N.J.'s unemployment rate just spiked, departing from rest of the country

In his last address as governor, Chris Christie acknowledged that his administration had cut the unemployment rate in half.

When Christie entered office the state’s unemployment rate was about 10.0 and when he left office, it was about 4.9. But the nation’s unemployment rate had also decreased significantly.

So, it is tough to tell how much of Christie’s policies really impacted the state’s unemployment, said James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers.