Business & Tech

Town of North Hempstead's Unemployment Rate Is Markedly Lower

The Town of North Hempstead's rate is well below that of Nassau County.

State unemployment figures released Tuesday indicate a steady, ongoing recovery from the dark days of 2010.

“The recovery seems to be building momentum,” said Jim Brown, labor market analyst for the state Department of Labor, based in New York City. “We saw nice growth in the trade numbers, construction trades, as well as professional services.”

The 's unemployment rate markedly improved from 6.5 percent in February to 5.8 percent in March, according to the New York State Department of Labor. This March's figure is well-below the 6.5 percent of last March.

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The number of unemployed people in the Town went from 7,200 in February to 6,500 in March. The total labor force in North Hempstead is 111,300.

In Nassau County, the rate of unemployment dropped to 6.6 percent, down from 7.2 percent in February and the 7.3 percent recorded a year ago. Suffolk County’s rate was 7.5 in March, down from 8.2 percent a month earlier and 8.1 in March, 2010.

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New York State’s unemployment rate also dropped to 8 percent in March, from 8.7 percent in February and 9.1 percent a year ago.

The numbers were similar in New York City, where the rate dropped to 8.4 percent from 9.1 percent in February. A year ago, New York’s unemployment rate was 10 percent.

The various construction trades continue to be hard hit, with unemployment rates exceeding the regional and state averages. However, these trades are actually showing significant month-to-month improvement, Brown said.

The gains in the construction trades appear to be seasonal in nature, Brown said. But Long Island is seeing a 1 percent annual growth rate in employment. In addition to the jump in seasonal construction jobs, the industries that are hiring tend to be in hospitality and leisure activities.

New York City and the Capital region around Albany were the job leaders coming out of the economic downturn. Long Island is now following suit, he said.

Retail and service jobs are up here. The exception: sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores, state figures show.

Brown said information technology, accounting and law firms are hiring, leading the growth in professional jobs. Nassau and Suffolk counties gained 2,600 jobs in the course of a month, he said.

“The overall picture is of a broadening recovery tied to the improving national economy that is moving forward,” Brown said.


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