The economy added 115,000 jobs in April, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment report. While the March number was revised up to 154,000, the 135,000 two-month average is well below the 252,000 average for the prior three months. The economy needs 100,000 jobs a month to keep pace with labor force growth. 

In spite of the slower job growth, the unemployment rate edged down again to 8.1 percent. However, this is not a case of the household survey showing a different picture than the establishment survey. As was the case last month, the drop in unemployment was entirely attributable to people leaving the labor force.

For a more in-depth analysis, check out the latest Jobs Byte.

Tags: economy | jobs | unemployment