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Storms a factor as state loses 11,000 jobs
New Jersey’s economy lost 11,100 jobs in September — 5,800 in the private sector and 5,300 in the public sector — in a sign that Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee disrupted the labor market, the state reported Thursday.
A separate survey found the state’s unemployment rate fell to 9.2 percent from 9.4 percent in August, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Take away the noise of the storms, and employers say they are inching along, doing enough business to survive but not enough to persuade them to go on a hiring spree.
“If companies open up spending, my business can grow,” said Marc Bublick, owner of C&C Computer Network Services in Edison, a technology consultant whose customers are spending only (Diamond, Gannett)