NEW: 103k Jobs Added Nationwide; Unemployment Remains 9.1 Percent
Friday, October 07, 2011
Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000 in September, though the national unemployment rate remained unchanged, according to a report released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The increase in employment reflects the return of 45,000 telecommunications workers who had been on strike in August as well as job gains in professional and business services, health care and construction.
Fourteen million people remain unemployed, the report shows – keeping the national unemployment rate at 9.1%. Since April, the rate has held fairly stable, ranging from 9.0% to 9.2%. Job gains in other sectors were likely balanced by a continuing downward trend in government employment.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBoth the labor force and employment increased in September, but so, too, did the number of persons employed part-time for economic reasons (workers whose hours have been scaled back or cannot find full-time employment).
Among worker groups, adult men (8.8%) had a higher unemployment rate than adult women (8.1%), and teenager unemployment far exceeded both (24.6%). Unemployment for Blacks (16%) and Hispanics (11.3%) was much higher than for whites (8%). Asians had the lowest unemployment rate (7.8%), though the figure was not seasonally adjusted.
The average workweek for all employees increased .1 hours to 34.3 hours/week. Average hourly wages increased 4 cents, or 2%, to $23.12. This figure has shown a 1.9% increase over the year.
