Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for June show an increase of 121,000 in June. Service sector jobs and mining (interesting in light of all the minig accidents lately) showed upward trends. The unemployment rate for June remained unchanged at 4.6%.

There is a spot of good news (cut and pasted from the June report);

In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing employment edged up in June(+15,000), following a small decline in May. Over the month, employment wasup in transportation equipment, machinery, and electrical equipment and appliances.

Mining employment grew by 6,000 in June. The industry has added 114,000 jobs since its most recent low in April 2003, largely reflecting gains insuport activities for oil and gas. In June, construction employment was essentially unchanged for the fourth consecutive month.