Employment in April Not as Dismal as Feared

The employment rate dropped by a better-than-expected 20,000 in April, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. The unemployment rate, at 5.0 percent, improved slightly from 5.1 percent in march.

The fact that the unemployment rate improved slightly is likely welcome news for many after job losses 240,000 in the first three months of the year. In March, 81,000 jobs were lost and economists predicted another 75,000 would be lost in in March.

Employment continued to decline in construction, manufacturing, and retail trade, while jobs were added in health care and in professional and technical services.