US adds 288,000 jobs in April; jobless rate hits 6.3%

Washington (AFP) - The US economy pumped out 288,000 jobs in April, far more than expected, in another confirmation that growth is picking up after the harsh winter freeze.

Coupled with upward revisions of job creation in previous months, the new data sent the unemployment rate sharply down to 6.3 percent, the lowest level since September 2008, the Labor Department said Friday.

Analysts had expected only about 210,000 jobs and a minimal decrease of the jobless rate, which stood at 6.7 percent in March.

The department called the job gains widespread, led by new positions in professional and business services, healthcare and retail trade.

While the job creation number was encouraging -- revisions to the February and March numbers added an extra 36,0000 positions -- the steep fall in the unemployment rate was deceptive.

It represented a sharp decline in the size of the labor force, an increase in dropouts and a fall in new entrants.

That sent the participation rate in the workforce to 62.8 percent, matching the lowest level in the post-2008 economic crisis period.