US jobless rate unexpectedly fell in May

NEW YORK: America’s labour market unexpectedly rebounded in May, signalling the economy is picking up faster than thought from the depths of the damage from the coronavirus pandemic.

Non-farm payrolls rose by 2.5 million after a 20.7 million tumble the prior month that was the largest in records back to 1939, according to Labour Department data Friday. The jobless rate fell to 13.3% from 14.7%.

Economist forecasts had called for a decline of 7.5 million in payrolls and a jump in the unemployment rate to 19%. No one in Bloomberg’s survey had projected improvement in either figure.

Treasury yields and US stock futures jumped after the surprise report, while the dollar spiked against the yen.

The unexpected improvement wasn’t limited to the US figures. North of the border, Canadian employment rose 290,000 in May, compared with forecasts of a 500,000 slump, its statistics office reported Friday.

The data show a US economy pulling back from the brink as states relax restrictions and businesses bring back staff, while supporting a rebound in the stock market.

At the same time, the lack of an effective treatment for Covid-19 – which has already killed more than 100,000 in the United States – means infections may persist and possibly surge in a second wave, with the potential to further shake the labour market and extend the economic weakness.

“These improvements in the labour market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it,” the Labour Department said in a statement.

The latest figures may give a boost to President Donald Trump, who has fallen behind Democratic challenger Joe Biden in polls amid the pandemic, recession and now nationwide protests over police mistreatment of African-americans.

The numbers come amid a debate over the timing and scope of additional stimulus, with Democrats and Republicans at odds following record aid approved by Congress to cushion the downturn.

Unemployment rates declined among adult men and women, white Americans, and slightly for Hispanic and Latino Americans. But the rate was little changed among African Americans, at 16.8%. — Bloomberg