services sector.