US unemployment registered a rise of 0.3 per cent last month, having levelled out for the two months prior, according to figures released by the Labor Department
The number of unemployed people across the USA rose by 466,000 in August to just under 15 million people. Overall US unemployment rate now sits at 9.7 per cent, up 0.3 per cent from July. The figures dismayed those that thought the recession could have done its worst to the US economy after two months of stable employment figures.
The manufacturing industry continued to hemorrhage jobs in August, with an employment decline of 63,000. The rate of job losses is slowing compared with recent months, but the Motor vehicles and part industry registered a disappointing decline of 15,000 jobs, having increased employment by 31,000 in July. The average working week for manufacturing was unchanged in August from July at 39.8 hours. Factory overtime also stayed constant at 2.9 hours.
Unemployment across all US industries has more than doubled from 7.4 million people since the recession began in December 2007.
