Newark's Unemployment Rate Reaches Highest Level In 15 Years

PARSIPPANY, NJ - Chris Christie campaign spokesperson, Maria Comella, released the following statement on Newark's rising unemployment rate:

"While Governor Corzine spent another day taking part in photo-ops, 14.3 percent of Newark's residents spent the day trying to find a job that doesn't exist. Over the last four years, Jon Corzine has done nothing but put New Jersey on an economic path that lags behind the rest of the country. After the highest unemployment in 32 years, almost 200,000 New Jerseyans losing their job in the last year alone and the highest unemployment claims in the region, it's time to change governors."


Newark's Unemployment Rate Is Currently The Highest Its Been Since July 1994. "Newark's unemployment rate surged to 14.3 percent, the highest level since July 1994, according to the U.S. Labor Department. That compares with 13.4 percent in May and 9.5 percent for June 2008." (Victor Epstein, "Newark jobless rate surged to 14.3 percent in June," Associated Press, 08/07/09)

New Jersey's Unemployment Rate Went From 4.8% at the beginning of Corzine's term to 9.2% in June. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Website, Accessed: 07/16/09)

New Jersey's unemployment rate is the highest it has been in 32 years. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Website, Accessed: 07/16/09)

185,087 more New Jerseyans were unemployed in June 2009 compared to June 2008. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Website, Accessed: 07/16/09)

From June 2008 to June 2009, almost every industry in New Jersey lost jobs while only two grew. (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research, "Table 3: New Jersey Nonfarm Employment by Industry for June 2009)