The economy continued its sluggish performance in June as employers added just 80,000 jobs and the nation’s unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent, the government reported Friday.
The report added to growing concern that the economic recovery, which seemed to be gaining momentum in the early part of the year, is faltering after a promising start for the third consecutive year.
Graphic
A detailed look at the unemployment and jobs situation.
Video
U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended.
During the first quarter of 2012, employers added an average of 226,000 jobs a month, the Labor Department said. But job creation slowed in the second quarter to an average of 75,000 a month--far below the level that is needed to make a dent in the unemployment rate.
The job market seemed to plateau on many fronts in June, as only professional and business services added significant new jobs, while manufacturing-- a bright spot in the otherwise tepid recovery-- added 11,000 positions. Health care added 13,000 jobs, while most other industries showed little change.
The number of people officially labeled unemployed held steady at 12.7 million, and the number of people who have been out of work for six months or more remained at 5.4 million, accounting for nearly 42 percent of the overall unemployed.
Republicans called the disappointing report proof that President Obama is mismanaging the economy. Speaking at a hardware store in New Hampshire, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said: “The president’s policies have clearly not been successful in reigniting this economy.”
Romney said that corporate taxes are too high, the nation’s regulatory burdens are too onerous and the nation’s trade policy is too restrictive to maximize job creation.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. America can do better and this kick in the gut has got to end,” Romney said.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) echoed that sentiment. “Today’s report shows the private sector clearly isn’t ‘doing fine’ and that President Obama’s policies have failed,” he said. “The president bet on a failed ‘stimulus’ spending binge that led to 41 months of unemployment above 8 percent. He bet on a government takeover of health care that’s driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. He even bet taxpayer dollars on companies like Solyndra while blocking popular projects like Keystone XL that would create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”
In a statement after Romney’s remarks, the Obama campaign emphasized that the economy was on the “brink of depression” when the president took office.
“The president ... doesn't believe our work is done — he’s got a plan to restore the middle class and create a million jobs now that Mitt Romney opposes and Republican leaders have blocked,” press secretary Ben LaBolt said. “Mitt Romney says he has a better path.... In fact, independent economists have concluded his plan wouldn’t create one job, wouldn’t reduce the deficit one cent, and could lead to another recession. Mitt Romney’s economic policies failed before and instead of creating jobs, they would weaken the economy and undermine the middle class.”
The report added to growing concern that the economic recovery, which seemed to be gaining momentum in the early part of the year, is faltering after a promising start for the third consecutive year.
Graphic
A detailed look at the unemployment and jobs situation.
Video
U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended.
During the first quarter of 2012, employers added an average of 226,000 jobs a month, the Labor Department said. But job creation slowed in the second quarter to an average of 75,000 a month--far below the level that is needed to make a dent in the unemployment rate.
The job market seemed to plateau on many fronts in June, as only professional and business services added significant new jobs, while manufacturing-- a bright spot in the otherwise tepid recovery-- added 11,000 positions. Health care added 13,000 jobs, while most other industries showed little change.
The number of people officially labeled unemployed held steady at 12.7 million, and the number of people who have been out of work for six months or more remained at 5.4 million, accounting for nearly 42 percent of the overall unemployed.
Republicans called the disappointing report proof that President Obama is mismanaging the economy. Speaking at a hardware store in New Hampshire, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said: “The president’s policies have clearly not been successful in reigniting this economy.”
Romney said that corporate taxes are too high, the nation’s regulatory burdens are too onerous and the nation’s trade policy is too restrictive to maximize job creation.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. America can do better and this kick in the gut has got to end,” Romney said.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) echoed that sentiment. “Today’s report shows the private sector clearly isn’t ‘doing fine’ and that President Obama’s policies have failed,” he said. “The president bet on a failed ‘stimulus’ spending binge that led to 41 months of unemployment above 8 percent. He bet on a government takeover of health care that’s driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. He even bet taxpayer dollars on companies like Solyndra while blocking popular projects like Keystone XL that would create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”
In a statement after Romney’s remarks, the Obama campaign emphasized that the economy was on the “brink of depression” when the president took office.
“The president ... doesn't believe our work is done — he’s got a plan to restore the middle class and create a million jobs now that Mitt Romney opposes and Republican leaders have blocked,” press secretary Ben LaBolt said. “Mitt Romney says he has a better path.... In fact, independent economists have concluded his plan wouldn’t create one job, wouldn’t reduce the deficit one cent, and could lead to another recession. Mitt Romney’s economic policies failed before and instead of creating jobs, they would weaken the economy and undermine the middle class.”