Unemployment picture ain't pretty: September rate remains at 6.1 percent

Unemployment rate, all Americans age 16+, 01/98 - 09/08. Source.

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics news release:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION: SEPTEMBER 2008

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

Unemployment (Household Survey Data)

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 mil- lion 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 per- cent), whites (5.4 percent), and Hispanics (7.8 percent) were essen- tially unchanged. The unemployment rate for adult women declined to 4.9 percent, partly offsetting an increase in August. The unemploy- ment rate for Asians in September was 3.8 percent, not seasonally ad- justed.

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 per- cent of total unemployment in September.

Source: BLS.com