Unemployment numbers

New Yorkers dropping out of job market and joining welfare rolls

By MICHAEL GRAY

At first glance, New York's job numbers look promising -- with an unemployment rate at 8 percent, down from 9.5 percent only a year ago.

New York reported that 900 jobs were created over the last year for its residents, according to state Labor Department records.

But there are other numbers that tell a more troubling tale, like the roughly 80,000 people who have left the workforce over the past two years.

New Yorkers are dropping out of the job market -- and joining the government welfare rolls.

Take the Feds' food stamp program, where nearly 3 million New Yorkers are currently enrolled. According to the latest figures from the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 263,000 New Yorkers applied in February for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps.

That's a 9.7 percent increase from the February 2010 figures. New Jersey saw an annual increase of 138,000, or 23 percent, to bring the total to more than 736,000 in the food stamp program.

Nationally, the US Labor Department reports a 1.5 million decline in the unemployment levels over the last year, but the USDA reports 4.6 million Americans have signed up for food stamps over the same period.

In a related study conducted by USA Today, New Yorkers also receive more government aid per person from social programs than residents of any other state.

The Empire State's average cost for all government benefits is $9,442 per person.

One aspect cited in the study was Medicaid payments average $2,903 per person -- the highest in the country. Other costs include: Medicare: $1,933; Social Security: $2,491; veterans: $115; education: $221 and other: (including unemployment): $1,779.