Even so, the unemployment rate edged up one-tenth of a percentage point, to 4.4 percent.

But in recent years, with record numbers of bank failures, it has edged closer to 1.1 percent.

In September, unemployment edged down one-tenth of a point, to 6.7 percent.

The nation's unemployment rate edged down one-tenth of a point, to 6.4 percent.

The unemployment rate in May edged down 0.1 percent, to 5.1 percent.

The rate in the West edged up, however, to 7.5 percent.

But over the last two weeks, it has edged lower, to 15.1 percent.

The Nasdaq composite also edged higher, to 2,034.84, up 6.41 points, or 0.3 percent.

But unemployment edged down only slightly, to 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent in March.

It fell to a low of 62 percent in September and has now edged back to 62.4 percent.