The Employment Situation: May 2000 — 2000-06-02

Boosted by the hiring of 357,000 temporary workers to assist with Census 2000, total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 231,000 in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Private-sector payroll employment declined by 116,000 over the month, and the unemployment rate edged back up to its March level of 4.1 percent. Average hourly earnings increased by 1 cent over the month and by 3.5 percent over the year. Both the number of unemployed persons, 5.8 million, and the unemployment rate, 4.1 percent, rose in May. The rate had dipped to 3.9 percent in April and has been below 4.2 percent since October 1999. Unemployment rates increased in May for adult women (3.8 percent) and blacks (8.0 percent). Rates for other major worker groups--adult men (3.4 percent), teenagers (12.5 percent), whites (3.5 percent), and Hispanics (5.8 percent)--showed little or no change.