Unemployment picture flattens at 6.3 percent
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 217,000 in May, the bureau reported. That's down from April, when about 288,000 jobs were added. In May, as in April, 9.8 million workers were unemployed.
Jobs were added in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, food services and drinking places, and transportation and warehousing. Even so, four key aspects of the employment picture were stagnant:
- The unemployment rates for adult men (5.9 percent), adult women (5.7 percent) and teenagers (19.2 percent) showed little change.
- The number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged at 3.4 million in May. These workers account for 34.6 percent of the unemployed. Over the past year, however, the number of long-term unemployed has declined by 979,000, according to the bureau.
- The number of people employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) changed little in May and is 7.3 million.
- The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.5 hours in May. The manufacturing workweek increased slightly to 41.1 hours, but factory overtime was unchanged at 3.5 hours.The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.7 hours.
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