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FOOD-STORE JOBS ARE FRUITFUL, UP 11,000 IN AUGUST

WASHINGTON -- Employment at food stores increased by 11,000 in August, after remaining steady in July and dropping 11,000 in June, according to Labor Department statistics.Food stores employed a seasonally adjusted 3.486 million in August, up from 3.475 million in July. Against August 1998, food stores, however, have lost 11,800 employees.Katharine Abraham, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

WASHINGTON -- Employment at food stores increased by 11,000 in August, after remaining steady in July and dropping 11,000 in June, according to Labor Department statistics.

Food stores employed a seasonally adjusted 3.486 million in August, up from 3.475 million in July. Against August 1998, food stores, however, have lost 11,800 employees.

Katharine Abraham, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in a statement to the Joint Economic Committee, said that despite August's increase in food-store employment, the industry has had "virtually no net job growth in two years."

Employment at eating and drinking places decreased by 38,000 in August, following an increase of 74,000 in July.

Eating and drinking places employed 7.947 million in August, compared with 7.985 million in July.

Against August 1998, employment at eating and drinking places dropped by 22,600.

Employment in the retail trade industry declined by 3,000 in August, after a substantial increase of 99,000 in July.

The increase in food-store employment occurred as the national unemployment rate fell to 4.2% from 4.3% in July.

The economy, however, created only 124,000 jobs in August, after adding 338,000 in July. Economists had predicted the addition of 200,000 to 300,000 jobs.

"It's hard to characterize this as a good or bad report," said Larry Horowitz, an economist with Boston-based Primark Decision Economics.

"It reflects a slight slowing of the economy in general and a lack of rebound in the manufacturing sector in August, but there may be some seasonal factors going on."

The average workweek for workers on private payrolls edged up 0.1 hour in August to 34.6 hours.

Average hourly earnings for private workers increased by 2 cents in August to $13.30, following gains of 6 cents and 4 cents in June and July.