Addition of 178,000 U.S. Jobs is 'Encouraging,' Acting Labor Secretary Says

A report by The Washington Post calls the addition of more than 175,000 jobs in the month of May a "reassuring sign that the recovery remains stable."

"This morning's report offers more encouraging evidence that the U.S. economy continues to rebound at a steady, moderate rate — a total of 178,000 new private sector jobs in May," acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris said in a news release posted to the labor department's website Friday, June 7. "That makes 39 months in a row of growth — in just over three years, the economy has now generated just shy of 7 million jobs." 

Looking for employment? Monroe Patch posts job openings in the area. Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter to make sure you don't miss any new job opportunities. 

More than 57,000 jobs were added in professional and business services, more than 43,000 in leisure and hospitality and more than 28,000 in retail trade. The unemployment rate remained stable at 7.6 percent, the ninth consecutive month it has been below 8 percent.

"The economy is clearly recovering, but not as rapidly or robustly as it can and must," Harris said. "There are still too many hard-working men and women who can't find jobs, too many families struggling to secure their place in the middle class."