Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 164,000 in April, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, manufacturing, health care, and mining. Household Survey Data In April, the unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent, following 6 months at 4.1 percent. The number of unemployed persons, at 6.3 million, also edged down over the month. (See table A-1.) Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult women decreased to 3.5 percent in April. The jobless rates for adult men (3.7 ... (full story)

U.S. hiring rebounded in April and the unemployment rate dropped below 4 percent for the first time since 2000, while wage gains unexpectedly cooled, suggesting the labor market still has slack to absorb. Payrolls rose 164,000 after an upwardly revised 135,000 advance, Labor Department figures showed Friday. The jobless rate fell to 3.9 percent, the lowest since December 2000, after six months at 4.1 percent. Average hourly earnings increased 0.1 percent from the prior month and 2.6 percent from a year earlier, both less than projected. Despite the softer-than-expected wage reading, an unemployment rate drifting ... (full story)