"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Stocks Tumble, Hit by Weak July Jobs Data
Fri Aug 6, 2004 10:26 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell sharply on Friday after a U.S.
government report showed weaker-than-expected July payroll figures.

****Employers added a lackluster 32,000 workers to payrolls last month,
but Wall Street economists had looked for a payroll gain of 228,000. The
Labor Department also cut its tally of job growth for May and June by a
combined 61,000.****

"This is shockingly low," said Robert MacIntosh, chief economist at
Eaton Vance Management.


It's part of the Bush No Jobs for Americans program.




From the BLS:

Total Employment and the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)

"Total employment rose by 629,000 to 139.7 million in July, and the employ-
ment population ratio--the proportion of the population age 16 and over with
jobs--increased to 62.5 percent. The civilian labor force also increased
over
the month, rising by 577,000 to 147.9 million, and the labor force
participa-
tion rate rose to 66.2 percent."