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Economy Gains 850,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Stable at 5.9%

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The U.S. economy gained 850,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate was barely changed at 5.9%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In response to the June job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:

Last month’s biggest job gains were in leisure and hospitality (+343,000), education (+269,000), professional and business services (+72,000), retail trade (+67,000), other services industry (+56,000), social assistance (+32,000), wholesale trade (+21,000), manufacturing (+15,000), transportation and warehousing (+11,000) and mining (+10,000). Employment declined slightly for construction (-7,000). In June, employment showed little change in other major industries, including information, financial activities and health care. 

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for teenagers (9.9%), Black Americans (9.2%), Hispanics (7.4%), adult men (5.9%), Asian Americans (5.8%), adult women (5.5%) and White Americans (5.2%) showed little or no change in June.

The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased in June and accounted for 42.1% of the total unemployed.