Paralleling the wider trend nationwide, the New Jersey economy continues to show positive signs as 2013 enters its final months. The job prospects bode well for those in the STEM-related fields, both in the private and public sector. Now is a good time to begin a job search before the holiday season truly begins.
New Jersey Department of Labor Releases August 2013 Data
The Department of Labor in New Jersey recently released their jobs-related data from August of 2013. Over the past 12 months, the state has shown an overall increase of nearly 65,000 jobs. The private sector made up the large percentage of this hiring, with over 60,000 jobs added in the previous year. The most jobs were added in May and December; the latter being due to increased holiday hiring.
The unemployment rate in New Jersey matched the overall national rate by dropping from 9.7 percent in August 2012 to 8.5 percent in August of this year. The national unemployment rate fell from 8.1 to 7.3 percent over the same period. New Jersey had 53,400 fewer unemployed persons compared to this time last year, with 2,800 fewer unemployment claims.
New Jersey’s current unemployment rate of 8.5 percent is the lowest in the state since March of 2009. Charles Steindel, Chief Economist for the New Jersey Department of Treasury commented on the jobs data: “The state has had strong job gains over the last year and a major decline in unemployment with the rate dropping steadily, falling by more than a full percentage point since August 2012. Considering we’re looking at the lowest unemployment rate since March 2009 and we saw vigorous job growth last fall, we are hopeful we will see a repeat.”
The leading industry sectors in private job hiring during the past 12 months were Education and Health Services (25,400 jobs) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (16,200 jobs). Most sectors showed hiring increases over the past year with the exception of Information in addition to Other Services.
If you are interested in taking advantage of the improving economy for STEM jobs on the east coast, talk to the experts at Scientific Search. As one of the leading STEM staffing companies in the region, we can help you further your career. Have additional questions? Contact us today!
