September Job Growth Drops From Summer Months, Sectors Suffering From Pandemic Slowdown Hit Hard
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The final jobs report before the November election is now out, and it shows more than 600,000 jobs were added in September, but that's lower than some estimates.
Sectors already suffering from the pandemic slowdown were especially hard hit.
Airline workers getting furloughed by the tens of thousands and a downsizing Disney cutting 28,000 jobs -- those headlines are alongside September job numbers.
"They were a little bit better than expectations overall, but there were some issues in there," said Tim Ghriskey, a chief strategist with Inverness Counsel NYC.
Looking at the numbers, 661,000 jobs were added in September, but that's a drop from summer months.
The economy regained about half of the 22 million jobs lost during the early shutdown months of the pandemic with the unemployment rate falling from 8.4% to 7.9%.
But troubling trends persist, Ghriskey says.
"Permanent job losses have increased and that's bad news for the economy," he said.
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Darrel Aron and his wife, both flight attendants, are expecting a baby. They were both recently laid off. Aron struggles to keep the pressure and stress in check.
"I can't let those emotions overcome me," he said.
CBS2's Dave Carlin found some other job seekers in Yonkers at an event in a church parking lot.
"Everybody needs to eat and the household needs to get paid," Yonkers resident Karian Fletcher said.
The event offered those in need donated food and Halloween costumes to deliver happiness.
"Just to enjoy themselves and take a break, bring back some normalcy," Jeni Wallace said.
As more jobs disappear, some people are making a pandemic pivot to new careers in growth industries.
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"Right now, I'm not working," Regina Marrow said.
Marrow is job hunting.
"Child care or health care," she said.
"Is that you're looking for?" Carlin said.
"Both, yes," Marrow said.
"Health care is always a great industry to be in. The population continues to get older," Ghriskey said.
While finding the right job is the goal, for many, it's all about getting just about any survival job, and soon.
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