From the APP:

Weak holiday hiring leads to loss of 9,400 jobs in November in New Jersey

New Jersey lost 9,400 jobs in November in part because retailers added fewer workers than expected for the holiday shopping season, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development said today.
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The November report showed that New Jersey’s labor market continued lose jobs despite signs that the economy is beginning to recover from the longest recession since the Great Depression.

The state lost 10,900 private sector jobs and added 1,500 public sector jobs during the month. All of the public sector job growth was at the local government level, the report said.

From the Record:

N.J. lost 9,000 jobs in November

New Jersey lost 9,400 jobs in November in sharp contrast to the modest job gains the month before, and the state unemployment rate stayed at 9.7 percent, figures released today show.

The state lost 10,900 private sector jobs, but added 1,500 government jobs, according to the monthly report by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

New Jersey’s unemployment rate remained below the national level, which fell from 10.2 percent to 10 percent in November. Economists have predicted that the rate will continue rising well into next year.

New Jersey’s unemployment rate fell in October from 9.8 percent to 9.7 percent. The state reported a job loss of 1,800 that month, but revised the figure today to a gain of 1,200 jobs.

State labor commissioner David J. Socolow said the weak retail sector was a key factor in the November job loss.

From the Philly Inquirer:

N.J. jobless rate stable, but total jobs fall

The biggest job losses last month from October were in the trade/transportation/utilities category (down 9,700 jobs), construction (down 2,800), professional/business services (down 1,900) and financial services fields (down 1,200).

“The usual retail hiring increases at this time of year did not reach the levels recorded in prior years,” state Labor Commissioner David J. Socolow said.

From the Star Ledger:

N.J. unemployment rate holds at 9.7 percent

The unemployment rate in New Jersey stayed at 9.7 percent in November, even though the private sector lost almost 11,000 jobs, the state labor department said today.

Retail stores hired fewer people than usual for the holiday season this year, resulting in a loss of about 9,700 jobs when adjusted for seasonal hiring patterns.

But the numbers are not firm, and estimates are regularly adjusted from month to month. For example, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development now says the state actually gained 1,200 jobs in October, instead of losing 1,800 as previously estimated.

Also, not everyone was firing employees. The manufacturing sector gained about 2,500 jobs, and the leisure and hospitality industry gained 2,100 jobs in arts, entertainment and recreation. Local government payrolls helped the public sector grow by about 1,500 jobs.