WASHINGTON (AP) - The Labor Department says the May jobless rate is up and the number of newly created jobs is down.
The unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent in April, the first increase in 11 months. The agency says employers created only 69,000 jobs in May, the fewest in a year. It also revised figures for March and April, now saying 49,000 fewer jobs were created.
The jobs data is expected to fan fears that the economy is sputtering. It also puts President Barack Obama on the defensive five months before his re-election bid. And it could lead the Federal Reserve to take further steps to help the economy.
Meanwhile, unemployment across the 17 countries that use the euro stayed at 11 percent in April - the highest level since the single currency was introduced in 1999.
