The Employment Situation: August 2003 — 2003-09-05

Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 93,000 in August, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 6.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Job losses continued in manufacturing, information, and other sectors, while health care and construction added jobs. The widespread electrical power failure in the Northeast and Midwest occurred late in the afternoon of Thursday, August 14, forcing many businesses to shut down for a period of time during the survey reference periods. Because of the way employment is defined in the two surveys, however, it is likely that the blackout had little effect on the August employment counts. Both the number of unemployed persons (8.9 million) and the unemployment rate (6.1 percent) were essentially unchanged over the month.