19 • TIMES, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 Report: City’s Economy Is Growing Strong Qns. Unemployment Rate 7.6% by Noah Zuss The New York City economy is growing at a faster rate than the nation’s, a report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office found. Economic data from the first quarter of 2014 show New York City’s Real Gross City Product (GCP) grew by 2.8 percent, while the nation lagged behind at 0.1 percent. The Comptroller’s office produces four quarterly reports on the city’s economy though the calendar year. “New York City was firing on all cylinders in the first quarter of 2014 even as the national economy stalled,” Stringer said in a statement accompanying the findings. “The economy is picking up in the Big Apple as unemployment falls and real estate heats up, which helps us boost our tax revenue,” he added. For Queens specifically, the data is positive as well, with a 20 percent increase in home sales reported for the period. The unemployment rate in the borough is also on the decline, the report found. Queens is currently tied in second place among the boroughs for the lowest unemployment rate in the entire city with 7.6 percent jobless, compared to 8.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013, and a slight Seeking Stringent Background Checks For Child Svc. Workers Fed Bill Aims To Keep Sex Predators Away Schumer noted that an applicant to be a camp counselor, for example, could have been convicted of an assault in Ohio, or committed a sex crime in Florida but there may be no record of it in the NYS database. Schumer’s bi-partisan legislation, The Child Protection Improvements and Electronic Life and Safety Security Systems Act, would grant youth-serving organizations access to FBI background checks for volunteers and new employees, so they would be able to check for any violent or sex crime committed anywhere in the country, regardless of where it is committed and whether it is a state or federal crime. “The recent child porn bust involving the arrest of a Boy Scout leader, little league coach and religious education teacher highlight the disturbing fact that some individuals who we trust to work with A recent child pornography bust showed that sexual predators were hired for jobs where they came in contact with children, and a Boy Scout Den Leader, little league coach were among those busted. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced legislation that will finally close a loophole in the federal law that prevents summer camps, little leagues, Boy Scout troops, children’s groups and other not-for-profit organizations that work with children from gaining access to federal criminal background checks on new employees and volunteers. Earlier this month, 71 individuals were charged in child pornography ring and a number of those charged held jobs that commonly work with children. For example, one individual was both a Boy Scout leader and Little League coach, another individual was a rabbi who taught at a Jewish girls seminary, and another individual taught religious classes at a Catholic church. Under current law, most children’s organizations only have access to the New York State database, and lack access to FBI databases, which is the most accurate, complete and up-to-date criminal database. Also, New York State’s criminal database––which is the only resource most local groups have access to––lack records of criminal activity committed out of state, when the offense is not federal. As of 2010, over 40% of the individuals with criminal records had committed an offense in a state other than where they were applying to volunteer, meaning that a state-only search would not have found relevant criminal records. -SEE PORN ON PG. 55- Woodside Scouts Get Healthy Patch Last March, ChildObesity180 in collaboration with Tufts University launched “Healthy Kids Out of School,” an incentive for out-of-school programs to promote healthy habits. Cub Scouts Pack 390 of Woodside completed the challenge in April and proudly displayed the pack's certificate and “Healthy Unit Patch” they each earned. To complete the challenge, the scouts served fruit and vegetables as a snack for three pack meets, water for six meetings and exercised 15 minutes or more for nine meetings. The scouts, pictured from left to right, on May 16 are: Noah Jacobson, Steven Ross, Andrew Minchala, Joshua Jiminez, Joseph O'Sullivan, Jack McKnight, Max Hansen, Patrick McKnight, Jayden Lopez, Jayden Rosario, Manny Jeffcoat, Patrick Chrzanowsky, Thomas McKnight, Aurelius Herrera, Jack McShane, Kazuki Russo and Michael Tonns. The adults, left to right: Marvin Jeffcoat, Nami Russo, Maria Jeffcoat and Anthony Tonns. jump from 7.2 percent in the last period of 2013. The lowest unemployment is for New York County at 6.7 percent, with the highest in the bronx at 11.6 percent. Queens tied Richmond County for second. The city’s GCP in the first quarter of 2014 represented about four percent of the nation’s total economic output, although it contains only 2.6 of the nation’s total population, according to the Comptroller. New York City added 18,800 payroll jobs in the first quarter of 2014, after adding 12,100 in the last quarter of 2013. The private sector added 21,000 in the first quarter of 2014, after adding 11,300 in the last quarter of 2013, the report found The biggest employment sector gains were in education and health services, professional and business services, trade, transportation and utility, and leisure and hospitality. The city’s total unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent in the first quarter of 2014, from 8.3 percent in the last quarter of 2013. The unemployment rate has been falling steadily from 9.5 percent in the second quarter of 2012 and is at its lowest since the fourth quarter of 2008, Stringer’s office reported. The number of employed city residents grew by 31,200, the highest increase in 14 years, the study found. Comparatively, the total U.S. unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2014 and has been decreasing since the fourth quater of 2009 when it was 9.9 percent. The report is intended to provide an analysis of economic trends in NYC’s economy in a national context, though “time will tell if this momentum will be carried through the rest of 2014,” Stringer said. DDEENNTTAALL CCAARREE FFOORR TTHHEE EENNTTIRREE FFAAMMILLYY Santa LoCascio, D.D.S., P.C. PRROOVVIDDINNGG PRROOFFESSIOONNAALL && PERRSOONNAALLIZEDD CCAARRE 70-16 FRESH POND RD., RIDGEWOOD, N.Y. The Sky’s The Limit On That Important Day! Don’s Photography Call For Package Specials 1-718-277-5161 © Times Newsweekly 2014 — DON’S PHOTO ©Times Newsweekly - 2014 - DR.LOCASCIO/A 1-718-628-6588 Our Complete Dental Cleaning (Includes X-ray, Exam & Cleaning) Any Filling, Extraction or Emergency Visit $99 $99 We also accept most insurances Like Us On Facebook RIDGEWOOD HAIR STYLISTS 57-01 Catalpa Ave. (Cor. Seneca Ave.) 1-718-821-9581 WE ALSO DO MAKE-UP • UP-DOs • WAXING • WEDDING PARTIES! SENIOR CITIZENS WEDNESDAY - 15% OFF ©Times Newsweekly – 2014– R'WOOD^HAIR Wed. & Thur.: COLOR, CUT& BLOWDRY Only $$44550000 Shor t Hair Only. Wed. & Thur. : $15 Haircut - Short Hair Only With This Ad Only, Expires June 18, 2014 Gift Certificates Available CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT • WALK-INS WELCOME
RT06052014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above