By John Tredrea, Special Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — Tough times are getting tougher for job seekers.
The New Jersey Department of Labor reported July 21 that the state’s unemployment rate for June was 9.6 percent. That’s the highest rate in two years.
The June rate was up .4 percent from May, the biggest month-to-month spike in three years, a department spokesman said.
Military reservists and National Guard members are really taking it on the brunt. During its July 19 meeting, the Lambertville City Council passed a resolution backing the efforts of an organization, Employer Support Guard Reserve (ESGR), that is working with the federal government and business leaders to promote hiring of reservists and guard members.
The resolution notes that, in some areas, the unemployment rate of reservists and guard members is nearly 22 percent.
”Given the fact that we now have an all-volunteer military, one of the most important things we can do is support efforts to help reservists and Guard members get meaningful employment,” Mayor David Del Vecchio said Friday.
A former president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, the mayor noted that the League raised $40,000 for the Readiness Foundation, which helps those in the military keep their homes and businesses afloat while they are on duty.
The resolution adopted by the council says, in part, that the ESGR “is focusing on connecting employers with the talented pool of service members and their spouses . . . and has launched an Employment Initiative Program (EIP), which is a collaborative effort with federal agencies including the Department of Labor (Veterans Affairs), the Department of Veterans, the Small Business Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. The goal is to enhance the employment process and serve as an effective resource for service members and employers.”
The measure notes that other government agencies are involved with this effort.
The United States Chamber of Commerce also has “endeavored to find employment for our returning veterans and the spouses of those who continue to serve at home and abroad, with its Hire Our Heroes program,” the measure states.

