8,600 more jobs on Long Island

Private sector jobs grew again on Long Island last month, the state announced today. Here is the summary:

 "The private sector job count on Long Island rose over the year by 8,600, or 0.8 percent, to 1,039,400 in July 2010. Job gains, while modest, were the strongest of the year. Employment rose over the year in trade, transportation and utilities (+3,100), other services (+2,600), educational and health services (+2,500), leisure and hospitality (+2,000) and professional and business services (+800). Despite signs of improvement, over the year employment loses continued in financial activities (-1,300), natural resources, mining and construction (-700), manufacturing (-300) and information (-100). The public sector lost 3,100 jobs over the year.

"Long Island’s unemployment rate rose in July to 7.2 percent, up from 6.7 percent in June, but remained down from 7.4 percent in July of 2009. The unemployment rate frequently rises on a seasonal basis in July as students and other summer job seekers enter the labor market looking for jobs, but this July many seemed to have a hard time finding work. The number of new entrants exceeded the number of new jobs for the summer, thus driving up the unemployment rate. Budget shortfalls in local and state government agencies undoubtedly led to restrained summer hiring in the public sector."

 Last month the state reported an additional 5,400 jobs on Long Island compared to the same month a year earlier. That increase marked the third straight month of private sector job growth on Long Island, although the growth overall continued to be weak and led by sectors with lower-paying jobs.

Above, Marion Glandorf of Shoreham, who is looking for work, joined members of the Unemployed Workers Action Group at a rally last week at Federal Hall on Wall Street to push for extended unemployment insurance benefits. 

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