The US economy lost jobs in December, for the first time since April, hit hard by the upsurge in Covid-19 cases and activity restriction measures, the department announced on Friday. work.
In December, 140,000 jobs were lost.
This is much worse than what analysts expected who expected 112,000 jobs to be created.
In November, 336,000 jobs had been created, according to revised figures upwards.
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The unemployment rate remained stable compared to November, at 6.7% in line with expectations.
This is a sign that participation in the labor market is deteriorating.
The number of unemployed people is also unchanged at 10.7 million.
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In December, job losses in the leisure and hospitality sector and in private education were partially offset by gains in professional and business services, retail trade and construction,
" explains the ministry in its press release.
The number of people who were initially temporarily dismissed, and have now lost their jobs permanently, continues to increase, and now reaches 3 million people.
And the country has 4 million long-term unemployed, that is to say for more than 27 weeks, as in November.
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The unemployment rate peaked at 14.8% in April, according to a slight upward revision also released on Friday.
It had declined every month since, but it remains twice as high as before the epidemic arrived in the United States, when, in February, it was 3.5%, a low in 50 years.