Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press 

under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that 

the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. 

Statement of 

Erica L. Groshen 

Commissioner 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in April, and 

the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 percent. Over 

the prior 12 months, job gains averaged 169,000 per month. In 

April, employment grew in professional and business services, 

food services and drinking places, retail trade, and health 

care. 

Professional and business services added 73,000 jobs over 

the month and has added 587,000 jobs over the year. In April, 

employment rose in temporary help services (+31,000), 

professional and technical services (+23,000), and management of 

companies (+7,000). 

Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 

38,000 in April. Employment in this industry has increased by 

320,000 over the year. 
2 

In April, retail trade employment increased by 29,000. 

General merchandise stores and health and personal care stores 

each continued to add jobs in April. Over the past year, retail 

trade has added 248,000 jobs. 

Health care employment rose by 19,000 in April and by 

288,000 over the past year. In April, employment increased by 

14,000 in ambulatory health care services, which includes 

offices of physicians and home health care services. 

Employment in construction changed little (-6,000) in 

April. Job gains in this industry averaged 27,000 per month from 

October through March. Manufacturing employment was unchanged in 

April. Employment in other major industries showed little change 

over the month. 

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 4 cents in April. Over the past 12 months, 

average hourly earnings have risen by 45 cents, or 1.9 percent. 

From March 2012 to March 2013, the Consumer Price Index for All 

Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 1.5 percent. 

 Turning now to our survey of households, the unemployment 

rate, at 7.5 percent, changed little in April. Since January, 

however, the rate has declined by 0.4 percentage point. 

Similarly, the number of unemployed persons, at 11.7 million, 

was little changed over the month but has decreased by 673,000 
3 

since January. Among the unemployed in April, 37.4 percent had 

been jobless for 27 weeks or more. 

The labor force participation rate held at 63.3 percent in 

April. The rate declined by 0.3 percentage point from January to 

March. 

The employment-population ratio was essentially unchanged 

in April at 58.6 percent. On net, the employment-population 

ratio has shown little movement in the past 12 months. Among the 

employed, the number working part time for economic reasons rose 

by 278,000 to 7.9 million in April, after falling by 350,000 in 

March. These individuals would have preferred full-time 

employment but had their hours cut or were unable to find fulltime work. 

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 165,000 

in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 

percent.