Unemployment Statistics for Southampton Released

The New York State Department of Labor has released its latest unemployment rates for the Town of Southampton. According to the report, the town's unemployment rate for November sits at 7.8 percent, which equates to a .4 percent difference from 2009.

"The good news is that the job count stayed positive from a year ago. The momentum has been weaker than we'd like to see, but it's still positive," said Gary Hutch, labor market analyst for the Department of Labor.

Huth says he does not want the public to see the numbers as discouraging.

"I'm not reading this as a real solid sign that the improvement in the economy has stalled," he said. "It's not a terrible number, but it's weaker than we'd like to see."

The November reports states that Southampton's unemployment rate has increased 1.2 percent since October and of the town's 31,604-strong labor force, some 2,456 are currently unemployed.

The statistics for Southampton are in line with neighboring towns, including Riverhead, which has an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, Brookhaven, which has a rate of 7.3 percent, and Smithtown, at 6.3 percent.

In analyzing what the report means to Southampton, Bob Schepps, president of the , said, "At a glance the stats are lower than the national average. I can only say that we are seasonal employers. Most businesses that do stay open for the year roll back their payrolls. With credit tight as it is, I believe we will see more owner-operated hands-on until the uncertainly in Washington is settled and the health care issue is solved."

Until then, those who are unemployed struggle to find work and, in severe cases, find themselves in poverty without a place to live. 

Maureen's Haven, a non-profit organization that aids the homeless on the twin forks, has reported finding that demand for services is growing.

On average, Maureen's Haven accommodates up to 40 homeless people a night.

Proof that families are hurting came in the form of poverty statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau early last week. According to those statistics, there has been a steady rise in child poverty since 2007.