Unemployment Rate Dips to 7.2 percent

The national unemployment rate is now at 7.2 percent, according to the September Employment Situation report released Oct. 22 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This number reflects the addition of 148,000 jobs and represents little change from the previous month, when the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. However, the rate has seen a 0.4 percent drop since June, according to the report.

This report was delayed two weeks because of the federal government shutdown, and the October report, which will reflect any affect the shutdown itself had on jobs, has been rescheduled to be released Nov. 8.

The Arkansas jobs report for September originally was set for release Oct. 22, but will instead be released Nov. 22, due to delays involved in the government shutdown, according to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

Continuing upward trends, U.S. employment in professional and business services expanded by about 32,000 jobs, and temporary help services went up by 20,000.

The report shows the transportation and warehousing industry added about 23,000 jobs, with 78 percent of them in transit and ground-passenger transportation.

Employment in construction rose by 20,000, and the wholesale trade industry added 16,000 jobs, according to the report.

Health care employment has seen relatively slow growth lately, adding 7,000 jobs in September, compared to an average of 27,000 added each month in 2012.

Within retail trade, slight job gains occurred in building material and garden supply stores and automobile dealers.

However, employment in credit intermediation declined by 8,000, and employment in the food and beverage service industry also reportedly saw a slight decline.

Employment in other major industries, including mining and logging, manufacturing, information and government, showed little change in September, according to the report.