Hiring decelerated in most major industry sectors in May, with four such sectors recording job losses.
Professional services led the gains, adding 33,000 jobs in such areas as computer systems design, administrative support and engineering. Education and health added 27,000 jobs, a notably weaker gain than the 73,000 jobs it added in April.
By contrast, construction companies pulled back sharply and grew by just 4,000 jobs after posting a gain of 30,000 in May. Retail, transportation, information and government all shed jobs.
Overall, U.S. employers added only 75,000 jobs in May amid slower global growth and widening trade conflicts. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%, the Labor Department said Friday.
| Industry (change from previous month) | May 2019 | April 2019 | Past 12 months |
| Construction | 4,000 | 30,000 | 215,000 |
| Manufacturing | 3,000 | 5,000 | 184,000 |
| Retail | -7,600 | -13,600 | -75,700 |
| Transportation, warehousing | -200 | 6,700 | 147,600 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | -5,000 | -10,000 | -34,000 |
| Financial services | 2,000 | 13,000 | 96,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 33,000 | 62,000 | 498,000 |
| Education and health | 27,000 | 73,000 | 590,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 26,000 | 17,000 | 421,000 |
| Government | -15,000 | 19,000 | 87,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |
