Jobless rate at 9.7 pct.; 216K jobs lost in Aug.
• APThe unemployment rate jumped almost
half a point to 9.7 percent in August, the highest since 1983,
reflecting a poor job market that will make it hard for the U.S.
economy to begin a sustained recovery.
While the jobless rate
rose more than expected, the economy shed a net total of 216,000 jobs,
less than July's revised 276,000 and the fewest monthly losses in a
year, according to Labor Department data released Friday. Economists
expected the unemployment rate to rise to 9.5 percent from July's 9.4
percent and job reductions to total 225,000.
