Mainstream Media Actually Notices-- Slightly

Employment up in 8 of 10 battleground states:

WASHINGTON - Unemployment declined last month in eight of 10 states that are hotly contested in the presidential race, including Pennsylvania and Ohio where job losses and a struggling economy have boosted Democrat John Kerry's election hopes.

Friday's Labor Department report on regional and state employment in September was the last snapshot of the labor market before the election.

Ohio's unemployment rate declined to 6 percent in September from 6.3 percent the previous month. Employers' payrolls grew by 5,500, helping to send down the rate. But more jobseekers dropped out of the labor pool, too, contributing to the rate decline.

Among the closely contested states, unemployment rates declined last month in Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Nevada and Colorado in addition to Ohio.

Rates climbed in two battleground states, Iowa and Wisconsin.

posted by Ace at 02:46 PM

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