
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 8, 1993                   TAG: 9305080104
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. JOBLESS RATE STUCK AT 7 PERCENT

The nation's jobless rate in April held at 7 percent for the third straight month as service industries added large numbers of new workers, but building and manufacturing employment fell, the government said Friday.

The Labor Department said the number of new jobs throughout the economy, as measured by a survey of business payrolls, rose 119,000, following a revised decline of 9,000 jobs in March.

There were 8.92 million people unemployed in April, the report said.

The jobless rate, which has not changed since it fell 0.1 point in February, and the overall increase in new jobs, were in line with economists' expectations.

Although the economy has added an average of more than 100,000 new jobs a month so far this year, total employment remains about 1 million short of the prerecession peak in June 1990, when the economy was providing jobs for 110 million people.

In April, the big job gains were limited to the service industries. Retail trade added 21,000 jobs, eating and drinking places added 27,000 and finance gained 12,000.

The biggest increases were in business services, which added 48,000 jobs, and health services, which added 37,000.

Manufacturing industries lost 65,000 jobs, following a loss of 24,000 in March. Hardest hit were transportation equipment, including motor vehicles, which fell 22,000; food processing, which lost 12,000; lumber, which lost 8,000, and apparel, which lost 6,000.

William G. Barron, Jr., deputy commissioner of the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, said April saw an unusually large jobs gain in the amusement and recreation industry, which he said may be explained by the fact that many schools were closed for spring holiday in the week the survey was done.

The report said the jobless rate for men fell to 6.4 percent from 6.7 percent, but that for women rose to 6 percent from 5.7 percent. The rate for blacks rose to 13.8 percent from 13.5 percent; for Hispanics, it fell to 10.4 percent from 11.4 percent.

The rate for teen-agers jumped to 20.7 percent from 19.5 percent.

by CNB