The leisure and hospitality industry was Syracuse’s fastest-growing job sector through August, according to state data.

The workforce in the sector grew by over 8% between August 2024 and August 2025, according to data from the New York State Department of Labor . That was a faster growth rate than any other job sector tracked by the department.

The local growth rate also outpaced the national increase in jobs of about 1%, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics . The August figures are the most recent available.

The leisure and hospitality sector includes businesses like hotels and restaurants.

The sector saw 2,300 new jobs over a one-year time span from August 2024 to August 2025. There are now 30,800 jobs in the sector in the Syracuse metro area, which includes Mad

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