Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation — 2007-05-04

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 88,000 in April to 137.7 million. In the first 4 months of 2007, payroll job growth averaged 129,000 per month, down from 189,000 per month in 2006. In April, job gains continued in some service-providing industries, while employment fell in retail trade and manufacturing. The unemployment rate, at 4.5 percent, was essentially unchanged over the month and has ranged from 4.4 to 4.6 percent since last September. Health care employment grew by 37,000 in April and by 362,000 over the year. Job gains occurred throughout the industry. Food services and drinking places added 25,000 jobs in April and 336,000 over the last year.