April ’17: Job Gains Up, Jobless Rate Down

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs report shows total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 211,000 in April 2017. The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, down from 4.5 percent over the past month. Job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, health care and social assistance, financial activities, and mining, according to the report.

From the latest report:

• Leisure and hospitality added 55,000 jobs. Employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up over the month and has increased by 260,000 over the year.
• Employment in health care and social assistance increased by 37,000 in April. Health care employment continued to trend up over the month. This is in line with the industry’s average monthly job growth during the first quarter of this year but below the average gain of 32,000 per month in 2016. Social assistance added 17,000 jobs in April, with all of the gain in individual and family services.
• Financial activities added 19,000 jobs, with insurance carriers and related activities accounting for most of the gain. Over the year, financial activities has added 173,000 jobs.
• Employment in mining rose by 9,000 in April. Since a recent low in October 2016, mining has added 44,000 jobs, with three-fourths of the gain in support activities for mining.

Click here to see the complete April 2017 report.

“The April jobs report shows that we are well positioned to take advantage of the successes of the recovery and build a stronger, more competitive future – if only Congress would focus on jobs and opportunity. The 194,000 private sector jobs created last month reflect the resilience of our workers and businesses,” House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) said. “House Democrats have a Make It In America plan to create good jobs and make sure those jobs bring opportunity to our workers.” He said the Democrats are ready to work with President Trump and Republicans to advance this agenda and pass comprehensive tax reform that not only makes American businesses more competitive globally and spurs entrepreneurship, but allows more of our people to feel the benefits of a growing economy and work their way into the middle class.

“Democrats will continue to push for Congress to take actions that help all of our people Make It In America,” the congressman said.

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For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader Page.