New Jersey officials predict new jobs

By: Phil Gregory

Even as New Jersey’s unemployment rate reached 9.2 percent in June, its highest point in 32 years, officials say they see some signs of improvement on the jobs front.

By: Phil Gregory
philgregorynews@gmail.com

Even as New Jersey’s unemployment rate reached 9.2 percent in June, its highest point in 32 years, officials say they see some signs of improvement on the jobs front.

Listen:
[audio: 090716pgjobs.mp3]

The Garden State lost 2100 jobs last month, the smallest decline since December 2008. Most of the cuts were in the private sector with the biggest declines in the leisure and hospitality industry. Deputy State Labor Commissioner James Moore says those losses were offset by some gains in employment at grant-making and non profit organizations.

Moore: Those organizations can easily be in a position to begin hiring to be able to have staff in place to start working organizations to get the money out there and develop programs that’s going to result from the stimulus money.

Moore cautions though that it will take time for stimulus programs to have a major effect on hiring. Even as job losses in the state moderated for a second straight month, Moore says it’s too soon to declare that the economy has reached bottom