Unemployment Dips to 8.1 Percent, 115k New Jobs
Description
U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in April for the second straight month, a sobering reminder that the economy remains weak. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, but only because more people gave up looking for work. (May 4)
Transcript
HEADLINE:Unemployment dips to 8.1 percent, 115k new jobs---------------------------------------CAPTION: U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in April for the second straight month, a sobering reminder that the economy remains weak. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, but only because more people gave up looking for work. (May 4)----------------------------------------[Location - Date:]Boston, New York, Washington, DC[Source:][VO:][VOICE-OVER]TRACK#1 THE NATION'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS DROPPED OVER THE PAST MONTH. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS THE JOBLESS RATE DIPPED ONE-TENTH IN APRIL TO 8.1 PERCENT, WITH FEWER PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WORK.[SOT/](Hilda Solis, Labor Secretary)"I think people need to continue to stay in the job market. They need to continue to look for work because that's what an employer wants to see, that they've got that get up and go attitude. And we have to keep people engaged, that's going to provide the more likelihood that they're going to find employment."SINCE AUGUST, THE HEADLINE-MAKING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS DROPPED A PERCENTAGE POINT TO A THREE-YEAR LOW. PAYROLL GROWTH IS STILL SMALLER THAN EXPECTED, ONLY 115-THOUSAND JOBS WERE ADDED IN APRIL. BUT THE PREVIOUS TWO MONTHS NUMBERS WERE REVISED HIGHER. AND THAT'S GIVING ECONOMISTS A BIT OF OPTIMISM, ESPECIALLY FOR CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.[SOT/](Bob Brusca, Fact and Opinion Economics)"Well the best performing sector, probably manufacturing this month. The manufacturing sector continues to do pretty well. We did shut a lot of jobs in the recession we haven't put those workers all back to work but we continue to make a pretty good recovery."SPREADSHIRT DOT COM IS ONE MANUFACTURER THAT'S EXPANDING DUE TO INCREASED DEMAND. THE BOSTON-BASED CUSTOM T-SHIRT COMPANY IS PLANNING TO ADD 100 POSITIONS TO KEEP UP WITH INCREASING DEMAND.[SOT/](Mark Venezia, Spreadshirt vice president for global sales and marketing for North America)(""Our first-quarter sales are up 108 percent over 2011. At this current growth rate we would be out of capacity come the end of 2012. So therefore we are doubling our manufacturing facility.)SPREADSHIRT PLANS TO ADD THOSE POSITIONSIN LAS VEGAS, WHERE THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION AT 12 PERCENT.TWO BIG QUESTION MARKS FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD INVOLVE THE POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY RELATED TO EUROPE'S DEBT CRISIS AND GASOLINE PRICES.THE RELEVANCE OF THE JOB MARKET'S HEALTH NOW PLAYS INTO AN INCREASINGLY CRITICAL QUESTION, AND THAT'S THE POLITICAL COMPONENT. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS NOW JUST SIX MONTHS AWAY.Mark Hamrick, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, WASHINGTON[Location - Date:][Source:][VO:][VOICE-OVER]TRACK#2[NATSOT:][SOURCE:][COURTESY:][SOT/](Name/Location, Occupation, Expertise)(" ")[Location - Date:][Source:][VO:][VOICE-OVER]TRACK#3[NATSOT:][SOT/](Name/Location, Occupation, Expertise)(" ")[STANDUP:](Reporter/Associated Press)(" ")[VO:][VOICE-OVER]TRACK#4[SOT/](Name/Location, Occupation, Expertise)(" ")[VO:][VOICE-OVER]TRACK#5[SIGOUT/REPORTER, LOCATION, ASSOCIATED PRESS](****END****) ANCHOR VOICE: -------------------------VIDEO PRODUCER: ---------------------------VIDEO SOURCE: -----------------------VIDEO APPROVAL: ----------------------------VIDEO RESTRICTIONS: ----------------------------------MARKET EMBARGO (S): --------------------------------SCRIPT/WIRE SOURCE: