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In the News

Obama’s jobs challenge: The employment report in six charts

The August jobs report was awful. Unemployment rate went down from 8.3 percent to 8.1 percent but nonfarm payrolls increased by a dismal 96,000. — Dylan Matthews

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Unemployment and Payroll Numbers

Unemployment went down, but that’s because people dropped out of the labor force, not because a healthy number of jobs were created. It fits with the pattern of stagnation of the past few months.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

Public employment continued to fall, by 7,000 employees in the past month alone, after months of shrinkage since the end of the Census (which is the big spike in the public employment data below) and the stimulus, and the dawn of austerity with the Republican takeover at the House and subsequent presidential actions like the federal pay freeze and the debt ceiling deal.

Public and private

Public employment continued to fall, by 7,000 employees in the past month alone, after months of shrinkage since the end of the Census (which is the big spike in the public employment data below) and the stimulus, and the dawn of austerity with the Republican takeover at the House and subsequent presidential actions like the federal pay freeze and the debt ceiling deal.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

The BLS releases six unemployment measures. There’s U3, the number that shows up in all the news article, which counts people who don’t have jobs, but have looked for one in the past four weeks, but U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6 exist as well. U1 and U2 are usually lower than U3, and measure the percentage of people who have been unemployed for 15 weeks or longer and the percentage who have lost jobs or done temporary work in the period in question, respectively.U4, U5 and U6 are usually higher than U3. Each of these categories includes everyone in all the lower categories: all people in U3 are in U4, all people in U4 are in U5, and all people in U5 are in U6. U4 adds people who have stopped looking for work because they’ve concluded none is available. U5 adds people who would like to work but for whatever reason have not looked for work recently. U6 adds the underemployed, or part-time workers who want to be working full-time but cannot for whatever reason.

Alternative unemployment measures

The BLS releases six unemployment measures. There’s U3, the number that shows up in all the news article, which counts people who don’t have jobs, but have looked for one in the past four weeks, but U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6 exist as well. U1 and U2 are usually lower than U3, and measure the percentage of people who have been unemployed for 15 weeks or longer and the percentage who have lost jobs or done temporary work in the period in question, respectively.U4, U5 and U6 are usually higher than U3. Each of these categories includes everyone in all the lower categories: all people in U3 are in U4, all people in U4 are in U5, and all people in U5 are in U6. U4 adds people who have stopped looking for work because they’ve concluded none is available. U5 adds people who would like to work but for whatever reason have not looked for work recently. U6 adds the underemployed, or part-time workers who want to be working full-time but cannot for whatever reason.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

Different sectors were hit to varying degrees by the downturn, with construction doing the worst of the bunch but health and education barely getting hit at all. This month was especially grisly for manufacturing, which lost 15,000 jobs.

Sectors

Different sectors were hit to varying degrees by the downturn, with construction doing the worst of the bunch but health and education barely getting hit at all. This month was especially grisly for manufacturing, which lost 15,000 jobs.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

The rate of wage growth fell dramatically due to the recession, and remains stagnant, with average hourly earnings falling one penny from $23.53 an hour to $23.52 this past month.

Wages

The rate of wage growth fell dramatically due to the recession, and remains stagnant, with average hourly earnings falling one penny from $23.53 an hour to $23.52 this past month.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

Labor force participation fell from 63.7 percent of the non-imprisoned population over 16 to 63.5 percent. That’s not just the lowest level since the recession hit, it’s the lowest level since September 1981, and the lowest level for men since the BLS started keeping track in 1948.

Labor Force Participation

Labor force participation fell from 63.7 percent of the non-imprisoned population over 16 to 63.5 percent. That’s not just the lowest level since the recession hit, it’s the lowest level since September 1981, and the lowest level for men since the BLS started keeping track in 1948.

/ Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dylan Matthews for The Washington Post

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

HOUSTON, TX—APRIL 25: Naomi Haskell poses for a portrait with her son, Spencer, 19, at her home in suburban Houston, Texas, on Thursday, April 25, 2013. Since he was diagnosed with a type of schizophrenia two years ago, her focus has been on keeping him well. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

A mom and her son face the challenge of mental illness

Naomi Haskell helps her son Spencer deal with the challenges presented by his schizophrenia. She spends her days torn between worry and hope...

ANNAPOLIS MD: MAY 24
The Class of 2013 culminates their commissioning ceremony with the hat toss, a traditional ending to the ceremony, originated at the Naval Academy in 1912. The 'hat toss' has since become a symbolic and visual end to the four-year program. Photographed at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland on May 24, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

They tossed their caps in Annapolis

The 2013 Class of the U.S. Naval Academy holds its graduation and commissioning ceremonies. President Obama spoke at the graduation.

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 19: Mark Melancon #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros during the game on May 19, 2013 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pirates defeated the Astros 1-0. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

MLB power rankings

Barry Svrluga assesses the best teams in Major League Baseball through Thursday.

epa03714567 A Thai Buddhist family take an offering of lotus flowers to pay respects to a giant Buddha surrounded by more than 1,000 smaller Buddha statues at a Buddhism Park, on Vesak or Visakha Bucha day, in Nakhon Nayok, north of Bangkok, Thailand, 24 May 2013. Buddhist devotees throughout the world offer blessings at temples to mark one of the holiest days in Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha. EPA/BARBARA WALTON

Photos of the day

Buddhist Wesak festival, prisoners-of-war reunion, bridge collapse, world’s largest Lego model and more.

SILVER SPRING MD: MAY 18
from left to right, Bodybuilders Jorge Villatoro, Sidney Bumbrey, Eric Holmes and Ron Coleman show off their most muscular poses for the judges at the 2013 Musclemania - Capital Tournament of Champions Contest held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 18, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Flexing their muscles

Dozens of bodybuilders came out to Silver Spring to compete in the 2013 Musclemania Capital Tournament of Champions.

epa03714543 US actress Carmen Electra arrives for the Life Ball gala, at the airport Schwechat, in Vienna, Austria, 24 May 2013. The 21th Life Ball, an annual fundraising charity event for HIV and Aids projects, takes place at the Vienna City-Hall on 25 May 2013. EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER

Eye on entertainment

Carmen Electra, Barbara Eden, Sharon Stone, Goldie Hawn, Jaden Smith and more.

MOORE, OK - MAY 24: A 'For Sale' sign hangs in a tree in a storm ravaged neighborhood on May 24, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma. The tornado of EF5 strength and two miles wide touched down May 20 killing at least 24 people and leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. U.S. President Barack Obama promised federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

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