3 months ago
The Labor Department says unemployment rates rose in 29 states in October compared to the previous month.
But there may be a bright spot in the dim employment picture. More than half of U.S. states added jobs in October, though economists say many of the gains likely occurred in temporary employment.
That could still be a promising development, because employers usually hire temps before they add full-time jobs. Still, economists say if the temp hiring is inflated by the auto sector, which has boosted production to replace depleted inventories, it may not be sustainable.
The figures for jobs and unemployment come from separate reports. The unemployment rate is calculated from a survey of households.
The jobs count comes from a survey of businesses.
Michigan still had the nation's highest unemployment rate in October: 15.1 percent.
