Other Highlights from Friday's Employment Report

Two of the hardest hit sectors during the recession are now starting to show employment gains:

1. Manufacturing employment increased by 44,000 in April, the largest single monthly increase in factory jobs since August of 1998.

2. Since the first of the year, manufacturing employment has increased by 101,000, the largest four-month increase in factory jobs since the four-month period ending February 1998.

3. Construction employment increased for two consecutive months for the first time since December 2006-January 2007.

4. The 40,000 increase in construction employment in March and April was the largest two-month increase in construction jobs in three years, since March-April 2007.

Data here.