Slight Rise in Town, County Unemployment Rates

Unemployment in both Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead increased slightly in November, according to statistics released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

The Town of Hempstead unemployment rate for November was 7.3 percent, an increase from 7.1 percent in October and 7.0 percent the year prior. The unemployment rate had been as low as 6.7 percent in April. There were 28,436 Town of Hempstead residents without jobs last month, compared to 27,804 in October, and 27,132 this time last year.

In Nassau, the unemployment rate rose to 7 percent, up from 6.8 percent in October and 6.7 percent in November 2009. There were 48,175 unemployed Nassau County residents in November, up from 46,994 in October, and 46,150 a year ago.

Despite the increased unemployment rate, Gary Huth, Long Island's labor market analyst for the New York State Department of Labor, said the job market could be bouncing back.

"The good news is the job count stayed positive from a year ago," Huth said. "The momentum has been weaker than we'd like to see, but it's still positive."

Huth said the increase in unemployment was likely because of weak hiring in the retail sector.

But business services, manufacturing, financial services and professional services were all picking up, Huth said. The biggest year-over-year gain was in state government and education, where jobs jumped 13.2 percent. Also in the last year, broadcasting (non-Internet) was up 6.2 percent and educational services moved up 3.5 percent.

Also up more than expected: the construction industry, which increased by 3.4 percent.

An October job fair at Nassau Community College in Garden City enabled prospective employees meet with over 40 companies, including larger corporations like Jet Blue and FedEx. Local residents Christopher Cox and Oliver Rodriguez believe there is a need for work in the area. "We heard about this by word of mouth and we're just trying to find a job," Rodriguez said.

Huth expects job opportunities to increase. He notes temp hiring is up – a positive indicator. As businesses grow, "they tend to hire temp workers first and move them from temp to perm."

"There can be ups and downs," Huth pointed out. "There may be some bumps, but the momentum definitely seems to be moving forward."

Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.