On June 6th the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. employment increased by 217,000 in May. The sectors adding the highest number of jobs were:
• Professional and business services.
• Health care and social assistance.
• Food services and drinking places.
• Transportation and warehousing.
For the past 12 months, U.S. employment has averaged 197,000 jobs per month. After a weak January, an average of 213,600 jobs has been added in the first five months of 2014. This is well above the average of 194,600 for 2013.
The May unemployment rate was 6.3%, down from 7.5% a year ago. The number of unemployed was 9.8 million. This is 1.9 million lower than a year ago.
After a weak second half in 2013, there is strong growth in U.S. employment through the first five months of 2014.
