Unemployment Rate Remained Steady At 3.9% For August

The Labor Department has released its statistics for the month of August. It shows 201,000 jobs were created in August, and the civilian work force decreased by 469,000 workers. Normally, those two figures together would result in a lower unemployment rate. But another figure decreased -- the amount of employed workers by 423,000. That kept the unemployment rate at 3.9%. It marks the fifth month in a row that the rate has been in the 3.8% to 4.0% range.

Here are the relevant statistics for the month of August:

SIZE OF THE CIVILIAN WORK FORCE:

161,776,000

OFFICIAL NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED WORKERS:

6,234,000

OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:

3.9%

DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT:

Adult men...............3.5%
Adult women...............3.6%
Teens (16-19)...............12.8%
Whites...............3.4%
Blacks...............6.3%
Hispanics...............4.7%
Asians...............3.0%
Less than HS grad...............5.7%
HS graduate...............3.9%
Some college...............3.5%
Bachelor's degree or more...............2.1%

NUMBER OF MARGINALLY-ATTACHED UNEMPLOYED WORKERS (no longer included in the official count):

1,443,000

MORE REALISTIC NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED WORKERS (official + marginally-attached):

7,677,000

MORE REALISTIC UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:

4.75%