Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2021-05-07

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 266,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.1 percent. Notable job gains in leisure and hospitality, other services, and local government education were partially offset by losses in temporary help services and in couriers and messengers. Substantial job losses related to the coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic first occurred in March (-1.7 million) and April (-20.7 million) of 2020. As economic activity resumed, employment increased by 12.6 million from May through November but declined again in December (-306,000) following a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. Job growth restarted in January of this year, and nonfarm payroll employment has increased by 1.8 million over the past 4 months. However, payroll employment is down by 8.2 million, or 5.4 percent, from the pre-pandemic employment peak in February 2020. Leisure and hospitality gained 331,000 jobs in April, as pandemic-related restrictions continued to ease in many parts of the country.