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Business and Economy: Unemployment rate remains at 6.1 percent

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham
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Unemployment held at 6.1 percent in September, completing a 12-month cycle that saw the ranks of the unemployed grow by 2.2 million Americans.

Among the interesting tidbits in the data released by the U.S. Department of Labor this morning:

– The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) stands at 2 million, more than 700,000 people higher than September 2007.

– Unemployment among African-Americans was at 11.4 percent; among Hispanics it was 7.8 percent; among whites it was 5.4 percent; and among Asians it was 3.8 percent.

– Overall, 9.4 million Americans seeking employment are currently out of work.

– The number of Americans working part-time for economic reasons rose by 337,000 to 6.1 million in September. That is an increase of 1.6 million since September 2007.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].