New Jersey’s unemployment rate crept up to 4.7% during November and is now a full percentage point above the national jobless rate of 3.7%, state labor officials said Thursday.
Total nonfarm employment in New Jersey grew by 4,100 jobs last month, including 3,100 in the private sector. In November, gains in the private sector were concentrated in four out of nine major sectors: education and health services (+3,200), leisure and hospitality (+2,300), trade, transportation, and utilities (+700), and professional and business services (+600).
Four sectors recorded job losses: construction (-2,400), information (-900), other services (-300), and manufacturing (-100). Financial activities recorded no change.
The public sector recorded a seasonally adjusted gain of 1,000 jobs.
The preliminary nonfarm employment estimates for October were revised downward by 2,700, for a revised September-to-October gain of 3,900. The state’s unemployment rate for October remained unchanged at 4.6%.
Since November 2022, New Jersey has added 62,700 nonfarm jobs, state officials said. These gains were distributed across industries, with five out of nine private sector industries recording gains between November 2022 and November 2023.
Industries with employment growth included: education and health services (+41,200), leisure and hospitality (+12,500), manufacturing (+2,500), trade, transportation, and utilities (+700), and information (+400). During the same 12-month period, losses were recorded in professional and business services (-8,400), construction (-3,000), and other services (-200). Financial activities recorded no change.
Year-over-year, the state’s public sector recorded an increase of 16,900 jobs.
