US April NFP: A solid report - Wells Fargo

According to analysts from Wells Fargo, the US official employment report showed solid numbers in April, making a bounced back from the weather-induced March slowdown. 

Key Quotes: 

“Nonfarm employment rose by 211,000 in April and the unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent. Net revisions to prior months’ data only deducted about 6,000 jobs, and the average gain for the past three months remains a solid 174,000 jobs. Job gains were fairly broad-based, with just over 60 percent of the industry groups surveyed by the BLS adding jobs in April. The overall quality of jobs being created improved, with a substantial acceleration in hiring for full-time positions and deceleration in part-time jobs.”

“While average hourly earnings rose only modestly, total hours worked rose by a stronger 0.5 percent in April. Taken together, the two gains should produce solid income growth in April and help drive a rebound in consumer spending during the second quarter.”

“The unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in April, as household employment outpaced labor force growth. The labor force participation rate fell slightly during the month but the participation rate for prime-working age workers actually increased. The broader U-6 measure of unemployment fell to 8.6 percent, which in part reflects the recent shift toward more fulltime jobs being created relative to part-time positions. The improved mix of jobs being created should pull more job seekers into the labor force. The acceleration in full-time positions is also consistent with the recent acceleration in household formations and homeownership.”