Labor force population in October 2002 was 1.0% higher than the estimate of 33.4 million a year ago. Labor force participation rate declined by 1.3 percentage points, from 67.5% in October 2001 to 66.2% in October this year.
Labor force was 1.013 million more than in October 1997, with 374 thousand finding work bringing the number of unemployed to 639 thousand and the unemployment rate to 9.6 percent.
Labor force in January 1999 increased by 3.1 percent to 31.2 million from 30.2 million last year with 679 thousand addition to the employed and 249 thousand increment to the unemployed.
Labor force population in January 2003 increased by 1.8 percent to 33.7 million from 33.1 million in January last year. Labor force participation rate slightly declined by 0.7 percentage point, from 66.4 percent in January 2002 to 65.7 percent in January this year.
Labor force is 1.3 million more than in April 1998, bringing number of employed up by 1.7 million and increasing employment rate from 86.7 percent to 88.2 percent.
