Online Holiday Sales Give National Unemployment a Little Boost

Unemployment dropped to 8.5 percent nationally in December, down 0.1 of a percentage point from November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

The new numbers record 13.1 million Americas reported as unemployed.

Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 50,000 in December. The couriers and messengers industry accounted for almost all of the gain (42,000-plus), as seasonal hiring was particularly strong in December. This may reflect increased online purchasing during the holiday season, Keith Hall, commissioner of Bureau of Labor Statistics, stated in a release.

Retail trade continued to add jobs in December (28,000-plus), with increases in both general merchandise and clothing stores. Retail trade employment has increased by 240,000 over the past 12 months.

The national numbers do not break down unemployment by state.

Floridas unemployment rate came in at 10 percent for November, down from 10.3 percent in October, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

The private sector grew by 212,000 in December, up 1.9 million from the holiday shopping period a year earlier.

Meanwhile, government employment, which showed little change from November, is down 280,000 from the same period in 2010.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported unemployment rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 351 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 16 and unchanged in five.

Among the latest numbers, unemployment stood at 8 percent for adult males in December, 7.9 percent for adult women.

Teens eligible to work had a 23.1 percent unemployment rate.

For whites, unemployment was recorded at 7.5 percent in December, while blacks were at 15.8 percent. Hispanics had an 11 percent unemployment rate.

For individuals with Asian ancestry, the rate was 6.8 percent.

Each was nearly unchanged from November.

The number of long-term unemployed, 5.6 million people out of work for 27 weeks or more, accounted for 42.5 percent of the unemployed.

Read the U.S. Labor report here.