For Immediate release: Friday, May 6, 2011
Contact: Phoebe Silag or Karen Conner, news@epi.org, 202-775-8810

Analysis: Rise in unemployment rate and jobs situation explained

“This increase in unemployment was not due to formerly sidelined workers deciding to look for work,” explains EPI economist Heidi Shierholz in today’s Jobs Picture.  She explains why the unemployment rate increased from 8.8% to 9.0%, even though a surprisingly strong payroll survey shows 244,000 jobs were added in April.    Click here for the full Jobs Picture.

See the latest labor market numbers, updated every month as new data becomes available, on State of Working America’s Economy Track »