The United States added 428,000 jobs in April, which held the national unemployment rate at 3.6%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
The data indicate that even with the added jobs, the U.S. workforce remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The leisure and hospitality industry, which saw a mass exodus during the pandemic, saw gains of 78,000 workers in April. The industry, however, remains down 1.4 million employees since February 2020.
Other industries that added workers in April include Manufacturing (55,000), transportation and warehousing (52,000), professional and business services (41,000), financial activities (35,000), and health care (34,000). Other industries, such as mining, wholesale trade and retail trade also saw gains.
The construction, information, other services, and government industries showed little change in the workforce in April.
While inflation is raising the costs of goods, employees saw a bump in pay in April. The average nonfarm hourly rate increased by 10 cents, or .3%, to $31.85. In the last 12 months, the BLS reports that the average hourly rate for nonfarm work rose 5.5%.
While Americans have seen a bump in pay, it appears the increase has failed to keep up with inflation. The Consumer Price Index increased 8.5% in the 12-month period ending in March. April inflation figures will be released next week.