The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised down by 15,000, from
+117,000 to +102,000, and the change for March was revised down by 43,000, from +228,000 to
+185,000. With these revisions, employment in February and March combined is 58,000 lower than
previously reported.
Within government, federal government employment declined by 9,000 in April and is down by
26,000 since January. (Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted
as employed in the establishment survey.)
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Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 177,000 in April, roughly in line with the
average monthly gain of 152,000 over the prior 12 months. In April, employment continued to
trend up in health care, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and social
assistance. Federal government employment declined. (See table B-1.)
Health care added 51,000 jobs in April, about the same as the average monthly gain of 52,000
over the prior 12 months. In April, job growth continued in hospitals (+22,000) and ambulatory
health care services (+21,000).
Employment in transportation and warehousing increased by 29,000 in April, following little
change in the prior month (+3,000). Job gains occurred in warehousing and storage (+10,000),
couriers and messengers (+8,000), and air transportation (+3,000) in April. Transportation and
warehousing had added an average of 12,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months.