Washington: U.S. job growth slowed slightly in April, reflecting growing concerns about the outlook for the labour market amid rising economic uncertainty.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 177,000 jobs last month following a revised gain of 185,000 in March, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected 130,000 jobs to be added in April, with forecasts ranging from 25,000 to 195,000.
To match population growth, the economy typically needs to generate around 100,000 jobs per month. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2%.
The report is retrospective, and analysts note that the full impact of current economic conditions may not yet be reflected in the data.
