Anna Forrester
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nonfarm payroll employment in the U.S. increased by 280,000 during May and unemployment rate held at 5.5 percent.
BLS said in its latest jobs report released Friday the unemployment rate has been stable since February alongside the number of unemployed persons, with the long-term unemployed number at 2.5 million.
BLS said the increase in nonfarm jobs was due to job growth in these sectors:
- Professional and business services
- Leisure and hospitality
- Healthcare
- Retail trade
- Construction
- Transportation and warehousing
- Financial activities
The bureau also noted that employees on private nonfarm payrolls worked an average of 34.5 hours a week in May and earned an average of $24.96 an hour.
BLS added that the employment-population ratio of 59.4 percent was also unchanged even as the civilian labor force jumped by 397,000 in May.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the U.S. alone is home to over five million transportation and warehousing employees
