Business & Tech

TOBAY Unemployment Holding Steady

Bright spots include health services, professional and business services, but there are less jobs on Long Island.

Fewer residents filed for in December than they did a year ago.

At the same, there are fewer jobs across Long Island.

That’s according to recent , the latest of which were released Tuesday.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

To Shital Patel, an analyst for the Labor Department in Hicksville, the latest reports “suggest a decline in the labor force.” Reasons include discouraged workers who are no longer seeking jobs as well as people retiring or moving out of the region, she said.

The continuing trend, she added, indicates that “we’re in the midst of a recession.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

In Oyster Bay, the unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in December, down from 6 percent in November. It was at 6.2 percent in December 2010.  There were  8,900 town esidents listed as unemployed in December, down from 9,100 in November, and 9,500 a year ago.

In Nassau County, the unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in December, up from 6.4 percent in November. It was at 6.6 percent in December 2010.  There were 43,900 Nassau County residents listed as unemployed in December, up from 43,300 in November, and 45,200 a year ago.

Meanwhile, the region saw job losses in such sectors as leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, information, and construction. Government employment also took a hit, losing 3,100 jobs.

Sectors adding jobs included professional and business services, , and trade, transportation and utilities.

However, Patel said, the reports did not indicate whether those jobs were high or low-paying jobs.

Still, there was a bit more good news: Long Island retailers “had a pretty healthy season for the month of December,” adding 3,100 jobs from the prior year –the highest year over year growth since 2000, Patel said.

That growth, she said, suggests “confidence for the retailers.”I


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here