STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STAYS AT 5.3 PERCENT

The New Jersey Labor Department released the their monthly jobs report on Thursday and the state’s unemployment rate for September remained at 5.3 percent. The state’s economy added 3,300 jobs in September, with a net gain of 54,200 jobs over the past year. The national unemployment rate currently stands at 5 percent. The biggest area of job loss was in leisure and hospitality and construction.