A shock tumble in the US jobless rate to the lowest level since Barack Obama walked into the White House,came to the president's rescue today after his drowsy debate performance boosted Mitt Romney. Labor Department data showing the rate slipping below the psychological eight per cent barrier to 7.8 per cent,after analysts had predicted a slight rise,immediately shook up the campaign narrative a month from election day. Obama was expected to try to capitalise on the new figures at his first rally of the day in Virginia,before he heads to Ohio,a state that is frequently decisive in deciding who wins the presidency. But Republican nominee Mitt Romney immediately declared the new jobless figures,which could stamp down any polling boost he wins from a strong debate performance on Wednesday night,did not reflect a "real recovery." "If not for all the people who have simply dropped out of the labor force,the real unemployment rate would be closer to 11 percent," said Romney,who was mining Virginia's coal country for votes today. While unemployment tracked down from 8.2 per cent last month,only 114,000 jobs were created in September,despite upward revisions to July and August data,and manufacturers cut jobs for the second straight month. But the economic context is almost certain to be lost in the political free-for-all a month before election day,and the data may back Obama's claim the economy is heading in the right direction and undercut Romney's critiques. Notion US jobs number rigged ludicrous: Solis U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis,in response to questions from a television anchor casting doubt on the validity of the latest jobless rate figures,said the idea it was manipulated is ludicrous. I'm insulted when I hear that,because we have a very professional civil service organization. These are our best trained and most skilled individuals,she told CNBC. It's really ludicrous to hear that kind of statement. Former General Electric Co CEO Jack Welch sent a tweet shortly after the Labor Department reported a sharp decline in the jobless rate to 7.8 percent saying: Unbelievable jobs numbers ..these Chicago guys will do anything..can't debate so change numbers.
