Unemployment in Somerset Hills Around 5%

The Somerset Hills area reportedly is seeing a fairly low unemployment rate, though it’s still more than double what it was when the economy was at its best, according to statewide figures.

Although figures for Bernardsville and Bedminster specifically are not available, unemployment in Bernards Township is currently at 4.9 percent, with 13,799 people in the labor force and 683 of them unemployed, according to information from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the end of 2012, there was an average of 5.8 percent of workers unemployed in Bernards Township, with 13,932 in the labor force. Of those, 13,128 were employed and 804 were not.

At its worst, Bernards Township saw a 7.1 percent unemployment rate, in July 2012, with 13,261 people employed and 1,007 not employed.

At its best, Bernards Township saw a 2.1 percent unemployment rate, in December 2006, April 2007, May 2007 and August 2007.

In comparison, Somerset County as a whole is looking at 7 percent unemployment, as of February 2013. A total of 182,423 people are in the labor force, with 169,606 employed and 12,817 not employed.