Payrolls Grow as Unemployment Ticks Down
By LUCA DI LEO And JEFFREY SPARSHOTT
WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy added more jobs than expected in July and the unemployment rate edged down, a move that should help ease concerns that a new recession may be around the corner.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 117,000 last month as private-sector employers added 154,000 jobs, the Labor Department said Friday. Payroll data for the previous two months were revised up by a total 56,000 to show increases of 46,000 jobs in June and 53,000 in May.
The unemployment rate, which is obtained from a separate household survey, dropped to 9.1% last month from 9.2% in June. That still leaves almost 14 million Americans who would like to work without a job.
The numbers were better than expected and may help lift stock markets, which fell sharply Thursday amid concerns that a new recession may be in the offing. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast payrolls would rise by 75,000 in July and that the jobless rate would remain at 9.2%.
The U.S. economy slowed sharply in the first half, heightening concerns it could fall back into recession two years after the end of the downturn that followed the financial crisis. The jobs report takes some pressure off the Federal Reserve and President Barack Obama's administration to take immediate steps to boost the economy. Policy makers' tools are limited by an already high public debt and interest rates close to zero.
Friday's report showed private-sector employers, which account for about 70% of the work force, added 154,000 jobs in July, up from 80,000 in June. Several major industries showed job gains.
Manufacturing employment increased by 24,000 in July, more than double the gain seen the previous month. Economists had been expecting a bounce back as disruptions to production stemming from Japan's earthquake are now easing. Even the battered construction sector showed a gain, with employment rising by 8,000. However, the housing sector remains a drag on the economy.
Meanwhile, government employment continued to fall—by 37,000—for the ninth month in a row. State and local governments, which are struggling to close budget gaps, showed job losses.
Even though the jobs report for July was better than expected, the labor market remains weak. Facing re-election in 15 months, Obama this week called on Congress to extend unemployment benefits and a payroll-tax credit after lawmakers approved a long-awaited deal to raise the nation's debt limit. But he's likely to face stiff opposition from Republicans worried about government spending.
Even the Fed's options are limited. Donald Kohn, the Fed's no. 2 official until Sept. 2010, said in an interview this week that the central bank should consider a third round of bond purchases to spur the economy -- but only if unemployment stays high and inflation comes down.
The jobs report Friday showed 44.4% of unemployed Americans, or 6.2 million people, were out of work for more than six months in July. The longer someone is without a job, the harder it is to find work.
The report showed that Americans' incomes, which are crucial to fuel the spending needed to boost the economy, rose but remained moderate. Average hourly earnings of all employees rose by $0.10 to $23.13. Over the past year, earnings have increased by only 2.3%.
Write to Luca di Leo at
luca.dileo@dowjones.com and Jeffrey Sparshott at
jeffrey.sparshott@dowjones.com