Labour Force Underutilisation U-6
The U.S. jobless rate dropped 0.2 percentage point to 9.5% in June, the lowest level since July, but the government\u2019s broader measure of unemployment only ticked down 0.1 point to 16.5%.
The comprehensive gauge of labour underutilization, known as the \u201cU-6? for its data classification by the Labor Department, accounts for people who have stopped looking for work or who can\u2019t find full-time jobs.
BP's costs arising from the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have rocketed to $US3.12 billion .