Associated Press
Professional and business services helped drive a big jump in hiring in April. That sector added 76,000 positions, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the month’s additional jobs. The category includes higher paying positions, including computer systems design, scientific research, consultants and administrative support.
Education and health added 62,000 jobs last month, with hospitals, physicians’ offices, senior care facilities and family services stepping up hiring. Construction companies added 33,000 jobs, with most of those gains driven by non-residential specialty trade contractors.
Sectors on the losing end in April were retail and information, a category that includes telecommunications, broadcasting and motion pictures.
Overall, U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent, the lowest level since 1969, the Labor Department said Friday.
| Industry (change from previous month) | April 2019 | March 2019 | Past 12 months |
| Construction | 33,000 | 20,000 | 256,000 |
| Manufacturing | 4,000 | 0 | 204,000 |
| Retail | -12,000 | -15,700 | -49,100 |
| Transportation, warehousing | 11,100 | 2,400 | 176,200 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | -1,000 | 7,000 | -15,000 |
| Financial services | 12,000 | 13,000 | 110,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 76,000 | 24,000 | 535,000 |
| Education and health | 62,000 | 69,000 | 588,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 34,000 | 37,000 | 455,000 |
| Government | 27,000 | 10,000 | 126,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |
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