By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN WEST – New York City’s unemployment rate is at its worst level in almost 17 years, but jobless New Yorkers aren't letting it keep them down.
The city’s unemployment rate climbed from 10 percent in November to 10.6 percent in December, according to data released by the state Department of Labor on Thursday.
“It sucks obviously that the unemployment rate has gone up,” said James Macbean, who has been unemployed since graduating from Columbia last May. “But I think under these circumstances one cannot be deterred by these numbers and figures.”
Macbean, who has a Masters in acting, is taking a proactive attitude by applying for retail and restaurant jobs while still pursuing an acting career.
“There’s always been slumps in history,” Macbean said. “This has happened before. So it’s just a matter of what are you going to do about it until it starts getting better?”
Unemployed carpenter Lemaire Allen views his time without a job as an opportunity to do things he normally wouldn't get to do.
“I have a son, so the good part is that I get to take him to school and pick him up and do stuff like that, do more activities with him,” Allen said.
However, Allen is starting to get nervous since he’s been unemployed for a few months and doesn't know when his work situation will turn around.
“My savings is starting to run out really a lot,” said Allen, who recently moved from Hell's Kitchen to Staten Island to save money. “It’s getting to that point and there’s really no jobs out there.”
Morgan Richards knows the emotional toll that unemployment can take.
“It can get really depressing," said Richards, who's been unemployed since graduating from Howard University in 2006. “But what’s helped me is knowing that I’m not on this boat alone and thousands of other people are experiencing the same thing."
Richards, who's been searching for public relations jobs, believes things have to get worse before they get better.
“They recently said within the last few weeks that the recession is over and now it’s just the recovery period,” Richards said. “So I feel like the unemployment rates going up is just symbolic of the fact that we have to go through this rough period before things get better.”
Richards, like his fellow New Yorkers, is trying to stay positive and hopes to be employed soon.
“Optimistic is all I can be.”
