U.S. unemployment rate falls to 9 percent, a six-month low

U.S. unemployment rate falls to 9 percent, a six-month low

2011-11-05 08:03:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The unemployment rate in the United States dropped to 9 percent in October, its lowest level in six months, according to a report released by the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) on Friday.

The DOL's October 2011 Employment Situation report shows that the nation's labor market posted stable growth during the month. The economy added 104,000 private sector jobs, adding 102,000 more jobs than had previously been reported in August and September.

Overall, non-farm payroll added 80,000 jobs in October, reflecting the loss of 24,000 government jobs and 20,000 jobs in construction. However, job growth since April has averaged 90,000 jobs, DOL Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis noted, compared to the 11,000 monthly average during the Bush administration.

In addition, the report also revealed that the number of long-term unemployed - defined as Americans out of work for 27 weeks or more - fell by 366,000 in October, the biggest drop since 1948. The jobless rate for African-Americans dropped a percentage point to 15.1 percent, its lowest level since August 2009.

Over the last 20 consecutive months, the private sector has experienced constant growth, creating 2.8 million jobs, including more than 1 million jobs this year alone. Meanwhile, gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the third quarter was 2.5 percent - the fastest rate in over a year and nearly twice that of the previous quarter.

"Unfortunately, we continue to see job losses in government and construction, both areas where passage of the American Jobs Act would have a direct and immediate effect on job creation," said Solis.

"Last week, the Senate voted down provisions of the American Jobs Act that would have helped keep teachers, police officers and firefighters on the job," Solis added. "This week, the Senate voted down a common-sense infrastructure bill that would have put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job. We cannot allow political partisanship to hamper the vital functions of our communities."

But Republican House Speaker John Boehner instead called on Senate Democrats to pass 15 Republican jobs bills. "Today's jobs report underscores the need for immediate action on the more than 15 bipartisan House-passed jobs bills that are gathering dust in the Democrat-controlled Senate," he said. "There is no reason - not one - for Senate Democrats to delay action on these bills any longer."

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