National Unemployment Stays Put at 9.6%

At a job fair | AP Photo/Jim Prisching

With only 64,000 new private sector jobs last month, combined with 159,000 jobs cut in the government sector (about half of that is thanks to the U.S. Census Bureau letting go of 77,000 temporary employees), the national unemployment rate went unchanged last month, the federal government announced today. The news of a 9.6% unemployment rate will likely push the Federal Reserve to try to stimulate the economy, according to the Wall Street Journal. Today's announcement is the last before the November election.