NYS Unemployment Raises to 8.2%

I live in NY state and have actually used the unemployment system before. Anyhow, I just read that the my state's unemployment rate has gone from 7.7 to 8.2 as of May 2009. I can't say I am too surprised. In my own little clique of people, I know atleast a handful of families whose bread winners have lost their jobs over the last few years, and those that still have jobs are pretty nervous.

Just today I was driving down a once very busy road and noticed half of the businesses that kept it going are gone. Sure... the buildings are still there, but the actual businesses, not so much. One in particular that I remember since childhood was a Chrysler Dealership.

Just a couple of months ago, I read that my county's unemployment rate was as high as 8 percent so I wasn't surprised to hear that is now the whole state's percentage. For those that do not know what the unemployment rate is, from what I understand, it is the percentage of people who do not have jobs that want them.

It is worth noting that the new york state unemployment rate is at a 33 year high. I have read in the past that economists have said that the rate was high in the 80's as well, but that we should not surpass that. Unfortunately though, it seems my state has. I hate to see if other states follow.

Here is the link to the nys unemployment website, and here is more on this story.