US labor market heats back up, adding 253,000 jobs in April

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 28: A “help wanted” sign is displayed in a window in Manhattan on July 28, 2022 in New York City. The Commerce Department said on Thursday that the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 0.2 percent in the second quarter. With two GDP declines in a row, many economists fear that the United States could be entering a recession. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Originally Published: 05 MAY 23 06:20 ET

Updated: 05 MAY 23 08:32 ET

By Alicia Wallace, CNN

(CNN) — The labor market heated back up in April as employers added 253,000 jobs, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s a surprising increase at a time when many indicators were pointing to a slowdown in the job market.

Economists were expecting job growth to decline for the third consecutive month and 180,000 jobs to be added, according to Refinitiv.

The unemployment rate fell to 3.4% from 3.5%.

This story is developing and will be updated.