Nassau, Hempstead Town Unemployment Up Slightly

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

In Nassau, the unemployment rate rose to 7 percent, up from 6.8 percent in October and 6.7 percent in November 2009. 

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.

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.

Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce President Bill Gaylor said the slight decrease in unemployment is likely due to seasonal hiring, but he hopes the number goes down even further in the near future.

"It shows the economy is not really getting that much better — we're stagnated," Gaylor said. "People are still celebrating the holidays, but they're not buying the big-ticket items."

Gaylor also expressed optimism that the extension of the federal tax cuts and unemployment benefits — recently passed by the House and Senate and expected to be signed by the President — will help the employment situation. Small businesses like his , Gaylor said, are the ones that create most of the jobs.

"It's the greatest thing [Washington] could have done," he said. "Now all of us who are in the business of trying to properly prepare our financial plans for the future now have the game plan for the next two years."