By Patrick J. Rizzo
The labor market warmed up along with the weather in April when employers added a much higher-than-expected 288,000 workers to their payrolls, government data showed Friday.
The Labor Department also reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent, a 5-1/2 year low, from 6.7 percent in March.
A consensus of economists had been expecting an increase of 201,000 non-farm payrolls, with the jobless rate inching lower to 6.6 percent. The job gains in April were the highest since January 2012.
Stock futures surged on the news, signaling a higher opening.
Many market watchers had been anticipating a hot jobs number on belief that inclement winter weather had suppressed economic activity and cooled the jobs market, though the numbers didn't completely back that argument.
The initially reported March figure of 192,000 actually was ahead of the 12-month average of 183,000, while revisions bumped up February to 197,000 and even January's anemic reported moved to 144,000.
-- CNBC's Jeff Cox contributed to this report.
First published May 2 2014, 4:14 AM
Patrick J. Rizzo
Patrick Rizzo is the business editor for NBC News Digital. He started this role in November of 2008. Rizzo is responsible for NBC News’ coverage of the economy and business.
Rizzo joined NBCNews.com from The Associated Press, where he was economics editor. In that role, Rizzo was responsible for the AP’s coverage of the economy, particularly the dual U.S. housing and financial crisis and the Great Recession.
Prior to The AP, Rizzo was at Reuters, where he spent 18 years covering a wide range of general news and business stories.
Rizzo lives in New York City, with his wife Kathryn Lu and his two children, Dylan and Alessandra.
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