U.S. unemployment unchanged in June

Though nonfarm payroll employment rose by 80,000 in June, the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent compared to May, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

During the month, roughly 12.7 million people were unemployed. Average hourly pay for nonfarm employees increased by 6 cents to $23.50.

The BLS also revised its nonfarm payroll employment figures for April and May. April changed to 68,000 from 77,000, and May was revised to 77,000 from 69,000, according to a news release.

During the second quarter, employment growth averaged 75,000 per month, compared with an average monthly increase of 226,000 in the first quarter. According to John Galvin, acting commissioner of the BLS, most major industries reported slower job growth in the second quarter.

Industry notes:

• Professional and business services employment grew by 47,000 in June. Employment in the industry has risen by 1.5 million since its most recent low in September 2009.
• Manufacturing employment rose by 11,000 jobs in June, and the industry averaged 10,000 per month during the second quarter, compared to an average of 41,000 in the first quarter.
• Health care employment continued to trend upward, and it rose by 13,000 in June.