Sunset Park’s economy has been growing at a rapid rate over the last decade with new industries and thousands of new jobs, according to the state comptroller.
Thomas DiNapoli released a report on the neighborhood Wednesday and found the number of new businesses increased by 56% between 2000 and 2014, four times faster than the citywide rate during that time period.
Private-sector employment went up by nearly 10% over the past two years, with a record 39,920 jobs.
“There is no question that Sunset Park is a neighborhood on the rise,” DiNapoli said.
Health care jobs are number one in the area, accounting for a quarter of the jobs, the report said. NYU-Lutheran, which bought additional property next to its Sunset Park location, is the neighborhood’s largest employer.
The second biggest sector is retail trade — with companies taking advantage of the Brooklyn Army Terminal’s facilities.
Kenesha Phillip, the area operations manager for the online retail catalog site Uncommon Goods, said the facility’s space and location meets her business’s needs.
“We have been able to run our entire operation under one roof,” she said.
DiNapoli is pushing the city to create more affordable housing and transportation options in the neighborhood.
“The city and private sector should continue to invest here,” he said.
