The United States created 235,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 5.2%.

Unemployment in the United States fell to 5.2% in August, two tenths less than in July, while 235,000 new jobs were created, the Ministry of Labor reported on Thursday.

The number of new jobs for the month of August is lower than expected and could indicate that the Delta variant is affecting the economic recovery from the country. New job creation stood at 1.1 million in July, according to revised data.

“In August, there were notable job gains in professional and business services, transportation and warehousing, private education, manufacturing and other services.“, Noted the Ministry of Labor in its press release.

On the contrary, retail employment has declined.

The unemployment rate continued to decline, to 5.2%, as expected, from 5.4% last month. This decrease is partly explained by the fact that many people left the labor market and no longer actively looking for work.

The monthly job creation helps take the pulse of the US economic recovery.

The data was released after it was reported on Thursday that weekly jobless claims in the United States have hit a new low since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between August 22 and 28, 340,000 applications for unemployment benefits were registered, 14,000 fewer than the previous week, while there were 354,000 claims, according to the US Department of Labor.

Analysts they were expecting 348,000 new orders in the week under study.

Initial requests have been dropping for months, thanks to a greater reopening of the economy and strong demand for workers. Even so, they remain high compared to pre-pandemic levels, and the fast-spreading Delta variant injected uncertainty about the economic outlook, which poses a risk of future layoffs.

Recently the The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced that it will not seek to extend the $ 300-per-week boost to unemployment benefit that expires on September 6, given the improving economic recovery after the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The $ 300 support will expire on September 6, as planned», They indicated in a joint letter Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury, and Marty walsh, Secretary of Labor, sent to the Senate Finance Committee.

“As President Biden said,” they added, “the boost has always been meant to be temporary and it is appropriate that this benefit ends”.

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