U.S. Unemployment Drops to 10.2% and Better Than Expected

U.S. Unemployment Drops to 10.2% and Better Than Expected

The United States unemployment rate fell to 10.2% in July.

The economic rebound from the pandemic was hindered by a spike in COVID-19 cases in the American south and west.

The fall in the jobless rate from 11.1% in June was slightly better than economists had expected.

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According to the U.S. labor department, employers added 1.8 million jobs in July, a much slower pace from 4.8 million in June.

The decline in the pace of the recovery came as the White House and Democrats remained sharply divided over how much Congress should provide in a new aid package for millions of Americans who remain out of work -- specifically, should displaced workers continue to receive $600 a week in federal benefit.

The data released on Friday underscored the continuing impact of the summer’s coronavirus outbreak, which has taken the US death toll to more than 150,000. Data published on Thursday showed that the number of Americans applying for jobless benefits last week remained stubbornly above 1m.