Little Change in Employment

Chart 1. Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, August 2008 - August 2010. Chart 2. Nonfarm payroll employment over-the-month change, seasonally adjusted, August 2008 - August 2010. Courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nonfarm payroll employment changed little (minus 54,000) in August, and the unemployment rate was about unchanged at 9.6 percent. Government employment fell, as 114,000 temporary workers hired for the decennial census completed their work. Private-sector payroll employment continued to trend up modestly (plus 67,000). This may be a sector worth exploring, as you try to land more private bids for landscape jobs.

The number of unemployed persons (14.9 million) was little changed in August. From May through August, the jobless rate remained in the range of 9.5 to 9.7 percent.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) declined by 323,000 over the month to 6.2 million. In August, 42 percent of unemployed persons had been jobless for 27 weeks or more.

In August, the civilian labor force participation rate (64.7 percent) and the employment-population ratio (58.5 percent) were essentially unchanged.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) increased by 331,000 over the month to 8.9 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

- Courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics