The economy added 288,000 jobs in April, a big boost over March’s 192,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.3% from last month’s 6.7%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Over the past year, the number of jobless has decreased by 1.9 million and the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5%. While the improved jobs numbers over the past several months show the economy is beginning to recover, job growth is still not robust enough to provide jobs for the millions who remain out of work or to boost wages for most Americans.
AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director Bill Samuel said, “Today’s strong job numbers represent a significant step in the right direction for working families.” But he added:
Yet with wages stagnant and too many still out of work, our job is not done. As our economy recovers, it is important that everyone reap the benefits of our shared recovery by ensuring we are not simply creating new jobs, but good jobs. Our leaders in Congress must work quickly to build on today’s good news by passing comprehensive jobs legislation, extending unemployment insurance, and raising the minimum wage, so that growth can not only continue, but provide everyone a fair chance at the American Dream.
The number of long-term unemployed people (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) declined by 287,000 to 3.5 million in April. While the problem of long-term joblessness continues to plague the economy, House Republicans continue to refuse to allow a vote on the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits program that was approved by a bipartisan Senate majority. House Republicans allowed emergency help for jobless workers to expire at the end of last year.
So far, nearly 3 million jobless workers have lost benefits and that number continues to rise.
Call your representative at 845-809-4509 and her or him to pass the emergency unemployment benefits extension.
Last month’s biggest job gains were in professional and business services (75,000), retail trade (35,000), food services (33,000), construction (32,000), health care (19,000) and mining (10,000).
Employment in other major industries, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, wholesale trade, financial activities and government, changed little over the month.
Unemployment rates for the major worker groups declined in April: adult men (5.9%), adult women (5.7%), whites (5.3%), blacks (11.6%) and Latinos (7.3%).
This article was originally printed on AFL-CIO on May 2, 2014. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Mike Hall is a former West Virginia newspaper reporter, staff writer for the United Mine Workers Journaland managing editor of the Seafarers Log. He came to the AFL- CIO in 1989 and has written for several federation publications, focusing on legislation and politics, especially grassroots mobilization and workplace safety.
