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9.1% Unemployment Rate Holds Steady
Bureau of Labor Statistics ^ | 10-07-2011 | Staff

Posted on 10/07/2011 5:39:05 AM PDT by Red Badger

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- SEPTEMBER 2011

Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase in employment partially reflected the return to payrolls of about 45,000 telecommunications workers who had been on strike in August. In September, job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, and construction. Government employment continued to trend down.

Household Survey Data

The number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent. Since April, the rate has held in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (8.8 percent), adult women (8.1 percent), teenagers (24.6 percent), whites (8.0 percent), blacks (16.0 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was 6.2 million in September. These individuals accounted for 44.6 percent of the unemployed. (See table A-12.)

Both the labor force and employment increased in September. However, the civilian labor force participation rate, at 64.2 percent, and the employment-population ratio, at 58.3 percent, were little changed. (See table A-1.)

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) rose to 9.3 million in September. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.)

In September, about 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, about the same as a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.0 million discouraged workers in September, down by 172,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.5 million persons marginally attached to the labor force in September had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities. (See table A-16.)

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in September. Since April, payroll employment has increased by an average of 72,000 per month, compared with an average of 161,000 for the prior 7 months. In September, job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, and construction. Government employment continued to trend down. (See table B-1.)

Employment in professional and business services increased by 48,000 over the month and has grown by 897,000 since a recent low in September 2009. Employment in temporary help services edged up in September; this industry has added 53,000 jobs over the past 3 months. In September, employment growth continued in computer systems design and in management and technical consulting services.

Health care employment continued to expand in September, with an increase of 44,000. Within the industry, job gains occurred in ambulatory health care services (+26,000) and in hospitals (+13,000).

Construction employment increased by 26,000 over the month, after showing little movement since February. The over-the-month gain was due to employment increases in the nonresidential construction industries, which includes heavy and civil construction. Mining employment continued to trend up in September.

Employment in information was up by 34,000 over the month due to the return of about 45,000 telecommunications workers to payrolls after an August strike.

Manufacturing employment changed little in September (-13,000) and has been essentially flat for the past 2 months.

Within retail trade, employment declined in electronic and appliance stores (-9,000) in September. Employment in wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and leisure and hospitality changed little.

Government employment continued to trend down over the month (-34,000). The U.S. Postal Service continued to lose jobs (-5,000). Local government employment declined by 35,000 and has fallen by 535,000 since September 2008.

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour over the month to 34.3 hours following a decrease of 0.1 hour in August. The manufacturing workweek edged down by 0.1 hour in September to 40.2 hours. Factory overtime increased by 0.1 hour to 3.2 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 33.6 hours in September. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

In September, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $23.12. This increase followed a decline of 4 cents in August. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.9 percent. In September, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 3 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $19.52. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for July was revised from +85,000 to +127,000, and the change for August was revised from 0 to +57,000.

_____________ The Employment Situation for October is scheduled to be released on Friday, November 4, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: bhoeconomy; economy; jobs; layoffs; unemployment
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1 posted on 10/07/2011 5:39:15 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger; All

How in the heck it can be this low when there was 400+ layoffs the entire month??


2 posted on 10/07/2011 5:42:26 AM PDT by KevinDavis (What has Ron Paul done in Congress??)
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To: Red Badger

Serious long term unemployment continues to worsen.

Also, no measure of voluntary layoffs and forced early retirements.


3 posted on 10/07/2011 5:44:36 AM PDT by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
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To: Red Badger

CNBC termed the 103K figure “robust” job growth. This, of course, includes the return to work of soe 45,000 Verizon workers.

“Robust” would’ve given way to “abysmal” or “meager” had a Republican been sitting in the WH.


