UNEMPLOYMENT RISES TO 9.1 %

Via Hot Air the information comes from today’s unemployment report from the BLS

Nonfarm payroll employment changed little (+54,000) in May, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains continued in professional and business services, health care, and mining. Employment levels in other major private-sector industries were little changed, and local government employment continued to decline.

The number of unemployed persons (13.9 million) and the unemployment rate (9.1 percent) were essentially unchanged in May. The labor force, at 153.7 million, was little changed over the month.

In May, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) increased by 361,000 to 6.2 million; their share of unemployment increased to 45.1 percent. (See table A-12.)

The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.2 percent for the fifth consecutive month. The employment-population ratio remained at 58.4 percent in May.

From the Mighty Ed Morrissey

The number of unemployed in the workforce actually rose by almost 170,000, while the number of Americans not in the workforce fell by 105,000. That’s why the unemployment rate rose in this report.  However, the workforce level in May 2011 is still more than 500,000 fewer people than a year ago, when the Obama administration tried selling its “Recovery Summer” campaign.

Numbers of recently unemployed declined slightly, a bit of a surprise considering the rise in initial jobless claims over the last seven weeks.  Those jobless for less than 5 weeks dropped 27,000, and 5 to 14 weeks by 15,000 since April.  Those unemployed longer than 15 weeks went up 329,000, however, and are now at the highest level since January.  The increase all comes from those out of work more than 27 weeks, which rose by 361,000, corroborating the numbers before showing that some workers tried reentering the workforce in May and found no work waiting for them.  That category also saw its highest level since January.

Pretty depressing news, on top of high gas prices and inflation.


So as is our tradition when unemployment goes up we post a pic of a drunk and depressed Storm trooper.