Jim Diffley, chief regional economist at IHS, credits a strong upstate region in helping New York join four other states in returning to pre-recession employment levels...

“The biggest problem in 2008-09 was the aftermath of the real estate bubble bursting. And outside of metropolitan New York City, New York State was pretty well insulated from that. It didn’t have the big run up in home prices and it didn’t have the big run down.”

Diffley says New York has also benefitted from exports and manufacturing activity. He says that's been the strongest sector helping with a slow recovery.

Diffley says sometime this year the state should pass its previous peak employment levels, set in 2007.

Diffley adds it's the private sector that's leading the way in job creation, as the public sector is dragging generally everywhere.