Article published Feb 26, 2005

State Increase happens for second month in a row.

By Eileen Kennedy
Telegraph Staff

CONCORD - For the second month in a row, the state’s unemployment rate has moved gradually upward, resting at 3.5 percent for January, according to state officials.

In November, the rate was 3.1 and moved to 3.4 percent in December, according to the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security. The state’s unemployment rate is still low when compared with the nation’s unemployment rate, which has remained at about 5.1 percent since September, although it went to 5.2 percent in January.

Sometimes the unemployment rate rising can actually be a good sign, said Dennis Delay, an economist and special projects director for the New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Council Inc.

Delay said the economy has been gradually improving, and the increased unemployment figures may mean that people who had given up looking for jobs previously have re-entered the search for employment. There is also some seasonality involved because following the Christmas holidays, many retail jobs and other seasonal employment are no longer available, he added.

There is further good news in non-farm employment, which is not seasonally adjusted, which the state released this week, according to Delay. Those figures show that there are 17,500 more jobs in January 2005 than there were a year ago, according to figures from the Department of Employment Security.

Delay said particularly encouraging is the slight increase of 1,400 jobs in manufacturing during the same time period. Manufacturing has been a hard-hit industry here in New Hampshire as well as around the country.

There were also job increases over the same period of time in financial activities, health care and social assistance, and leisure and hospitality.

Government jobs also increased during that same period, with 3,300 more jobs in January, compared to January 2004. Of that number, there were 100 more federal jobs, 2,000 more state jobs and 1,200 more local government jobs, according to the state.

New Hampshire’s rate compares favorably with that of the other New England states. In December, only Vermont has a comparable rate of 3.2 percent, and the next closest was Connecticut with 3.9 percent. Maine’s rate was 4.7 percent in December and Massachusetts’s rate was 4.1 percent. January rates were unavailable.


	Article published Feb 26, 2005 State Increase happens for second month in a row. By Eileen Kennedy Telegraph Staff CONCORD - For the second month in a row, the state’s unemployment rate has moved gradually upward, resting at 3.5 percent for January, according to state officials. In November, the rate was 3.1 and moved to 3.4 percent in December, according to the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security. The state’s unemployment rate is still low when compared with the nation’s unemployment rate, which has remained at about 5.1 percent since September, although it went to 5.2 percent in January. Sometimes the unemployment rate rising can actually be a good sign, said Dennis Delay, an economist and special projects director for the New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Council Inc. Delay said the economy has been gradually improving, and the increased unemployment figures may mean that people who had given up looking for jobs previously have re-entered the search for employment. There is also some seasonality involved because following the Christmas holidays, many retail jobs and other seasonal employment are no longer available, he added. There is further good news in non-farm employment, which is not seasonally adjusted, which the state released this week, according to Delay. Those figures show that there are 17,500 more jobs in January 2005 than there were a year ago, according to figures from the Department of Employment Security. Delay said particularly encouraging is the slight increase of 1,400 jobs in manufacturing during the same time period. Manufacturing has been a hard-hit industry here in New Hampshire as well as around the country. There were also job increases over the same period of time in financial activities, health care and social assistance, and leisure and hospitality. Government jobs also increased during that same period, with 3,300 more jobs in January, compared to January 2004. Of that number, there were 100 more federal jobs, 2,000 more state jobs and 1,200 more local government jobs, according to the state. New Hampshire’s rate compares favorably with that of the other New England states. In December, only Vermont has a comparable rate of 3.2 percent, and the next closest was Connecticut with 3.9 percent. Maine’s rate was 4.7 percent in December and Massachusetts’s rate was 4.1 percent. January rates were unavailable. This story was originally published in the The Telegraph of Nashua, N.H., all rights reserved, nashuatelegraph.com.