Sandy didn't wash out November retail sales on LI

Retail sales on Long Island apparently weren’t washed out by superstorm Sandy.

Data from the state Taxation and Finance Department shows modest increases in sales-tax collections in both Nassau and Suffolk counties last month compared with November 2011.

Islandwide, collections were up 2.4 percent year over year. They rose 3.3 percent in Nassau and 1.6 percent in Suffolk.

Sandy and strong post-Thanksgiving holiday sales probably impacted the figures, said Pearl Kamer, chief economist at the Long Island Association.

Kamer noted hikes in sales-tax collections have slowed significantly since January-March, when they rose about 8 percent year over year. She said the driving force behind the slower growth is anemic hiring and income growth.

County governments are dependent on sales tax for their budgets.

Photo: Heily Paulino, 8, of Levittown, waits with packages at the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center in Garden City on Black Friday.