6.9% Jobless, But More Are Working: November Joblessness 6.9%, Number of Jobholders Rises
The unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged last month, even though the Labor Department reported a big increase in the number of Americans with jobs.</br></br>The department said joblessness fell slightly from 7 per cent to 6.9 per cent of the work force. It was the eighth month in a row that the rate has been stuck between 6.9 and 7.1 per cent, and White House press secretary Jody Powell acknowledged that the administration has little chance to reach its goal of driving unemployment down to 6.5 per cent by the end</br></br>According to the less reliable of the two employment surveys the department makes each month, the number of persons with jobs rose a phenomenal 950,000 in November, but this had only a marginal impact on the unemployment rate because the number looking for jobs also rose sharply, by 900,000.</br></br>According to the other, more dependable job surveyÛÓwhich is based on actual payrolls rather than a sampling of householdsÛÓthe number of people with jobs rose 310,000, Even that is a large increase by normal standards, and a sign the economy</br></br>Julius Shiskin, commissioner of labor statistics, told CongressÛª Joint Economic Committee he could not account for the unusual discrepancy between the two surveys. He said the 950,000	number from the household survey was probably inflated. Other federal analysts suggested that part of the problem may have been a faulty system of adjustment for normal seasonal job fluctuations.