The U.S. added 103,000 jobs in September, almost double what some economists had expected, and August was revised upward from zero to 57,000 jobs. The unemployment rate remained at 9.1%. However, an all-important alternative measure of unemployment, which includes discouraged workers and those forced to work part-time, rose to 16.5% from 16.2%. All told, economists said it was a tepid report that was better than expected. The report included 45,000 Verizon workers who had been on strike in August but returned to work in September. The public sector lost 35,000 jobs, including 24,400 in public education.
The U.S. added 103,000 jobs in September, almost double what some economists had expected, and August was revised upward from zero to 57,000 jobs. The unemployment rate remained at 9.1%. However, an all-important alternative measure of unemployment, which includes discouraged workers and those forced to work part-time, rose to 16.5% from 16.2%. All told, economists said it was a tepid report that was better than expected. The report included 45,000 Verizon workers who had been on strike in August but returned to work in September. The public sector lost 35,000 jobs, including 24,400 in public education.