According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New York's unemployment rate rose during the month of June. Joblessness increased 0.5 percent from May’s 8.2 percent to 8.7 percent. Although there was a rise in the percentage of people without jobs in New York, the state’s unemployment rate remained below the national average of 9.5 percent. Still, this is figure is significantly higher than where the figure stood during the same month in 2008. Only 12 months ago it stood at 5.3 percent.

Despite the rise in joblessness, New York workers are feeling somewhat optimistic about the state’s employment situation. According to a recent press release, Spherion’s New York Employee Confidence Index rose during the month of June. The figure jumped 1.9 points from the previous month to stand at 47.8. This was the fourth month in a row that the Index rose.

Every month Harris Interactive conducts the poll on behalf of Spherion to determine the feelings of employees in the state. In June the survey found the percentage of people who believe the economy is weakening dropped. According to the press release, there was also a decrease in the number of employees who felt that the there were fewer jobs available in their areas.

Of those who participated in the survey, only 33 percent of employees felt that the economy was getting worse. This was a decrease of 14 percentage points from the previous month’s 47 percent. The percentage of people who said there not many job available in their area also fell 9 percentage points to 64 percent.

Workers also reported that they felt more secure in the security of their current positions. A total of 64 percent of people surveyed said that did not feel they would be losing their job any time in the foreseeable future. This was a 4 percent increase from the previous month’s 60 percent.

"Despite the fact that the state's unemployment rate continues to increase, following national trends, more workers are feeling confident about the employment situation," said Linda Perneau, vice president and general manager of Spherion Staffing Services, in the recent press release. "Our confidence index continues to increase from month to month, and we are seeing job fears subside somewhat. This month our report shows that 64 percent of workers are confident in the future of their employer, signaling that many employers may be stabilizing and employees are feeling more secure about their current job situation."

Labels: New York jobs

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.5 percent of the nation’s population was without work during the month of June. This means that there was a 0.1 percent decrease from May's 9.4 percent. June marked the 9th consecutive month that the United State's jobless rate increased. During the same month last year only 5.6 percent of the country’s population did not have jobs.

One interesting thing found in Bureau's most recent Employment Situation is that the struggling job market is affecting the genders differently. Across the nation 10 percent of adult men were without work, while only 7.6 percent of adult females have been unable to find jobs.

The report showed that payroll jobs across the nation continued to decline during the month. Approximately 467,000 positions were lost. Since the official onset of the national economic recession in December of 2007, payroll employment has declined by 6.5 million jobs.

Although job losses continued to be widespread throughout all industries, the most notable declines were experienced in manufacturing, professional and business services sector, and the construction industry. The manufacturing sector reported the loss of approximately 136,000 jobs during June, while the professional and business services industry lost 118,000 positions. The construction industry, which has been long plagued by the housing market slump, experienced a loss of 79,000 jobs.

The retail industry reported the loss of 21,000 jobs, while the financial activities sector saw a decline of 27,000 positions. Since the official onset of the recession, this area of employment has shrunk by 489,000 jobs. Like the retail sector, the information industry saw a decline of 21,000 positions.

Federal government jobs also saw a decline during June, losing 49,000 positions. According to the report this was largely due to the Census Bureau laying off workers who were hired on a temporary basis to handle the surveys for 2010.

One of the fewer areas of employment that continues to see job growth is the healthcare industry. During the month of June, employers in this sector created 21,000 new positions nationwide. Throughout the course of this year, the industry has averaged 21,000 freshly minted jobs each month. During 2008, the sector saw approximately 30,000 jobs created every 30 days.

According to the report, the average employee had a workweek of 33 hours in June. This is a decline of 0.1 hour and is the lowest level recorded since the Bureau began tracking these statistics in 1964. Despite this, workers in the manufacturing industry are now working 0.1 hours more each week, which means their workweek is now 39.5 hours long.

Currently, the average worker makes $18.53 an hour.

Labels: find jobs, job listings, Jobs

A round of federal funding will be used to help create CT environmental jobs.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently announced that several important environmental projects in Connecticut have been approved to receive $4 million in federal stimulus money. That funding will be used to enhance and preserve ecosystems along the Naugatuck River and the Long Island Sound shoreline.

Of the funding, $2.5 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be used to build a fish bypass around the Tingue Dam on the Naugatuck River in Seymour. Another $1.5 million from NOAA will be used to help restore 108 acres of tidal marsh and open habitat at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme and the West River in New Haven.

"Restoring and preserving these fragile ecosystems are a sound investment for our environment and the surrounding communities," Rell said. "Our rivers and coastline are irreplaceable natural resources. The projects will generate jobs quickly in construction and strengthen local economies."

The passageway around the Tingue Dam would remove an in-stream barrier to diadromodous fish, or fish that move between salt and freshwater. The project will help restore access to 29 miles of essential habitat for American shad, alewife, blueback herring and American eel.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is working in partnership with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment on a culvert replacement project at Rocky Neck State Park. The improvements will make it easier for herring to swim upstream to spawn. In a separate project, three tidal gates will be replaced on the West River in New Haven.

Labels: CT environmental jobs