The U.S. economy added 211,000 jobs in April and unemployment was little changed at 4.4%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This continues the recovery of the labor market at a tempered rate, which means the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee should continue to let the economy grow at this rate and not raise interest rates.
In response to the February jobs numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Payroll employment up net 211,000 in April but unemployment little changed at 4.4% #JobsReport @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
Number of workers part-time but want full time work down 281,000 in April, and over 698,000 over the year @AFLCIO #JobsReport
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
Wages showing no sign of accelerating, up again 2.5% (not controlling for inflation) over the year @AFLCIO #JobsReport
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
Broadest measure of unemployment-U6-including involuntary part-time & marginally attached workers down to 8.6% from 9.7% last April @aflcio
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
The employment-to-population ratio for Black men continues to recover, now up to 63.3% from 61.7% last April @rolandsmartin @AFLCIO @CBTU72
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
Despite increasing minimum wages, food services and drinking places add 26,200 jobs in April up over 260,000 for the year @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 5, 2017
Last month's biggest job gains were in leisure and hospitality (55,000), professional and business services (39,000), health care and social assistance (37,000), financial activities (19,000), and mining (9,000). Employment in other major industries, including construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, and government, showed little change over the month.
Among the major worker groups, unemployment rates in April decreased for adult men (4.0%). The jobless rates were little changed for Asians (3.2%), whites (3.8%), adult women (4.1%), Hispanics (5.2%), blacks (7.9%) and teenagers (14.7%).
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed in April and accounted for 22.6% of the unemployed.