Number of jobs filled goes up, but so does the unemployment rate

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released national employment figures for July today. The economy added 163,000 non-farm jobs last month, but the unemployment rate ticked up one tenth of a percentage point, to 8.3 percent. The rate increase was due to a small decline in the size of the labor force and an even smaller increase in the number of unemployed persons (remember that jobs and people are two different measures of the labor market; people may hold more than one job, but each job may only be held by one person).


Hispanics were the only major group to see a decline in their unemployment rate, from 11 down to 10.3 percent. The number of jobs rose in professional and business services, food services and drinking places, and manufacturing.

Revised May and June figures were also released. Maryland's employment data for July will be released August 17th.