Woodbury’s Unemployment Rate Drops to Pre-Great Recession Levels

Woodbury’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since April 2008.

At 3.7 percent in April of this year, the figure has decreased for the fourth straight month, and Woodbury also set a new high-water mark for the number of its residents who are employed, 34,148, said Karl Batalden, housing and redevelopment coordinator.

“We’re seeing a lot of positive momentum,” he said.

Batalden did note that the overall number of employed residents has essentially mirrored the growth of the city; the new high bested the figure from November 2012. The total number of jobs in Woodbury is currently at 20,226, Batalden said, relaying information from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

“Woodbury is a great place to live, work and thrive. It seems, from these statistics, that many of our residents are thriving or at least are benefiting from having gainful employment,”  Councilman Christopher Burns said. “I wonder, however, if these numbers fail to show, as some of the national unemployment numbers do, those who have given up on finding work. Whether these numbers do or do not, they are very good numbers compared to our other, neighboring, communities.”  

Still, Burns said it’s not time for the city to rest on its laurels.

“For example, I would be far more satisfied with our economic statistics if these statistics were accompanied by a report that X company has acquired the State Farm building and is going to be immediately bring Y jobs to Woodbury,” he said. “Unfortunately, I am not aware of any news of that nature."

Burns said he is often asked about when Costco is coming to Woodbury, and added that he would be “delighted” to learn of its expansion here.

“In sum, my reaction is that this is very good news and I am hopeful of more good news to follow,” he said.