The US economy added 96,000 jobs in September 2004, below the 150,000 analysts had anticipated, according to a Labor Department report released weeks before the November presidential vote. The unemployment rate held at 5.4 percent.
Three hurricanes, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, struck the country that month and likely suppressed hiring, analysts said. Elevated energy prices compounded the drag on employer confidence.
The report drew immediate political fire. Democratic challenger John Kerry pointed to a net loss of 1.63 million private sector jobs under President George W. Bush's watch, alongside a gain of 813,000 government positions. In all, the country shed 2.6 million jobs between Bush's inauguration and August 2003, then recovered 1.8 million since, leaving a net decline of 821,000 for the term.
Treasury Secretary John Snow cited 13 consecutive months of payroll gains as a sign of ongoing recovery. A Labor Department estimate suggested a possible upward revision of 236,000 jobs for the year through March 2004, which would trim Bush's net job-loss figure to around 585,000.
By sector, services added 109,000 positions, led by government (37,000) and professional and business services (34,000), while goods-producing industries cut 13,000 jobs, with manufacturing alone losing 18,000.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.