Unemployment surprise down in the United States in May

Text by: RFI Follow

The Labor Department released its monthly employment report on June 5 and the numbers are better than expected. Unexpectedly, the American economy created 2.5 million jobs.

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Dramatic and unexpected rebound: the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 13.3% in May, from 14.7% in April, its highest level since 1948. These good results defeat the forecasts of the most pessimistic analysts who expected a rate close to 20%.

Despite the violence of the economic shock due to the coronavirus pandemic, the American economy has managed to create 2.5 million non-agricultural jobs. The number of unemployed fell by just over 2 million, to 21 million in the country in May.

President Donald Trump immediately self-congratulated himself on the surprise drop, hailing a “ really great job report ” on Twitter  . Great President Trump (I'm kidding but it's true) ! "

Really Big Jobs Report. Great going President Trump (kidding but true)!

These job openings represent hope for the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs and mark the resumption of economic activity in the United States. The sectors that are leaving are those of leisure, health, education, construction, and retail. In contrast, the public sector continues to lose jobs.

The coronavirus crisis has widened economic disparities. The unemployment rate for white Americans is 12.4%, lower than that of African Americans which is 16.8% and that of Hispanics which reaches 17.6%. These inequalities risk exacerbating the anti-racist protests currently raging in the United States.

► Read also: Coronavirus: unemployment in the United States explodes

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