1. October 22, 2013
U.S. EMPLOYERS HIRED
A TOTAL OF
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
(ALL WORKERS)
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
FELL TO
148,000
$24.09
7.2%
WORKERS IN SEPTEMBER
2.1% ABOVE LAST YEAR
7.8% LAST SEPTEMBER
DELAYED JOBS REPORT SENDS MIXED SIGNALS
• Job growth was subdued in September, but unemployment continued to edge
down slowly, reaching its lowest point since 2008.
• The moderate pace of hiring suggests that even before the government
shutdown, employers were somewhat lacking in confidence.
• Too early to predict how much the recent policy battles in Washington will
affect the U.S. economy and its ability to create jobs.
Job creation in the U.S. cooled slightly in September, according to the BLS employment figures, which were released more than two
weeks later than normal due to the federal government shutdown. Employers added just 148,000 workers to their payrolls in
September, lower than expected and under the year-to-date monthly average of around 180,000 new jobs per month. Revisions to
the prior months’ employment gains were marginal, amounting to a net 9,000 more jobs in July and August.
(Continued)
NOTE: Next month’s employment figures will be released on November 8, rescheduled from November 1, due to the federal government shutdown.