ALBANY -- New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the state public workers pension posted a positive return of about 2.5 percent for the 2007-08 fiscal year, despite a rocky year on Wall Street.

The growth was far below last year's rate of more than 12 percent.

More than 1 million state employees and retirees are enrolled in the nearly $154 billion fund.

The retirement fund saw positive returns in seven of its eight types of assets. The most successful asset was investments in companies that aren't publicly traded, with a nearly 25 percent return. Investments in brick and mortar real estate followed with nearly 15 percent returns.

The gains come as investments in the U.S. stock market posted losses of more than 6 percent.