The Employment Situation: August 2007 — 2007-09-07

Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged (-4,000) in August, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the last 3 months, total pay- roll employment changes have averaged 44,000 per month and private sector employ- ment changes have averaged 72,000 per month (as revised). In August, employment in manufacturing, construction, and local government education declined, while job growth continued in health care and food services. The number of unemployed and the unemployment rate held at 7.1 million and 4.6 percent, respectively, in August. The unemployment level and rate were little changed from a year earlier. In August, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.1 percent), adult women (4.1 percent), teenagers (16.1 percent), whites (4.2 percent), blacks (7.7 percent), and Hispanics (5.5 percent) showed little or no change. The unemployment rate for Asians was 3.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted.