New York continued to pull out of the population decline of the 1970s during the last decade, but growth in the state still lagged behind most of the country, according to a new report by The Public Policy Institute, the research affiliate of The Business Council of New York State.

While New York grew at less than half the national rate in the 1990s, its growth of 5.5 percent was more than double that of the 1980s, the report shows. The state's growth in the 1990s ranked 42nd among the 50 states.

New York's population growth during the decade was "slow but real," said the report, "New Yorkers at the Millennium." It was written by Paul Wing, president of Planning and Research Services, Inc.

The 1990s saw Texas usurp New York's place as the nation's second-most populous state. Census Bureau estimates show that, by 2020, New York will drop from third to fourth in population among the states behind Florida, the report said. Such a drop would reflect continuing movement of people from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West.

"This is a trend that will be difficult to stop, let alone reverse," the report stated. The report also found that:

•Population growth in New York is due mostly to foreign immigration. The influx of immigrants into the state during the 1990s transformed what would have been a population decline of 519,000 into an increase of nearly one million.

•Growth during the 1990s was centered in New York City. The city's population increased by 9.4 percent compared to 2.8 percent for the rest of the state, and the population of upstate cities continued their downward trend.

•New York's population is becoming older. The number of people in the 25-to-34 age group declined 12.1 percent in the 1990s. At the same time, the number of people 65 and older increased by 3.6 percent.

•The state's minority population continues to grow. One in three people in New York state and 52.3 percent of people in New York City were members of minority groups in 2000.

The report also studies a number of other demographic and economic trends including education, employment and income.

"New Yorkers at the Millennium" highlights the major industry shifts that have occurred in the state. Among these is the transition from manufacturing and to service jobs and the large number of people now employed in the government sector.

"Workers in industries and occupations on the decline are having difficulty making their way into the industries and occupation on the rise. Many people look back with nostalgia - and sometimes with anger - as the 'good old days' disappear from view," Wing said.

"As the complexity of our organizations and products increases, and as the pace of change accelerates, it will be increasingly important for corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions, to work together to retain and enhance our preeminent status in the evolving global economy."