The United States added 169,000 jobs and unemployment dipped in August, though the numbers fell short of most experts' expectations. With the uncertainty over Syria and the onset of Obamacare, it's unclear how the Federal Reserve will respond to the latest developments.
Unemployment fell to 7.8 percent in September after the economy added 114,000 jobs and total employment increased 873,000. In addition, the labor department revised upward previous months' employment reports.
It was a mixed bag Friday morning when the latest labor report was released. Jobs were up, but so was unemployment. And both Republicans and Democrats were moving to capitalize politically on the mixed message. One bright point, though, was that manufacturing jobs are growing faster than at any point in almost 30 years.
Congress extended federal unemployment benefits in February, but, it came with a reduction in the weeks of aid. Many who are unemployed will lose their benefits sooner than expected — as soon as next month. With the recent spike in unemployment numbers, the debate continues over the best way to handle the country's jobless.
While the economy takes tentative steps toward recovery, for older Americans, that recovery is elusive. With high unemployment rates already, their time spent looking for a new job is much, much longer than average.