May 8, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Unemployment rates in April

The unemployment rate, which has been below 4.2 percent since October 1999, edged down to 3.9 percent in April (seasonally adjusted). This is the first time the rate has been below 4.0 percent since January 1970.

Unemployment rates, April 2000 (seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

The jobless rate for Hispanics decreased to 5.4 percent in April. The unemployment rates for the other major worker groups—adult men (3.2 percent), adult women (3.5 percent), teenagers (12.7 percent), whites (3.5 percent), and blacks (7.2 percent)—were about unchanged over the month.

The number of unemployed persons was 5.5 million.

These data are a product of the Current Population Survey. Find out more in "The Employment Situation: April 2000," news release USDL 00-126.