Unemployment rate unchanged in December 2004
January 11, 2005
Both the number of unemployed persons, 8.0 million, and the unemployment rate, 5.4 percent, were unchanged in December.
[Chart data—TXT]
The jobless rate has been either 5.4 or 5.5 percent in each month since July, slightly below the rates that prevailed in the first half of 2004.
Both the civilian labor force, at 148.2 million in December, and the labor force participation rate, at 66.0 percent, were about unchanged from the previous month.
These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see "The Employment Situation: December 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-30.
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