In addition, some companies may be avoiding layoffs by cutting back on employee hours. The number of hours worked fell in April, by 0.3 per cent among private employers, the second decline this year. The unemployment report is likely to be seized on as evidence that the focus of the US Federal Reserve should switch to curtailing inflation, rather than fighting off a recession that may be less severe than first thought.
The Labour Department also revised its figures for March and February, reporting that an additional 8,000 jobs were lost over that period.
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