Jersey City touts figures showing decline in jobless rate

By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal
August 14, 2014 at 8:02 AM

Jersey City is touting new statistics showing a marked decline in its unemployment rate in the last 12 months, giving it the lowest jobless rate of any large city in New Jersey.

At the end of this June, the unemployment rate was 7.8 percent, down from 10 percent in July 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The statewide jobless rate dropped only 1.7 percent in that time period, the figures show.

Gordon MacInnes, president of liberal think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, cautions that monthly jobless reports are "frequently adjusted." But MacInnes said the trend line in Jersey City is "both significant and credible."

"I think what you're seeing is the benefits of having the assets that reflect what the new economy is looking for," he told The Jersey Journal, noting Jersey City's proximity to New York City, its myriad public transportation options and the restaurants, bars and "vibrant" neighborhoods that attract young professionals.

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