By Jessica Long
The US Department for Labour has released October’s unemployment figures and they show that the jobless rate has increased to 7.9% from September’s 7.8%.
The figures show that the economy gained 171,000 extra jobs in October, which are 50,000 more than most experts predicted.
This is comes just days before the American public go to the polls to vote either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney into the White House and these figures could be crucial to undecided voters.
Piers Morgan, who is covering the election for CNN, tweeted as soon as the figures were released; “BREAKING: Jobless rate 7.9%, 171,000 jobs created. Not BAD news for Obama, not particularly good either.”
Piers Morgan Tweet on October Employment Figures
Einar Thorsen, a lecturer in journalism and communication, was not surprised by todays announcement. He said; ” The new unemployment figure was line with expectations and crucially below the symbolic 8% which is good for the Obama campaign.
Unemployment is important to the US electorate, but the monthly figures have not been as important in the campaign as Romney might have hoped.”
Both candidates are canvassing in Ohio today, one of the most important swing states, with higher unemployment rate than the US average of 7%, and there is no doubt that today’s figures will be discussed at length by both.