Jobless rates for people over 40 remain lower than the national average, one of several bright spots for middle-aged workers in the August unemployment numbers released today.
The country's overall unemployment rose slightly last month, to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent in July, as more hiring by U.S. companies wasn't enough to offset jobs shed by government agencies, including temporary assignments for the U.S. Census Bureau. Unemployment figures weren't as bad as forecasters had anticipated but still signal that recovery from the recession remains slow.
For workers over 40, the picture is a bit rosier. Here's a snapshot of August unemployment trends, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
* Unemployment for people 40 and older continues to be lower than the 9.6 percent national average: 7.7 percent for 35- to 44-year-olds, 8.1 percent for 45- to 54-year-olds and 7.3 percent for 55 and older.
* Younger midcareer workers are slightly better off than people a decade older and boomers still in the work force. In the past 12 months, unemployment for 35- to 44-year-olds dropped while rates for people 45 and older increased. The August jobless rate of 7.7 percent for 35- to 44-year-olds is down from 8.2 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, 45- to 54-year-olds saw unemployment rise to 8.1 percent from 7.8 percent, for 55-and-older workers to 7.3 percent from 6.8 percent.
* A smaller percentage of men 35 to 54 are unemployed than a year ago, while the reverse is true for men over 55. In August, 8.3 percent of men 35 to 44 and 9 percent of men 45 to 54 were unemployed, compared with 9.5 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, in August 2009. Men 55 and older saw unemployment increase to 8.4 percent in August, from 7.5 percent a year ago.
* Unemployment rates for women over 40 were lower than their male peers and younger women. In August, 7.1 percent of women 35 to 54 weren't working compared with 6.6 percent for women 35 to 44 and 6.3 percent for women 45 to 54 in August 2009. During the same time, unemployment for women over 55 rose slightly, to 6.9 percent from 6.7 percent.
On Friday, President Obama called the August jobs report "positive news," though apparently not positive enough, as he's scheduled to unveil plans next week to help speed up improvements, according to a New York Times report.
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