New York Top-3 In U.S. In Greatest Workforce Losses: Study

NEW YORK — New York state is tied for third in the United States for the greatest loss in the workforce between 2017 and 2021, according to a study by Skynova. All industries were taken into account.

New York saw a 7.6 percent decline in the workforce, which is tied with Vermont. Here are the five lowest states in terms of workforce retention, according to Skynova:

• Hawaii: -20 percent
• Washington D.C.: -9.1 percent
• New York: -7.6 percent
• Vermont: -7.6 percent
• Louisiana: -6.4 percent

Idaho (13.8 percent), Utah (11.4 percent), and Arizona (7.8 percent) were the top-3 states in workforce growth, according to the study.

New York's decline in the workforce is likely tied to the number of people who have already left the state or plan on leaving.

For people on the move to and from New York in 2021, 63.1 percent left compared to the 36.9 percent moving in, the 45th Annual National Movers Study by United Van Lines found.

Roughly 39 percent of 1,000 New Yorkers surveyed say they plan to move out of the state, while 37 percent of those people cited high taxes as their primary reason for leaving, according to Unite NY, which cited a recent poll conducted by John Zogby Strategies.