Employment declined by 159,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 6.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported on Oct. 3.
Manufacturing employment fell by 51,000 over the month, bringing the decline in factory jobs to 442,000 over the past 12 months.
In September, job losses continued in motor vehicles and parts (-18,000); this industry has shed 140,000 jobs over the past 12 months.
Among durable goods manufacturers, employment decreased in fabricated metals (- 7,000), wood products (-5,000), and furniture and related products (-5,000). In nondurable goods manufacturing, paper products (-3,000) and plastics and rubber products (-4,000) lost jobs over the month.
Employment in transportation and warehousing declined by 16,000 in September and by 57,000 since its peak 12 months earlier. Over the month, job losses occurred in trucking (-12,000) and air transportation (-5,000).
Employment in retail trade dropped by 40,000 in September and by 250,000 over the last 12 months. Employment also ontinued to decline in motor vehicle and parts dealers (-10,000); this industry has lost 48,000 jobs in the past 4 months.
