US unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage point to 9.8 percent in September, the highest since June 1983, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Economists had expected the rate might hit double digit in September.

Nonfarm payroll employment declined a net total of 263,000 last month, up from a downwardly revised total of 201,000 in August.

The largest job losses in September were in construction, manufacturing, retail trade, and government.

In September, construction employment declined by 64,000, while in manufacturing fell by 51,000. Government employment was down by 53,000 in September, with the largest decline occurring in the non-education component of local government.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 7.6 million, and the unemployment rate has doubled to 9.8 percent. All told, 15.1 million Americans are now out of work, the department said.

According to separate data released on September 18 by the Labor Department, 14 US states and Washington D.C., reported unemployment rates of 10 percent or above in August.

Analysts said that even as the economy shows signs of recovery, some employers are still cutting jobs, and many more are reluctant to hire after enduring the worst recession since the 1930s.

Increasing job loss has become the biggest test for the Obama Administration as the economy is showing more positive signs. Many economists expect that the US economy will return to growth in the third quarter.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that even if the economy were to grow at a 3 percent pace in the coming quarters, it would not be enough to quickly drive down the unemployment rate. Bernanke said the rate is likely to remain above 9 percent through the end of 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2009)