Manufacturing jobs decreased by 1,000 in May after being unchanged in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In May, construction employment increased by 11,000, following a decrease of 1,000 in April. Employment in construction has been trending up since late last summer, largely among specialty trade contractors and in residential building.
Overall, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 138,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.3 percent
The unemployment rate, at 4.3 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 6.9 million, changed little in May. Since January, the unemployment rate has declined by 0.5 percentage point, and the number of unemployed has decreased by 774,000.
