Unemployment stuck at 8.2% on gain of 80,000 jobs in June

The 80,000 jobs U.S. employers added in June wasn’t good enough to chisel away at the 8.2% unemployment rate, and marked the third straight month of weak hiring figures—an indication the economy continues to struggle three years after the recession ended. According to the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report out this morning, the economy has added an average of just 75,000 jobs per month in the April-June quarter. That’s one-third of 226,000 a month created in the first quarter. Job creation is also trailing last year’s pace through the first six months of 2012. The dismal June job figures could prompt the Federal Reserve to take further action to try to boost the economy. The Fed last month downgraded its economic outlook for 2012. It predicted growth of just 1.9% to 2.4% for the year, and little change in the unemployment rate. Job gains in April and May were little changed from the department’s previous estimates. And yet, there were some good signs in the report. The average work week grew to 34.5 hours, from 34.4 in May, boosting many workers’ paychecks. And average hourly wages rose 6 cents to $23.50. The Associated Press has more figures from the report in the full story here.