July 2, 2021—A U.S. Department of Labor report issued Friday shows employers added 850,000 jobs in June, a number well above the average over the last three months.
The report is the latest evidence suggesting a strong rebound from the recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and that employers are starting to have an easier time finding workers, according to the Associated Press.
Despite the significant gains, the report shows the unemployment rate actually went up a tenth of a point in June to 5.9 percent -- well above the pre-pandemic 3.5 percent rate -- and the economy still remains just shy of 7 million jobs short compared to before the pandemic.
Still, the report is encouraging. The rate of "labor force participation," which counts people who either have a job or are actively looking, among Americans ages 25 through 54 rose "at a solid pace," and the unemployment rate sits well below the astronomical 14.8 percent it reached last April.
