NEW YORK CITY—The Rockaways has seen significant population and private sector job growth in the nearly five-and-a-half years since Superstorm Sandy brought massive flooding and devastation onshore to this section of Queens.

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report on Friday that indicated while private sector employment fell 11% between 2011 and 2013, it set a new record of 14,900 jobs in 2016, 400 more than the previous record posted prior to Superstorm Sandy.

Job growth remained strong during the first half of 2017, rising 4.6% or twice the citywide average. Health care was the largest employer in the Rockaways, accounting for 39 percent of all private sector jobs. More than half of the jobs gained between 2013 and 2016 were concentrated in health care, restaurants and bars and personal services, according to the State Comptroller's report.