US added 172,000 jobs in May as unemployment held at 4.3%

The US labor market stayed stronger than expected in May, with employers adding 172,000 jobs and the unemployment rate holding at 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday. The gain was roughly double economists' forecasts, though slightly below a revised 179,000 in April. Revisions also added a combined 93,000 jobs to March and April, lifting the three-month average to 188,000. Hiring was broad across local government, restaurants and bars, and healthcare. Average hourly wages rose 0.3% from April and 3.4% from a year earlier. Even with the stronger payroll figures, the report noted lingering strain: nearly 28% of unemployed workers in April had been out of work for more than six months.