U.S. adds 288,000 jobs; unemployment hits 6-year low
The U.S. economy topped expectations in June by adding 288,000 jobs while the unemployment rate continued to fall, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The gain in new jobs fell shy of a two-year high of 304,000 set in April, but analysts polled by Yahoo expected gains of only about 230,000 last month.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percent to 6.1 percent, the BLS said Thursday, pushing the widely-watched metric to its lowest point since September 2008.
Perhaps most encouraging, the number of long-term unemployed — those out of work for more than six months — plunged by 293,000 in June to 3.1 million. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed has decreased by 1.2 million, the BLS said.
The government report comes one day aftertheJune ADP National Employment Report, derived from the payroll company’s in-house data. That report showed that private-sector employment increased by 281,000 jobs from May to June,
The job growth was widespread, the BLS said, led by professional and business services, which saw 67,000 new jobs added, after averaging 53,000 per month over the past 12 months.
Perhaps coinciding with boosted consumer confidence reported last week, retail trade employment also grew dramatically, increasing by 40,000 in June. Over the prior 12 months, employment in this sector had grown by an average of 26,000 per month, the BLS said.
Meanwhile, health care employment increased 21,000 in June, about in line with the prior 12-month average gain of 18,000 per month. Within health care, employment continued to trend upward in ambulatory health care services (up 13,000) and in nursing and residential care facilities (up 6,000).
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