Brookhaven Unemployment Ticks Downward in May

Unemployment in the Town of Brookhaven slid to 7 percent in May, down from 7.2 percent in May of 2010, according to data released Tuesday by the New York State Department of Labor.

The downward trend in Brookhaven was similar to a regional decrease from 7.1 percent to 6.7 percent for Long Island, which includes both Nassau and Suffolk.

"Basically the same thing is happening there that seems to be happening at the regional level," said Michael Crowell, senior economist for the New York State Department of Labor. "Unemployment is down for the year, but still above the normal."

The average unemployment rate for the month of May over the last 20 years for the Town of Brookhaven is 5 percent, which is just above the Long Island average of 4.8 for the same time period. The median rates for the month of May over the last 20 years is 4.5 percent for Long Island and 4.4 percent for Brookhaven.

The decrease in the jobless rate in May is also reflective of a seasonal pattern, Crowell said. In , unemployment in the Town of Brookhaven was at 8.3 percent, largely due to retailers laying off seasonal workers.

"Unemployment is always highest in the winter," Crowell said.

Crowell said while unemployment has ticked downward, job growth has appeared to slow down. However, he added, the slowdown in hiring seen in many municipalities across Long Island, including Brookhaven, may be a bit of an anomaly because of the hiring of Census workers in the spring of 2010. According to the data the public sector lost 8,600 jobs in the past year.

"Roughly half of the decline is due to Census workers and the other half more or less is local school districts, which are taking a big hit, laying off teachers and other staff members," Crowell said.

He also said the slowdown in hiring seen in May could stem from the continued uneasiness from business owners about the overall state of the economy and concerns about the possible impact the sharp rise in gas prices seen during the spring would have on consumer spending.

Brookhaven fared slightly better in May than the Town of Babylon and the Town of Islip, where the jobless rate was 7.7 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively. Long Island's overall unemployment rate was 6.7 percent, down from 7.1 percent in May of 2010.

Crowell said while the strongest industries on Long Island were the healthcare and social assistance industry, which includes hospitals, doctors' offices, nursing homes and other health-related jobs, and the trade, transportation and utilities category, which includes the retail industry. The manufacturing industry saw a loss of 1,800 jobs in the past year – not a surprise, Crowell said, since it has been declining for 20 years.

The construction industry has also lost jobs amounting to 700 in the past year, according to the data. However, Crowell said the region may get a boost from large construction projects that may soon move forward, such as the Heartland development in Brentwood, which is expected to create housing for about 10,000 people.

With reporting by Greg Sleter.