October 05, 2008
Unemployment Rate Steady at 6.1 Percent in September
Filed under: News
Vision Payroll

Nonfarm payroll employment declined by 159,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 6.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported recently. Employment continued to fall in construction, manufacturing, and retail trade, while mining and health care continued to add jobs.

 

The unemployment rate (6.1 percent) was unchanged in September, following a 0.4 percentage point rise in August. The number of unemployed persons was little changed at 9.5 million. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 2.2 million and the unemployment rate has risen by 1.4 percentage points.

 

The unemployment rates for adult men (6.1 percent) and blacks (11.4 percent) rose in September. The jobless rates for teenagers (19.1 percent), whites (5.4 percent), and Hispanics (7.8 percent) were essentially unchanged. The unemployment rate for adult women declined to 4.9 percent, partly offsetting an increase in August. The unemployment rate for Asians in September was 3.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

 

Among the unemployed, the number of persons who lost a job rose by 347,000 to 5.2 million in September, with increases occurring both for those on temporary layoff and for those who do not expect to be recalled to work.

 

In September, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) rose by 167,000 to 2.0 million, an increase of 728,000 over the past 12 months. The long-term unemployed accounted for 21.1 percent of total unemployment in September.

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