The rate had risen to 9.7 percent in July
Job seekers crammed the floor of Brower Commons during the job fair on the campus of Rutgers in New Brunswick in this January photo. TRENTON — New Jersey's unemployment rate edged down to 9.6 percent in August while the number of jobs remained essentially unchanged, the state Labor Department said today.
The unemployment rate, which has been stuck in the high 9 percent range, rose to 9.7 percent in July before coming back down to June's level this month.
The volatile estimate for the number of jobs in New Jersey — compiled through a different survey than the unemployment rate — showed the state gained 500 jobs in August, with the private sector adding an estimated 3,700 jobs but the public sector losing 3,200 jobs. The numbers are often updated after more data comes in.
The state lost fewer jobs in July than previously thought. The Labor Department now estimates the state lost 18,000 jobs, better than the 21,200 jobs previously thought lost.
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