Estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show total nonfarm wage and salary employment in New Jersey increased by 60,200 in September to a seasonally adjusted level of 3.87 million. Gains were recorded in both the private (+42,600) and public (+17,600) sectors of the state’s economy.
New Jersey has now regained a total of 467,600 jobs in the five months since April, or about 56% of the jobs lost due to the coronavirus pandemic and measures taken in response to it. In comparison, the nation has recovered 52% of lost jobs.
The state’s unemployment rate fell by 4.4 percentage points in September to 6.7%, a drop attributed to workers leaving the labor force altogether, officials said. The national unemployment rate for September was 7.9%.
Based on more complete reporting from employers, previously released total nonfarm employment estimates for August were revised lower by 2,000 to show an over-the-month (July – August) increase of 64,000 jobs. Preliminary estimates had indicated an over-the-month gain of 66,000 jobs. The state’s August unemployment rate was revised higher by 0.2 percentage point to 11.1%.
In September, employment increases were recorded in eight out of nine major private industry sectors. Sectors that recorded employment increases include leisure and hospitality (+18,800), trade, transportation, and utilities (+7,700), professional and business services (+4,900), education and health services (+3,800), other services (+2,900), construction (+2,500), financial activities (+1,300), and manufacturing (+800).
Sectors that recorded a decrease in September include information (-100). The public sector recorded an increase of 17,600 over the month, mainly due to increases at the local level (+22,600).
Estimates of industry employment and unemployment levels are arrived at through the use of two different monthly surveys.
Industry employment data are derived through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, a monthly survey of approximately 4,000 New Jersey business establishments, which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data broken down by industry for the nation as a whole, all states and most major metropolitan areas.
Resident employment and unemployment data are mainly derived from the New Jersey portion of the national Current Population Survey (CPS), a household survey conducted each month by the U.S. Census Bureau under contract with BLS.
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