New Jersey's Jobless Rate Edges Up to 9.2 Percent

New Jersey added 6,800 private sector jobs in February, but that wasn't enough to reduce the state's unemployment rate.

In fact, New Jersey's jobless rate rose to 9.2 percent last month, up from 9.1 percent in January. State officials said that's because more people jumped back into the job market to look for work and are now counted as part of the unemployed. People who are jobless but haven't been actively seeking work are not counted in government unemployment figures.

New Jersey's construction industry saw its biggest monthly job gain in more than five years, adding 3,000 jobs, while the retail, health care and social services sectors shed jobs in February.

In New York City and New York State, unemployment rates stood still last month at 8.9 and 8.2 percent, respectively.