107.5FM WCCN The Rock - The Coolest Station in the Nation
ESPN 92.3FM WOSQ
92.7FM WPKG
Memories 1370AM 98.5FM
98.7FM / 1450AM WDLB - Timeless Classics
Listen Live: 107.5 THE ROCK92.7 FM
Family owned radio stations serving all of Central Wisconsin

Unemployment Falls to 7.5%

Monday, May 6th, 2013 -- 8:22 AM

-The nation's latest jobs report delivered a clear sense of relief Friday, dispelling fears that another downturn might be at hand and triggering a global stock market rally.

The nation added an estimated 176,000 new private-sector positions in April, far more than nearly anyone expected, while revisions released Friday showed that hiring in February and March was much stronger than previously estimated.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell to 7.5%, the lowest level since December 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Expectations ran low ahead of Friday's report because the American economy is digesting a new round of tax increases and federal spending cuts, known in Washington shorthand as sequestration. The report soothed worries that belt-tightening in Washington, combined with a downturn in Europe and China, would throw the brakes on hiring.

Other indicators remain mixed and few economists appear willing to forecast with any certainty that the outlook will remain upbeat throughout the rest of the year. For the time being, however, most felt reassured, even if the gains last month were merely modest.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.