National Unemployment Dips Slightly; 13.9 Million Out of Work

The nations overall unemployment showed little change, even as 80,000 jobs were added across the nation in the past month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Roughly 13.9 million continue to be listed as unemployed, dipping the unemployment rate from 9.1 percent in September to 9 percent.

However, the bureau noted that the rate has been in a narrow 9 to 9.2 percent range since April.

The national numbers do not break down unemployment by state.

Two weeks ago, Floridas unemployment rate came in at 10.6 percent for September after holding at 10.7 percent since June, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

The national statistics showed that employment in the private sector rose, with modest job growth continuing in professional and businesses services, leisure and hospitality, health care, and mining. Statistics on job gains are as follows: leisure and hospitality, 22,000; health care 12,000; mining employment (including oil production), 6.000; manufacturing, 5,000; transportation, 10,000; retail, 10,000.

Job lossesin construction were 20,000, and in government, 24,000. Government employment continues to go down.

The number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks and over, declined by 366,000 to 5.9 million, or 42.4 percent of total unemployment.

Meanwhile, 1.6 million people had not searched for work in the prior four weeks, either discouraged by a lack of jobs, or attending school or family responsibilities.