National Unemployment Remained at 9.1 Percent in August

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the national unemployment rate in August remained unchanged from July at 9.1 percent.

Average job growth over the last four months has been markedly lower than during the first four months of the year.In August, employment changed little in most major industries, noted Keith Hall, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on Friday. Health care added 30,000 jobs over the month, with most of the gains occurring in ambulatory health care services and in hospitals. In professional and business services, employment in computer systems design and related services increased by 8,000. Mining employment continued to trend up.

In the information sector, employment fell by 48,000 over the month, largely reflecting a strike by 45,000 telecommunications workers, continued Hall. "Manufacturing employment was essentially unchanged in August. For the past four months, manufacturing has added an average of 14,000 jobs per month, compared with an average of 35,000 per month for the first four months of the year.

"Local government employment continued to trend down in August, added Hall. State government employment was little changed, despite the return of an estimated 22,000 Minnesota state employees following a partial government shutdown in July.