US unemployment rate drops to 9.5% in June

With the American economy growing at a sluggish rate, the unemployment rate in the country dropped marginally to 9.5 per cent in June from 9.7 per cent in the previous month, official figures released on Friday said.

While the US economy shed 125,000 jobs in June, the private sector added 83,000, a monthly report released by the US Labour Department said. The loss of jobs was mainly due to census workers leaving their temporary jobs on the completion of the process.

The report said that the labour force participation rate fell by 0.3 per cent in June, while the number of discouraged workers -- who were no longer looking for employment -- grew.

"Both the number of unemployed persons, at 14.6 million, and the unemployment rate, at 9.5 per cent, edged down in June," it said.

"Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult women (7.8 per cent) declined, while the rates for adult men (9.9 per cent), teenagers (25.7 per cent), whites (8.6 per cent), blacks (15.4 per cent), and Hispanics (12.4 per cent) showed little or no change. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.7 per cent, not seasonally adjusted," it said.

The number of long-term unemployed in June remained unchanged at 6.8 million.