The US economy created jobs at a record clip in June as more restaurants and bars resumed operations, further evidence that the coronavirus recession was probably over, though a surge in cases of the coronavirus threatens the fledgling recovery.
PAYROLLS REBOUNDED 2.699 MILLION IN MAY
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 4.8 million jobs in June, the Labor Department’s closely watched monthly employment showed on Thursday. That was the most since the government started keeping records in 1939.
The job gains added to a stream of data, including consumer spending, showing a sharp rebound in activity. But the reopening of businesses after being shuttered in mid-March has unleashed a wave of coronavirus infections in large parts of the country, including the populous California, Florida and Texas.
Several states have been scaling back or pausing reopenings since late June and sent some workers home. The impact of these decisions did not show up in the employment data as the government surveyed businesses in the middle of the month.
The unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent last month from 13.3 percent in May. Employment is increasing largely as companies rehire workers laid off when non-essential businesses like restaurants, bars, gyms and dental offices among others were closed to slow the spread of coronavirus.