The news for the labor market is looking good, as we get the first slice of data on job growth in April:
Private companies added 220,000 new jobs to their payrolls in April, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report released Thursday .
"The 220,000 U.S. private sector jobs added in April is well above the twelve-month average," Carlos Rodriguez, president and CEO of ADP said in a statement. "Job growth appears to be trending up and hopefully this will continue."
Here's a snapshot of how many jobs were added during the past year:
Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, which produces the report jointly, said after a tough winter, employers are adding to their payrolls.
"The recent pickup in job growth at mid-sized companies may signal better business
confidence," Zandi said. "Job market prospects are steadily improving."
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/ .