MSNBC: Only 96,000 jobs last month.

[fishface]

U.S. payrolls grew modestly in Sept.
Employers added 96,000 jobs, less than expected

The Associated Press
Updated: 10:44 a.m. ET Oct. 8, 2004


WASHINGTON - Companies added 96,000 jobs to their payrolls in September, fewer than economists forecast for the last employment report before Election Day, highlighting a modest pace of hiring that has become an issue in President Bush’s bid for another term.

The four hurricanes striking Florida and other coastal states the past two months “appears to have held down employment growth, but not enough to change (the overall jobs picture) materially,” the Labor Department said Friday in assessing September’s national employment situation.

The nation’s civilian unemployment rate remained at 5.4 percent.

Job growth was held down by losses in manufacturing, retail and information services. September’s net increase of 96,000 payroll jobs was less than August’s rise, which was revised down in Friday’s report from 144,000 to 128,000.





http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6205119/

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I wonder if they're shivering over at Freerepublic yet?