MW: U.S. adds 244,000 jobs in April; jobless rate 9.0%
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. economy gained 244,000 jobs in April, the biggest increase in almost a year, but the nation's unemployment rate rose to 9.0%, according to government data. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch predicted a net gain of 175,000 jobs. Payrolls for March and February, based on a survey of business establishments, were also revised up by a combined 41,000, the Labor Department reported Friday. Yet a separate survey of U.S. households found that the labor force declined in April by 190,000 to 139.7 million, pushing the jobless rate up to 9.0% from 8.8% in March. It was the first increase since last November. Average hourly earnings, meanwhile, rose 0.1% to $22.95. The average workweek remained unchanged.
