News roundup: U.S. economy adds 96K jobs, unemployment rate falls to 8.1% … Pecue Lane bridge over I-10 to close Saturday

Published Sep 7, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Sep 7, 2012)

Look no further: U.S. employers added just 96,000 jobs in August—far fewer than the roughly 200,000 economists typically say is needed to draw down the unemployment rate. Nonetheless, the unemployment rate fell to 8.1% from 8.3% in July, but that was only because some people gave up looking for jobs. People who are out of work are counted as unemployed only if they're looking for a job. The Labor Department also reports today that 41,000 fewer jobs were created in July and June than first estimated. The economy has added just 139,000 jobs a month since the start of the year, below 2011's average of 153,000. Get all the details in the full story here.

Detour ahead: Due to a state construction project nearby, the Pecue Lane bridge over Interstate 10 will be closed for a few days beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday. The pending closure notification signs at this site say the bridge will reopen Wednesday. However, the contractor has included a few additional days in case of any unforeseen complications, and tells city officials they are confident that the roadway should reopen before Monday morning.

Today's poll question: Are you satisfied with the pace of post-Isaac debris pickup in East Baton Rouge Parish?