A Closer Look at the April Jobs Report

ChartFacts submits:The Employment Situation release from the BLS this morning revealed surprising strength. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 290,000 jobs in April.

Dean Baker on the jobs report:

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in March, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7%, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys. Hiring for the census added 48,000 jobs in March, a large temporary increase, but less than expected amount, for the month. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised from -26,000 to +14,000, and the change for February was revised from -36,000 to -14,000 together this results in an addition of 90,000 jobs.

By Hugh, who is a long-time commenter at Naked Capitalism. Originally published at Corrente.

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 200,000 in December, and the unemployment rate declined to 8.5% (the lowest rate in 3 years), continuing a downward trend. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised from +100,000 to +112,000, and the change for November was revised from +120,000 to +100,000 (which results in total increase of 192,000 with this report: 200,000 – 8,000 lost in revisions).

While members of the Obama administration and mainstream news media are really pounding home the non-farm payroll portion of the April 2011 U.S.

ALMOST everywhere you look, the American recovery seems to be picking up pace. The economy grew faster in the third quarter than originally reported. Industrial production continues to grow. Spending has been surprisingly strong, and the latest figures on pending home sales suggest that even housing markets may be stirring from their deep slump.