Once again this month, the state Labor Department trumpeted New York’s statewide jobs gains – 39,800 new private sector jobs in February 2022, to be exact. That’s an increase of 6.3% from February 2021. Chautauqua County’s private sector employment increased by 400 (1.1%) over the past year to 36,400. That number was 39,828 in the second quarter of 2019, according to federal data.

That’s the sort of economic recovery $270 billion in federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars buys in New York state. Rather than trumpeting the jobs figures each month, the state Labor Department should maybe switch to a kazoo.

Two years after the pandemic began, New York still has 5.4% fewer jobs than it had pre-pandemic. That’s the second-largest job loss in the country behind only Hawaii’s 10.4%, according to the Empire Center for New York State Policy. To make matters worse, job counts in 15 states have surpassed their pre-pandemic employment levels — including some of those states led by Republican governors like Florida (2.4% more jobs than before the pandemic), Texas (2.2% more jobs) and Georgia (2.1% more jobs).

So instead of virtue signaling at those states’ decisions as New York politicians do so often, New York’s governor and legislature should take a cue from what those states are doing right in economic development, education and tax policy.

Florida, Texas and Georgia deserve to trumpet their monthly job announcements. New York, on the other hand, should keep its kazoo handy.