4 posted on 10/07/2011 5:45:20 AM PDT by ScottinVA (With "successes" like the Libya adventure, who needs failure?)
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To: Red Badger
http://www.shadowstats.com/imgs/sgs-emp.gif?hl=ad&t=1314970616
5 posted on 10/07/2011 5:45:39 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: Red Badger

6 posted on 10/07/2011 5:46:26 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (See ya later, debt inflator ! Gone in 4 (2012))
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To: Red Badger
the change for August was revised from 0 to +57,000

Which tells me they don't know sh*t about measuring employment data. An "adjusted" gain of 57K, huh?

7 posted on 10/07/2011 5:46:56 AM PDT by ScottinVA (With "successes" like the Libya adventure, who needs failure?)
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To: ScottinVA

Because CNBC is a POS-filled propaganda network shilling for EVIL.
(That’s why!)


8 posted on 10/07/2011 5:47:00 AM PDT by zzeeman ("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.")
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To: KevinDavis

They play with the numbers.
The ‘universe’ of jobs gets smaller...........


9 posted on 10/07/2011 5:47:17 AM PDT by Red Badger (Furthermore, I think Obama must be impeached....................)
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To: Red Badger

10 posted on 10/07/2011 5:49:08 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (See ya later, debt inflator ! Gone in 4 (2012))
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To: Red Badger; All

I meant the 400+ per week, but you get my drift..


11 posted on 10/07/2011 5:50:46 AM PDT by KevinDavis (What has Ron Paul done in Congress??)
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To: zzeeman
Forgot to add: They LIE, LIE, LIE just like the chief LIAR!
12 posted on 10/07/2011 5:52:32 AM PDT by zzeeman ("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.")
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To: KevinDavis

I don’t believe those numbers either.
Besides, the monthly unemployment rate is polled, not actual real numbers......


13 posted on 10/07/2011 5:52:49 AM PDT by Red Badger (Furthermore, I think Obama must be impeached....................)
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To: Red Badger
Hussein is a failure!
14 posted on 10/07/2011 5:53:06 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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To: ScottinVA

you heard the bald guy on CNBC talk about the U6 number, which charts real unemployment, take a big jump to 16.5%...


15 posted on 10/07/2011 5:53:39 AM PDT by God luvs America (63.5million pay no federal income tax then vote demoKrat)
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To: KevinDavis
One bright spot:

Government employment continued to trend down over the month (-34,000). The U.S. Postal Service continued to lose jobs (-5,000). Local government employment declined by 35,000 and has fallen by 535,000 since September 2008.

16 posted on 10/07/2011 5:54:18 AM PDT by Red Badger (Furthermore, I think Obama must be impeached....................)
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To: KevinDavis

This has to be explained each and every month, so why should this month be any different

the 401K increase in first-time jobless claims measures ONLY the number of people who filed for unemployment for the first time in a given week

The payroll number of +103K is a different survey, derived from a survey of U.S. employers, private and government. It measures the net change in the number of non-farm workers on payrolls. Every month, many employers dismiss workers and many hire workers. The headline jobs number reports the aggregate of all of those employer payrolls.

The jobless rate is a different survey, derived from a poll of people at their homes. This is a ratio of people who are unemployed and still looking for a job divided by the total labor pool. So about 9-plus percent of the labor pool is out of work.


17 posted on 10/07/2011 5:54:27 AM PDT by Calif Conservative (rwr and gwb backer)
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To: ScottinVA

also- did you see Santelli smack down zero mid-adviser zandy, who was on that panel???


18 posted on 10/07/2011 5:54:39 AM PDT by God luvs America (63.5million pay no federal income tax then vote demoKrat)
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To: ScottinVA

Ballots or jobs....they find them all the time...........


19 posted on 10/07/2011 5:55:28 AM PDT by Red Badger (Furthermore, I think Obama must be impeached....................)
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To: Recovering_Democrat

Unless you’re a red eyed marxist, then he’s a rousing success!.............


20 posted on 10/07/2011 5:57:45 AM PDT by Red Badger (Furthermore, I think Obama must be impeached....................)
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