The US unemployment rate rose from 9.8 to 10.2 percent in October - - the highest since April 1983 and nonfarm  jobs fell 190,000, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The largest job losses over the month were in construction, manufacturing, and retail trade.  The broad measure of unemployment rose to 17.5 percent.

The BLS said in October, the number of unemployed persons increased by 558,000 to 15.7 million. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage point to 10.2 percent, the highest rate since April 1983. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 8.2 million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 5.3 percentage points.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (10.7 percent) and whites (9.5 percent) rose in October. The jobless rates for adult women (8.1 percent), teenagers (27.6 percent), blacks (15.7 percent), and Hispanics (13.1 percent) were little changed over the month. The unemployment rate for Asians was 7.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was little changed over the month at 5.6 million. In October, 35.6 percent of unemployed persons were jobless for 27 weeks or more.

The broad measure of unemployment rose to 17.5 percent from 17.0 percent in October.

The BLS says the broad rate:  includes marginally attached workers are persons who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and  are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the recent past.  Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached,  have given a job-market related reason for not looking currently for a job.  Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those  who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule.

See breakdown of broad measure in October.

The number of persons working part time for economic reasons was little changed in October at 9.3 million.

Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 190,000 in October. In the most recent 3 months, job losses have averaged 188,000 per month, compared with losses averaging 357,000 during the prior 3 months. In contrast, losses averaged 645,000 per month from November 2008 to April 2009. Since December 2007, payroll employment has fallen by 7.3 million.

Construction employment decreased by 62,000 in October. Monthly job losses have averaged 67,000 during the most recent 6 months, compared with an average decline of 117,000 during the prior 6 months. October job losses were concentrated in nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-30,000) and in heavy construction (-14,000). Since December 2007, employment in construction has fallen by 1.6 million.

Manufacturing continued to shed jobs (-61,000) in October, with losses in both durable and nondurable goods production. Over the past 4 months, job losses in manufacturing have averaged 51,000 per month, compared with an average monthly loss of 161,000 from October 2008 through June 2009.

Manufacturing employment has fallen by 2.1 million since December 2007.

Retail trade lost 40,000 jobs in October. Employment declines were concentrated in sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores (-16,000) and in department stores (-11,000). Employment in transportation and warehousing decreased by 18,000 in October.

Health care employment continued to increase in October (29,000). Since the start of the recession, health care has added 597,000 jobs.

In the government sector, 22.9 million were employed in October 2008 and 22.4 million a year later.