U.S. ADDS ONLY 266K JOBS IN APRIL

Key Points:

  • Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 266,000 in April as the unemployment rate rose by 0.1% to 6.1%.
  • This is the fourth month of job gains after payrolls fell steeply in December.
  • Nonfarm employment is down by 8.2 Million, or 5.4%, from pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.
  • Employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 331,000, as pandemic-related restrictions continue to ease in many parts of the country.
  • Manufacturing employment fell by 18,000, following gains in the previous 2 months.
  • In April, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 21 cents to $30.17.
  • The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 35.0 hours in April.
  • The labor force participation rate was little changed at 61.7% in April and is 1.6% lower than February 2020.