Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 339,000 in May, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.7%.
Job growth was notable in professional and business services, government, health care, construction, transportation and warehousing, and social assistance.
Employment in leisure and hospitality continued to trend up in May (+48,000), largely in food services and drinking places (+33,000). Leisure and hospitality had added an average of 77,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months. Employment in this industry remains below its February 2020 level by 349,000, or 2.1 percent.
In May, professional and business services added 64,000 jobs, following an increase of similar size in April. Employment growth continued in professional, scientific, and technical services, which added 43,000 jobs in May.
Health care added 52,000 jobs in May, similar to the average monthly gain of 50,000 over the prior 12 months. In May, job growth occurred in ambulatory health care services (+24,000), hospitals (+20,000),
and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000). Read the BLS release.
