Unemployment Drops Slightly in September
The nationÛªs unemployment rate dropped slightly' in September after edging u]) the previous month, the government reported yesterday-allaying fears by some analysts that joblessness may bo on the rise again.</br></br>The Labor DepartmentÛªs monthly employment survey showed the jobless rale hack at 0.9 per cent of the work force, down from 7.1 per cent in August. At the same time, the number of jobs in the economy began growing again.</br></br>Importantly, the new figures showed a sizeable drop in the unemployment rate for blacks, reversing an August surge that many analysts had considered alarming. Julius Shiskin, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, said the new figures showed that the August rise was a fluke.</br></br>greeted with some fanfare by the White House. Jody Powell, the President's press secretary, said the improvement was "widespread enough to indicate there is a recovery from the summer slump.Û</br></br>However, economists noted Hint the decline still did not edge the jobless rate off the 7 per cent plateau on which it lias been stuck since Inst April. An internal analysis by the White House shows little improvement is likely over tile next several months.