The Employment Situation: April 2000 — 2000-05-05

Employment rose in April, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 340,000; this includes 73,000 temporary workers added to assist with the decennial census. Average hourly earnings rose by 6 cents in April and by 3.8 percent over the year. The unemployment rate, which has been below 4.2 percent since October, edged down to 3.9 percent in April. This is the first time the rate has been below 4.0 percent since January 1970. The jobless rate for Hispanics decreased to 5.4 percent in April. The unemployment rates for the other major worker groups--adult men (3.2 percent), adult women (3.5 percent), teenagers (12.7 percent), whites (3.5 percent), and blacks (7.2 percent)-- were about unchanged over the month. The number of unemployed persons was 5.5 million.