The US unemployment rate fell from 3.8% to 3.6% in April, the lowest figure in 49 years (since December 1969), a month in which 263,000 new jobs were created, as reported by the Government.
The US economy continues at a level close to full employment, and the creation of 263,000 new jobs shows the strength of the labor market, above the expectations of analysts, who had anticipated about 217,000.
The average salary, in turn, went up in March by 6 cents per hour, to 27.77 dollars.
In the last 12 months, salaries have increased by 3.2%, at the same level as last month.
While the labor force participation rate, that is, the proportion of Americans who are employed or seeking employment, fell slightly in April to 62.8%, compared with 63% in the previous month.
This was the 103rd month in which employment grows consecutively in the US, the longest successful bonanza in the labor market.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) has reiterated that it will be “patient” in the face of future interest rate hikes in the remainder of the year following the weakness registered in some of the economic indicators at the beginning of the year.
However, the most recent ones, such as unemployment and the estimated growth in the first quarter, which stood at a rate of 3.2%, are once again putting pressure on the Fed to reconsider new monetary adjustments.
At its meeting this week, the central bank kept interest rates in the range of 2.25% to 2.5%.