Statement on the Employment Situation in April

WASHINGTON, DC – Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the following statement today on the employment situation in April.

Summary: The economy added 160,000 jobs in April, extending the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record, as wage growth picked up.

The longest streak of private-sector job growth on record continued in April, with businesses adding 171,000 jobs, well above the pace necessary to maintain a low and stable unemployment rate. U.S. businesses have now added 14.6 million jobs over 74 straight months of job growth. Most importantly, average hourly earnings for private employees have increased 3.2 percent at an annual rate so far in 2016. Nevertheless, more work remains to sustain faster wage growth and to ensure that the benefits of the recovery are broadly shared, including investing in infrastructure and job training, implementing high-standards free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and raising the minimum wage.

The complete report is available here.

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary