National Unemployment Update
Unemployment at 7.6 Percent for May 2013
June 7, 2013
Job growth was stronger than expected in May, with 175,000 new positions created. The unemployment rate was 7.6 percent for the month, down from 8.1 percent a year ago. The national unemployment rate has hovered in the mid-seven percent range for most of the year.
Business sectors seeing job growth included business and professional services, hospitality and leisure, retail trade, and health care. Employment in most sectors, including mining, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade and transportation, remained steady, while the public sector saw a small drop in employment.
Long-term unemployment was unchanged, with 4.4 million workers remaining unemployed. The long-term unemployed, those out of work for 27 weeks or more, accounted for 37.3 percent of the unemployed. Long-term unemployment has been a discouraging aspect of this recession and recovery, but the number of long-term jobless workers has declined by one million over the last year.
Unemployment figures for June will be released on Friday, July 5, 2013.
U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Press Release
National Unemployment Rates, 2008 - 2013
|
|
Jan. |
Feb. |
Mar. |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Aug. |
Sept. |
Oct. |
Nov. |
Dec. |
|
2013 |
7.9 |
7.7 |
7.6 |
7.5 |
7.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
8.2 |
8.1 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
8.1 |
7.8 |
7.9 |
7.8 |
7.8 |
|
2011 |
9.0 |
8.9 |
8.8 |
9.0 |
9.1 |
9.2 |
9.1 |
9.1 |
9.1 |
9.0 |
8.6 |
8.5 |
|
2010 |
9.7 |
9.7 |
9.7 |
9.9 |
9.7 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.6 |
9.6 |
9.6 |
9.8 |
9.4 |
|
2009 |
7.6 |
8.1 |
8.5 |
8.9 |
9.4 |
9.5 |
9.4 |
9.7 |
9.8 |
10.2 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
|
2008 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
5.1 |
5.0 |
5.5 |
5.6 |
5.8 |
6.2 |
6.2 |
6.6 |
6.8 |
7.2 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
|