NJ’s jobless rate climbs. to 7.9% from 7.7%

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey’s unemployment rate climbed 0.2 points in January to 7.9%, according to state labor data released on Monday.

The state added 900 jobs overall for the month, but the jobless rate rose because more residents entered the labor market, the state Labor Department said in a statement Monday.

The labor market underwent a shock over the past year because of the COVID-19 outbreak, beating levels set during the Great Recession and when Superstorm Sandy hit.

The leisure and hospitality sector added the most, with 4,100 jobs, followed by 3,900 in finance-related jobs, among other gains. The biggest loser over the month was the transportation and utilities sector, which saw a decline of about 7,100 jobs. Local government also contracted by about 2,000, among other sectors.