AlHijjah 4, 1436, Sep 18, 2015, SPA -- Unemployment rates fell in 29 of the 50 U.S. states in August as hiring remained solid across the country. However, declining oil and coal prices continued to hurt energy-producing states, the government reported Friday. The Labor Department said unemployment rates were unchanged in 11 states and rose in the remaining 10 states. Employers added jobs in 32 states and shed them in 18. Oil prices that are sharply lower than a year ago contributed to job losses and higher unemployment in several states. Across the country, employers added 173,000 jobs in August, while the national unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent.
