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News Release Information

16-1577-NEW
Thursday, July 28, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (646) 264-3623

Occupational Employment and Wages for Selected Food Service Occupations in New York’s Metropolitan Areas – May 2015

Among the 12 metropolitan areas in New York, 5 had hourly wages that were significantly above the national average for combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food. Four areas had above-average wages for food preparation workers, and one had above-average wages for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that New York-Newark-Jersey City was the only metropolitan area to have an average wage significantly above the U.S. average for each of the three selected occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) hourly wage for combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food was $9.47; for food preparation workers, $10.60; and for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, $16.02. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in New York, please see Technical Note.).

 

Table A. Average (mean) hourly wages for selected food service occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2015
AreaCombined food preparation and serving workers, including fast foodFood preparation workersFirst-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

United States

$9.47$10.60$16.02

New York

10.30*11.47*18.12*

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

9.83*10.7316.04

Binghamton

9.6010.3013.59*

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

9.6410.8315.78

Elmira

9.4710.7416.39

Glens Falls

9.9510.9115.38

Ithaca

10.08*14.28*14.96*

Kingston

10.70*11.33*14.12*

New York-Newark-Jersey City

10.57*11.54*19.60*

Dutchess County-Putnam County

10.36*11.0816.46

Nassau County-Suffolk County

10.70*12.46*19.28*

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

10.63*11.50*19.64*

Rochester

9.6610.3715.32

Syracuse

9.6311.18*14.78*

Utica-Rome

9.84*9.83*15.30

Watertown-Fort Drum

9.5511.4813.62*

Note: An asterisk indicates that the mean hourly wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.
 

Of the 12 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the largest numbers of combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food; food preparation workers; and first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, with employment of 236,940 in the three occupations combined. Seventy percent (165,560) of these jobs were located in 1 of the area’s 4 divisions, New York-Jersey City-White Plains. Nassau County-Suffolk County had 38,670 jobs in the three food service occupations, and Dutchess County-Putnam County had 3,880. Combined employment for these three occupations in the remaining metropolitan areas in New York was over 76,000. (See table B. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area includes another division, Newark, containing no counties in New York; its data have not been presented in this release.)

 

Table B. Employment of selected food service occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2015
AreaCombined food preparation and serving workers, including fast foodFood preparation workersFirst-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

United States

3,216,460862,740884,090

New York

147,47059,82047,240

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

8,4603,1002,180

Binghamton

2,520760590

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

13,2103,2003,230

Elmira

740280150

Glens Falls

900430420

Ithaca

770490280

Kingston

1,250450360

New York-Newark-Jersey City

129,42062,16045,360

Dutchess County-Putnam County

1,7001,460720

Nassau County-Suffolk County

24,3507,7206,600

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

87,07045,81032,680

Rochester

10,2403,1603,090

Syracuse

6,1401,7601,640

Utica-Rome

2,740840800

Watertown-Fort Drum

1,330430280
Wages for combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food in metropolitan areas in New York

In the Kingston metropolitan area, combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food earned $10.70, significantly above the U.S. average of $9.47. Four other areas also had average wages significantly above the national average: New York-Newark-Jersey City ($10.57), Ithaca ($10.08), Utica-Rome ($9.84), and Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($9.83). Seven areas had wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation. (See chart 1.)

 

Wages for food preparation workers in metropolitan areas in New York

The Ithaca area had a mean hourly wage of $14.28 for food preparation workers, significantly above the U.S. average of $10.60. New York-Newark-Jersey City ($11.54), Kingston ($11.33), and Syracuse ($11.18) also had above-average wages for this occupation. Utica-Rome ($9.83) was the only area that had wages significantly below the national average for food preparation workers. Food preparation workers in the seven remaining areas earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation. (See chart 2.)

 

Wages for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in metropolitan areas in New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City ($19.60) was the only area to report wages significantly higher than the national average for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers. Five metropolitan areas had average wages that were significantly lower than the $16.02 national average, including Ithaca ($14.96), Syracuse ($14.78), and Kingston ($14.12). First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in the six remaining areas in New York earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

 

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the New York State Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Notes on Occupational Employment Statistics Data

With the issuance of data for May 2015, the OES program has incorporated redefined metropolitan area definitions as designated by the Office of Management and Budget. OES data are available for 394 metropolitan areas, 38 metropolitan divisions, and 167 OES-defined nonmetropolitan areas. A listing of the areas and their definitions can be found at www.bls.gov/oes/current/msa_def.htm.

A value that is statistically different from another does not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical significance is concerned with the ability to make confident statements about a universe based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and heterogeneity of the sample affect the relative error of the data being tested.


Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES program produces employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations for all industries combined in the nation; the 50 states and the District of Columbia; 432 metropolitan areas and divisions; 167 nonmetropolitan areas; and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. National estimates are also available by industry for NAICS sectors, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industries, and by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 sampled establishments in May and November each year. May 2015 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, and November 2012. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 73.5 percent based on establishments and 69.6 percent based on weighted sampled employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.9 percent of total national employment. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2015 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties in New York.
  • Binghamton, N.Y. MSA includes Broome and Tioga Counties in New York.
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.
  • Elmira, N.Y. MSA includes Chemung County in New York.
  • Glens Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Warren and Washington Counties in New York.
  • Ithaca, N.Y. MSA includes Tompkins County in New York.
  • Kingston, N.Y. MSA includes Ulster County in New York.
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. MSA includes the following:
    • Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York.
    • Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. MD includes Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.
    • New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. MD includes Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties in New Jersey; and Bronx, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York.
    • Newark, N.J.-Pa. MD includes Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
  • Rochester, N.Y. MSA includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York.
  • Syracuse, N.Y. MSA includes Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties in New York.
  • Utica-Rome, N.Y. MSA includes Herkimer and Oneida Counties in New York.
  • Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. MSA includes Jefferson County in New York.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, July 28, 2016