Employment in April increased by 290,000 jobs at a seasonally adjusted rate. On top of an upward revision for March of almost 70,000, this marked the fourth month of job growth and the largest increase since March 2006.

The added jobs in April included 80,000 in professional and business services, 45,000 in leisure and hospitality and 44,000 in manufacturing as well as the Census Bureau’s addition of 66,000 temporary decennial census workers in April and 48,000 in March.

As is typical at the beginning of a recovery, the gains on the employment front were not registered in the unemployment rate, which increased to 9.9 percent as news of hiring brought discouraged job seekers back into the market. 

Construction employment, in the meantime, has been turning in a mixed performance, with 10,900 residential construction jobs lost in April, up from 10,100 job losses in March, but a 15,400 increase in April’s non-residential construction jobs. The overall unemployment rate for construction climbed 1 percent to 20.3 percent in April.

This high rate of unemployment continues to affect the landscape industry. Employment stability and job growth will continue to be keys to a housing recovery. This will boost the confidence of households that it is now safe to consider buying a home.

– Courtesy of NAHB