U.S. Economy
Jobs added in April fall short of expectationsPosted by RJ and Makay on May 04, 2012 |
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The U.S. economy added 115,000 non-farm payroll jobs in April and the unemployment rate ticked down to 8.1% from 8.2% the previous month, the Labor Department reported today. The number fell short of economists’ expectations that had forecast a gain of 163,000 jobs. The slight improvement in the unemployment rate was attributed to an increase in the number of people who stopped looking for work.
The U.S. economy added 120,000 non-farm payroll jobs in March and the unemployment rate ticked down to 8.2%, the Labor Department said today. The increase was less than the mean forecast by Bloomberg News Survey, which called for a 205,000 rise in job numbers. The private sector added 121,000 last month, compared to 233,000 in February. Government payrolls declined by 1,000.
American chief executives had a brightened perspective on the economy in the first quarter of 2012, and more of them plan to ramp up hiring and make more capital equipment investments, according to a recent Business Roundtable survey. 42% of executives are planning to add additional staff, and 48% expect to boost spending. Both numbers are a 16-point improvement from the prior quarter. 16% expect to reduce staff in the next six months.
