ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state leads the nation in nonprofit jobs and the wages they support.

According to a report released Tuesday by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, New York had more than 1.4 million nonprofit jobs paying more than $78 billion in 2017.

Nonprofit organizations employ nearly 18% of the state's private-sector workforce, the third highest percentage in the nation after Vermont and Maine. Nonprofits employee 10 percent of private-sector workers nationally.

In some areas of New York, including the Mohawk Valley and the Southern Tier, nonprofits make up nearly one in four non-public sector jobs.

DiNapoli, a Democrat, says the numbers show the organizations play a vital role in the state's economy, in addition to providing important community services.

The report also found that nonprofit wages have grown faster than other jobs.

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