State Labor Department: Top 5 trending jobs for Western New York region in 2017

Agency encourages job seekers to explore thousands of jobs online with 'Jobs Express'

The New York State Department of Labor announced the Western New York region's top five trending jobs for 2017 - selected by labor market analysts based on occupational survey data and the projected needs of their region.

The following job titles are likely to see greater-than-average growth and offer above-average wages through the end of 2017:

• Physician assistants ($93,880)
• Computer systems analysts ($71,650)
• Diagnostic medical sonographers ($67,010)
• Brickmasons and blockmasons ($65,510)
• Accountants and auditors ($64,000)

"A variety of new and exciting sectors are seeing tremendous growth in our state," New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. "New York's private sector job count is at an all-time high, and the state's economy continues to diversify with many new and exciting industries taking root here. I urge anyone looking for work or thinking about a new career to reach out to the department and let us help you in your job search."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's "Jobs Express" website (http://www.jobs.ny.gov/) currently has tens of thousands of jobs available that can be sorted by region, occupation, ZIP code and travel distance.

There is no fee to use the site for job seekers or businesses. The Department of Labor said that, by listing open positions on "Jobs Express," businesses can save an estimated average of $8,000 per year. Businesses interested in listing their jobs can visit www.labor.ny.gov/hire or call 800-HIRE-992.

The Department of Labor also said job seekers can improve their job search skills and learn about training for trending jobs at their nearest career center, which they can find at: www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator. In 2016, more than 200,000 people served in a Department of Labor career center found employment.

Employment projections are based on staffing patterns derived from the occupational employment statistics program, and are based on past and current industrial and occupational trends. They serve to illustrate likely employment patterns, barring major changes from past trends, and, though not exact, represent the best possible estimates of future job trends.

About New York's Economy

New York's private sector job count is 8,035,600, a record high. Since the beginning of Cuomo's administration, New York's economy has added 941,500 private-sector jobs. It experienced employment growth in 62 of the past 73 months. As of January, the state's unemployment rate stands at 4.6 percent.