MW: Payrolls drop by 539,000; jobless rate up to 8.9%
The U.S. economy continued to shred jobs at a horrendous pace in April, with nonfarm payrolls falling by 539,000 and the unemployment rate jumping to a 26-year high of 8.9%. The report was largely as expected, reflecting an easing in the pace of massive job destruction from the previous five months. Since the recession began in December 2007, payrolls have fallen by 5.7 million, or 4.1% of payrolls, the largest percentage decline since the 1958 recession. April's loss of 539,000 jobs was the smallest decline since October's 380,000. Job losses in February and March were revised higher by 66,000. Job losses were widespread across industries in April.
