According to the latest numbers, Long Island?s unemployment rate is the highest it?s been in 17 years.

The New York State Department of Labor says 7.5 percent of Long Island residents were unemployed in June, more than half a percentage point higher than in May. The national unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent.

Officials say a main factor in the jump is that college kids who have just graduated are also looking for work. Still, many of the unemployed are trying to stay positive, some even predicting an economic upturn by the end of the year.

NYS Department of LaborCareerZone