RJ and Makay

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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.

Good news from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): In February, businesses posted the largest number of job openings in more than two years, suggesting hiring is on the rise.

According to the DOL, employers advertised 3.1 million jobs in February, the most since September 2008 (the height of the financial crisis). Competition for jobs remains intense, though it has eased a bit. There were 4.4 people, on average, competing for each available job in February, down from nearly 7 per job in July 2009. Two applicants per job is considered a sign of a healthy economy.