Employment Rises by 266,000 in April, Unemployment Rate Changes Little at 6.1%

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 266,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was
little changed at 6.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable
job gains in leisure and hospitality, other services, and local government education were
partially offset by employment declines in temporary help services and in couriers and
messengers. 

This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey 
measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The 
establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more
information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see
the Technical Note.

Household Survey Data

Both the unemployment rate, at 6.1 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 9.8
million, were little changed in April. These measures are down considerably from their
recent highs in April 2020 but remain well above their levels prior to the coronavirus 
(COVID-19) pandemic (3.5 percent and 5.7 million, respectively, in February 2020). 

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (6.1 percent), adult
women (5.6 percent), teenagers (12.3 percent), Whites (5.3 percent), Blacks (9.7 percent),
Asians (5.7 percent), and Hispanics (7.9 percent) showed little or no change in April. 


Among the unemployed, the number of persons on temporary layoff, at 2.1 million, changed
little in April. This measure is down considerably from the recent high of 18.0 million
in April 2020 but is 1.4 million higher than in February 2020. The number of permanent 
job losers, at 3.5 million, was also little changed over the month but is 2.2 million 
higher than in February 2020. 

In April, the number of persons jobless less than 5 weeks increased by 237,000 to 2.4
million, while the number of persons jobless 15 to 26 weeks declined by 188,000 to 1.2
million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more), at 
4.2 million, was essentially unchanged in April but is 3.1 million higher than in 
February 2020. These long-term unemployed accounted for 43.0 percent of the total 
unemployed in April. 

The labor force participation rate was little changed at 61.7 percent in April and is
1.6 percentage points lower than in February 2020. The employment-population ratio was
also little changed in April at 57.9 percent but is up by 0.5 percentage point since
December 2020. However, this measure is 3.2 percentage points below its February 2020
level. 

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons decreased by 583,000 to
5.2 million in April. This decline reflected a drop in the number of people whose 
hours were cut due to slack work or business conditions. The number of persons employed
part time for economic reasons is 845,000 higher than in February 2020. These 
individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part time 
because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. 

In April, the number of persons not in the labor force who currently want a job was 6.6
million, little changed over the month but up by 1.6 million since February 2020. These
individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for
work during the last 4 weeks or were unavailable to take a job. 

Among those not in the labor force who currently want a job, the number of persons 
marginally attached to the labor force, at 1.9 million, was essentially unchanged in
April but is up by 419,000 since February 2020. These individuals wanted and were 
available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not
looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers,
a subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them,
was little changed at 565,000 in April but is 164,000 higher than in February 2020. 

Household Survey Supplemental Data

In April, 18.3 percent of employed persons teleworked because of the coronavirus 
pandemic, down from 21.0 percent in the prior month. These data refer to employed persons
who teleworked or worked at home for pay at some point in the last 4 weeks specifically 
because of the pandemic.

In April, 9.4 million persons reported that they had been unable to work because their
employer closed or lost business due to the pandemic--that is, they did not work at all
or worked fewer hours at some point in the last 4 weeks due to the pandemic. This measure
is down from 11.4 million in the previous month. Among those who reported in April that 
they were unable to work because of pandemic-related closures or lost business, 9.3 percent
received at least some pay from their employer for the hours not worked, little changed 
from the previous month.

Among those not in the labor force in April, 2.8 million persons were prevented from 
looking for work due to the pandemic. This measure is down from 3.7 million the month 
before. (To be counted as unemployed, by definition, individuals must be either actively 
looking for work or on temporary layoff.)

These supplemental data come from questions added to the household survey beginning in May
2020 to help gauge the effects of the pandemic on the labor market. The data are not
seasonally adjusted. Tables with estimates from the supplemental questions for all months 
are available online at www.bls.gov/cps/effects-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.htm.

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 266,000 in April, following increases of 
770,000 in March and 536,000 in February. In April, nonfarm employment is down by 8.2 
million, or 5.4 percent, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020. In April, notable
job gains in leisure and hospitality, other services, and local government education were
partially offset by losses in temporary help services and in couriers and messengers. 

In April, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 331,000, as pandemic-related
restrictions continued to ease in many parts of the country. More than half of the increase
was in food services and drinking places (+187,000). Job gains also occurred in amusements,
gambling, and recreation (+73,000) and in accommodation (+54,000). Although leisure and 
hospitality has added 5.4 million jobs over the year, employment in the industry is down
by 2.8 million, or 16.8 percent, since February 2020.

In April, employment increased by 44,000 in the other services industry, with gains in 
repair and maintenance (+14,000) and personal and laundry services (+14,000). Employment
in other services is 352,000 below its February 2020 level.

Employment in local government education increased by 31,000 in April but is 611,000 lower
than in February 2020. Federal government employment increased by 9,000 over the month. 

In April, employment in social assistance rose by 23,000, with about half of the increase
in child day care services (+12,000). Employment in social assistance is 286,000 lower 
than in February 2020. 

Employment in financial activities rose by 19,000 over the month, with most of the gain 
occurring in real estate and rental and leasing (+17,000). Employment in financial 
activities is down by 63,000 since February 2020. 

Within professional and business services, employment in temporary help services declined
by 111,000 in April and is 296,000 lower than in February 2020. Business support services
lost jobs in April (-15,000), while architectural and engineering services and scientific
research and development services added jobs (+12,000 and +7,000, respectively). 

Within transportation and warehousing, employment in couriers and messengers fell by 
77,000 in April but is up by 126,000 since February 2020. Air transportation added 7,000
jobs over the month. 

Manufacturing employment edged down in April (-18,000), following gains in the previous 2
months (+54,000 in March and +35,000 in February). In April, job losses in motor vehicles
and parts (-27,000) and in wood products (-7,000) more than offset job gains in 
miscellaneous durable goods manufacturing (+13,000) and chemicals (+4,000). Employment in
manufacturing is 515,000 lower than in February 2020.

Retail trade employment changed little in April (-15,000), following a gain in the prior 
month (+33,000). In April, employment declined in food and beverage stores (-49,000), 
general merchandise stores (-10,000), and gasoline stations (-9,000). These losses were 
partially offset by employment increases in sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores
(+20,000); clothing and clothing accessories stores (+10,000); and health and personal 
care stores (+9,000). Employment in retail trade overall is 400,000 lower than in February
2020.

Employment in health care changed little in April (-4,000), as a job gain in ambulatory 
health care services (+21,000) was largely offset by a job loss in nursing care facilities
(-19,000). Health care employment is down by 542,000 since February 2020.

Employment in construction was unchanged over the month. Employment in the industry is up
by 917,000 over the year but is 196,000 below its February 2020 level.

In April, employment changed little in other major industries, including mining, 
wholesale trade, and information.

In April, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls 
increased by 21 cents to $30.17, following a decline of 4 cents in the prior month. In
April, average hourly earnings for private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees
rose by 20 cents to $25.45. The data for April suggest that the rising demand for labor 
associated with the recovery from the pandemic may have put upward pressure on wages. 
Since average hourly earnings vary widely across industries, the large employment 
fluctuations since February 2020 complicate the analysis of recent trends in average 
hourly earnings. 

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour 
to 35.0 hours in April. In manufacturing, the workweek and overtime were both unchanged 
over the month, at 40.5 hours and 3.2 hours, respectively. The average workweek for 
production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.4 
hours. 

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised up by 68,000, from
+468,000 to +536,000, and the change for March was revised down by 146,000, from +916,000
to +770,000. With these revisions, employment in February and March combined is 78,000 
lower than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received
from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the
recalculation of seasonal factors.)