Sunday, January 16, 2022

The world's borough has the nation's most jobless

  Unemployment in Queens still high 1

Queens Chronicle

 In its Dec. 21 update, the New York State Department of Labor reported that, in New York City, the nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate has continued its decline, dropping from 8.4 percent in October to 8 percent in November. In Queens specifically, the same rate dropped from 8.1 percent in October to 7.7 percent in November. In November of 2020, Queens’ unemployment had been 11.5 percent.

While improved, both the Queens and citywide unemployment rates are still considerably higher than those of New York State and of the nation, which decreased from 5.9 percent in October to 5.5 percent in November and 4.3 percent to 3.9 percent, respectively.

So, why is the unemployment rate so much higher in New York City and Queens than it is state and nationwide?

St. John’s University Professor of Economics Dr. Charles Clark said that one answer to point to might be the so-called “Great Resignation”: During the past year of the pandemic, people across the nation have been quitting their jobs en masse in search of something better.

Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce President Leslie Brown noted such trends in her area. “As we know many people did not return to the workforce after the unemployment Covid-19 benefits ended,” she told the Chronicle. “There were numerous reasons for this such as low minimum wage, lack of child care, health concerns [and] lifestyle changes.”

But according to Clark, the Great Resignation is not new.

“In terms of the number of people voluntarily leaving jobs, that has been steadily growing for a very long time,” he told the Chronicle.

More specifically, he told the Chronicle, in January 2011, approximately 1.8 million Americans in nonfarm industries quit their jobs. As per the trend, that number had risen to more than 3.3 million by January 2021, as graphed below.

None of that, however, explains why unemployment is higher across Queens than it is state- or nationwide. Clark speculated that boroughs like Queens and the Bronx might see higher rates because of their higher immigrant populations.

Queens Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Grech pointed to the large hit that the hospitality industry has taken during the pandemic.

“I think a lot of people that work in that industry have decided to find another career choice,” he told the Chronicle. “At the Queen’s Chamber of Commerce, we want to double down on workforce development, to make sure that those businesses — hotels and hospitality — have a regular supply chain, so to speak, of trained people to go into those jobs as things continue to get better.”

Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District Executive Director Ted Renz also identified restaurant and retail as two sectors that have struggled to maintain staff; accordingly, individual businesses have changed their schedules.

“I’ve noticed that a number of retailers are closed, or some are closed different days, or they’re not open at all. Some are opening later,” he told the Chronicle.

According to the state Department of Labor’s preliminary numbers, prior to Omicron, restaurant employment increased in New York City from 1.894 million jobs to 1.907 million between October and November, a 0.69 percent increase.


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't this surprise me?

Anonymous said...

There is no reason to work everything is free. Free rent,free food (SNAP)benefits increasing, free health care. We are officially a welfare state.

Anonymous said...

What about all the $$$ Cash Only jobs ?

Anonymous said...

How do the Deplorables find work ?

Anonymous said...

Certainly not Chad yet but NYC is on the way !
Let's Go Brandon !

Bemopti123 said...

The “great resignation” moniker that some high flung academic coined only refers to people of a certain age group or educational level. For the great majority of people who work on small stores or the low rung service sector there is a totally different dynamic taking place. Smaller stores close and while new ones open, they are fewer in number. Thus there will always be more people of closed business looking for jobs than jobs available…believe me the working class or the working poor can Ill afford to join in the luxury of the Great Resignation.

Anonymous said...

Queens is by far the most underreported borough. On paper people literally do not exist. Their incomes do not exist. Their crimes do not exist. It's not that the things don't happen in person, they don't happen, statistically.

Anonymous said...

​OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD said...
Heard some old dude from Walmart this morning saying the empty food shelves reminded him of the food shelves in the Soviet Union in 1972. I just paid $10.20 for a #1 meal EggMcMuffin, hash browns, small orange juice, and a sausage biscuit.
Prediction: Massive automation coming to the fast food biz.

Anonymous said...

New York City doesn't have a unique ethnicity anymore. Just a bunch of decultralized consumers eating McDonald's. To the triggered Leftoids ethnicity is based on traditions, language, nationality or cultural heritage.

Anonymous said...

How Government Measures Unemployment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_MgQ4OAylw&ab_channel=FreedomToons

Anonymous said...

End the Federal Reserve. That is all.

Anonymous said...

1)more non-english speakers . (33% of brighton beach doesn't speak english. i'm sure Flushing corona,jackson heights is as high
2)covid paranoia
2)corporations will not set up business in a poorly educated population ESPECIALLY with young people dominant.
3)bezos worship.
4)antiquated medical procedures
4) too much technology that doesn't benefit manknd.

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