Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in April. The unemployment rate also declined from 3.8% to 3.6%, the lowest rate since December 1969. Through April, the total number of unemployed Americans decreased by 387,000 to a total of 5.8 million. The number of long-term unemployed, defined by those who are jobless for at least 27 weeks, also experienced a small decrease, hovering around 1.2 million, or 21.1% of the unemployed persons.
Additionally, wages saw an average increase of $0.06 to $27.77 after a 4-cent increase in March.
Revisions
Revisions from the March jobs report include an increase in nonfarm payroll employment for February 2019, from +33,000 to +56,000, and a decrease in figures reported for March 2019, from +196,000 to +189,000. These revisions show net employment gains of 16,000 more jobs than previously reported. This brings the average job gains over the last three months to an impressive 169,000.
By Industry
Throughout the month of April, employment in the professional and business services added 76,000 jobs in April, bringing the total over the last year to 535,000.
Last month, healthcare added 27,000 jobs to bring its total to over 404,000 jobs this year. Ambulatory services rose by 17,000 jobs, hospitals rose by 8,000 jobs and hospitals and community care facilities saw an increase of 7,000 jobs in April.
Construction added 33,000 jobs, to bring the total over the last year to 265,000 jobs added. Manufacturing saw little change, as it has the last three months, with a modest gain of 4,000 jobs. In the months prior to February 2019, manufacturing had seen an average of 22,000 jobs added per month. More specifically, the motor vehicles and parts industry saw an increase of 8,000 jobs in April.
Financial activities continued to add jobs in April, adding 12,000 jobs last month to bring its total jobs added over the last 12 months to 110,000. Social assistance added 26,000 jobs over last month, with all these gains in individual and family services.
Retail trade employment continued to lose jobs, with a loss of 12,000 jobs in April. General merchandise stores lost roughly 9,000 jobs; however, motor vehicle and parts dealers added 8,000 jobs.
There was little to no change in the mining, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information, leisure and hospitality, and government industries in April.
