The first Friday of the month is the day of the eagerly awaited US employment data. The employment figure recorded a tepid increase in August. 96.000 new jobs were created last month, lower than analysts' expectations of 125.000 new jobs.
The unemployment rate fell from 8,3% to 8,1%. The figure is in line with the slow growth trend in employment that has been going on since September 2010 but is not in line with the 2012 average in which 139.00 jobs were created each month. Employment is a key campaign issue with Republicans accusing Obama of being responsible for "poor macroeconomic data".
On the other hand, the president of the United States has put the occupation at the top of his agenda for the second term, stating that he will undertake to restore oxygen to the middle class. Less than two months before the elections, the data does not seem to help the Democratic candidate who must defend himself against the growing popularity of his rival Mitt Romney who is taking advantage of the long wave due to the media overexposure following the Republican convention.
