Unemployment: NJ Still Leads

New Jersey State Senator Marcia Karrow (R-Hunterdon/Warren) called on the Corzine Administration to abandon efforts to gloss over New Jersey’s soaring unemployment rate and to start accepting proposals by Republicans and others to revive the State’s economy
“Despite the loss of 14,400 jobs last month, the Corzine Administration claims that New Jersey’s climbing 8.4% unemployment rate is acceptable when compared to other states,” said Karrow. “The fact that our unemployment rate is at its highest level in 17 years should be enough to signal to the administration that a change in direction is desperately required. Instead they are following the same tired recipe of taxes, debt, and gimmicks while attempting to put a happy face on a nightmare by suggesting that we are better off than other states. Reality does not match their rhetoric.”
The unemployment rates for surrounding states for the month of April were as follows: Pennsylvania 7.9%, New York 7.7% (declined from 7.8%), and Connecticut 7.9%.
“The sad truth is that you can drive from Bangor to Baltimore and not find a state with a higher jobless rate than New Jersey, and trotting out officials to say ‘all is well’ is not going to fix things,” said Karrow. “Trenton Democrats have chased businesses out of this State with regulations like COAH that punish job growth and endless red tape, while at the same time growing the size of government.”
Republicans and even some Democrat legislators have repeatedly urged Governor Corzine and Democrat leaders to embrace further spending cuts instead of increasing taxes and to repeal job-killing, anti business policies like paid family leave and destructive housing policies that stifle economic growth in New Jersey.