Both the unemployment rate, at 5.9 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 9.5 million, were little changed in June, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Friday.
“These measures are down considerably from their highs in April 2020 but remain well above their levels prior to the pandemic at 3.5 percent and 5.7 million, respectively, in February 2020,” according to the report.
In June, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 343,000, as pandemic related restrictions continued to ease in some parts of the country. Over half of the job gain was in food services and drinking places.
Retail trade added 67,000 jobs last month, but employment is down by 303,000, or 1.9 percent, since February 2020. Food and beverage stores, in particular, lost 13,000 jobs.
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