August 20, 2015
File Art /for PhillyVoice
After analyzing over 700 towns in New Jersey, we came up with the list below as the best places in the Garden State.
New Jersey's unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in July, marking the first time it has dropped below 6 percent since 2008, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The promising news comes despite the loss of nearly 14,000 jobs in July, primarily in leisure and hospitality and professional and business services, NJ.com reports.
Other industries that shed jobs last month include financial activities, the information sector and the public sector. Trade, transportation and utilities, however, added 4,300 jobs.
Compared to the national average of 5.3 percent unemployment in July, New Jersey still remains among the states worst hit and most delayed in its recovery from the recession. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose presidential run comes amid record low approval ratings in his home state, noted that the BLS numbers are a positive sign.
New job numbers today shows NJ unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since Sept. 2008 – 7 years ago
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) August 20, 2015
Left-leaning think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, however, served up a sobering infographic about New Jersey's slow recovery from the recession.
Jobs report: NJ has recovered just 61% of jobs lost from start of recession. Comparisons: PA 113% US 143% NY 263% pic.twitter.com/A6KcwvuKOl
— NJPolicyPerspective (@NJPolicy) August 20, 2015
Some help will come to Camden, one of New Jersey's most impoverished cities, in the form of a $1.9 million federal grant announced Thursday to fund youth job training programs in low-income communities.
