NYC jobless rate dips, but only because more people gave up looking for work

While it’s true that New York City’s unemployment rate declined to its lowest level in more than a year-and-a-half, it’s primarily due to the troubling reality that increasing numbers of people in Gotham have simply given up looking for work.

The New York State Labor Department reported that the jobless rate in New York City edge down to 8.9 percent in December from 9.1 percent in November, and down from the 10.5 percent peak from a year-ago.

The national unemployment rate stands at 9.4 percent in December.

But the report also indicated that the number of private-sector jobs in the city declined by 3.600 (or 0.1 percent), which suggests that fewer people are actively searching for a job.

Similarly, the jobless rate for New York state declined despite a drop in the number of private-sector jobs. In December, the state’s unemployment rate slipped to 8.2 percent from 8.3 percent in November.

However, the number of private-sector jobs across the state fell by 22,600, or 0.3 percent.

The job climate in New York City greatly influences the state’s overall employment picture because an estimated 40 percent of the state’s jobs are in the city.