Unemployment Declines

Dennis Jacobe, Gallup’s chief economist, reports that Gallup’s unadjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.4% in March.  This figure is the lowest since October and November of 2011.  Gallup also found that 9.6% of Americans are working part-time but want to work full-time.  This percentage is down from 10.0% in February, but still higher than the 9.2% seen a year ago.  Gallup also calculates a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, the formula for which Jacobe says is comparable to the method used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The seasonally adjusted rate fell to 8.1% in March.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently released its regional and state unemployment data, and releases its national jobs numbers Friday.