Slight Rise in Town of Hempstead Unemployment

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 unemployment rate for the month was 7.3 percent, up from 7.1 percent in October. It was also 7.0 percent in November 2009. 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.

Still, Levittown Chamber of Commerce President Ann Torcivia says more improvement is needed in Levittown.

"I think our businesses are still struggling as we have way too many empty store fronts and some people may not shop here," she said. "We need more businesses to come back to our lovely community so more people can shop locally."

Donald Patane, owner of Main Street Financial Group and board member of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce, voiced the same concerns for the community.

"We have a lot of empty space along Hempstead Turnpike," said Patane. "We have to open our arms to new business. More industry, more employment helps with the tax rolls. Just imagine the jobs that would be created if a large department store moved into the old Kmart building."

Patane added that jobs in retail are picking up, at least temporarily, for the holiday season as Levittown stores take on extra workers to deal with the Christmas rush.

Huth also noted that 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."

Nina Ruggiero contributed to this article.