Manufacturing added 11,000 jobs in April with durable goods doing the heavy lifting.
Durable goods accounted for a gain of 10,000 jobs, according to a breakdown by industry issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Non-durable goods accounted for the rest.
In durable goods, job gainers included motor vehicles and parts, up 5,800 jobs and the overall transportation equipment category was up 6,700. Fabricated metal products posted an increase of 6,300 jobs.
Transportation has been one of the steadiest economic performers in manufacturing. Demand for trucks and SUVs has remained strong and shortages of computer chips have eased. That has meant better supplies of vehicles available for sale. Last month, Boeing Co. reported increased aircraft shipments during its first quarter.
Industries with job losses included non-metallic minerals, down 2,300 jobs, and wood products, down 1,400.
Manufacturing totaled 12.991 million jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in April. That compares with an adjusted 12.98 million in March and 12.768 million in April 2022.
Total non-farm employment rose by 253,000 jobs last month, the bureau said in a statement. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected a gain of 180,000. The U.S. unemployment rate for April was 3.4%, compared with 3.5% in March.
The future is uncertain. The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 10 times in a little more than a year. The Fed wants to cool the economy to combat inflation. Results have been mixed. The economy has slowed while inflation remains higher than the Fed desires.
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