US adds 244,000 jobs in April
By Jeannine Aversa |
May 7, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AMERICA'S employers added more than 200,000 jobs in April for the third straight month, the biggest hiring spree in five years.
The US Labor Department yesterday reported the economy added 244,000 jobs last month. Private employers shrugged off high gas prices and created 268,000 jobs - the most since February 2006.
The job gains were widespread. Retailers, factories, financial companies, education and health care and even construction companies all added jobs. Federal, state and local governments cut jobs.
But the unemployment rate ticked up to 9 percent from 8.8 percent in March, the first increase since November.
The government uses a separate survey to calculate the unemployment rate. The survey sometimes diverges from a separate survey used to determine the number of jobs employers added.
The latest employment figures suggest businesses are confident in the economy despite weak growth earlier this year and soaring gas prices that have weighed on consumers. The government said job gains in March and February were even stronger than first reported.
"The US labor market strengthened in April, damping concerns that rising energy costs are staunching the recovery, said Sal Guatieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets Economics.
Workers' paychecks edged up in April. Average hourly earnings rose to US$22.95, up from US$22.93 in March.
All told there were 13.7 million Americans unemployed in April, still almost double since before the recession began in December 2007.
The US Labor Department yesterday reported the economy added 244,000 jobs last month. Private employers shrugged off high gas prices and created 268,000 jobs - the most since February 2006.
The job gains were widespread. Retailers, factories, financial companies, education and health care and even construction companies all added jobs. Federal, state and local governments cut jobs.
But the unemployment rate ticked up to 9 percent from 8.8 percent in March, the first increase since November.
The government uses a separate survey to calculate the unemployment rate. The survey sometimes diverges from a separate survey used to determine the number of jobs employers added.
The latest employment figures suggest businesses are confident in the economy despite weak growth earlier this year and soaring gas prices that have weighed on consumers. The government said job gains in March and February were even stronger than first reported.
"The US labor market strengthened in April, damping concerns that rising energy costs are staunching the recovery, said Sal Guatieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets Economics.
Workers' paychecks edged up in April. Average hourly earnings rose to US$22.95, up from US$22.93 in March.
All told there were 13.7 million Americans unemployed in April, still almost double since before the recession began in December 2007.
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