WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job growth roared back in June, with employers across most sectors vigorously ramping up hiring.
The leisure and hospitality sector added 59,000 jobs, led by robust gains at restaurants and hotels. Also contributing were performing arts and spectator sports, which added 14,000.
Health care and social assistance, a category that has consistently fueled job growth, was on a roll again in June. It added more than 58,000 jobs at places like hospitals, clinics, nursing care facilities and child day care centers.
The information sector added 44,000 jobs, largely because of the return of workers after the recent Verizon strike.
But the construction sector showed no change in jobs in June, and transportation and warehousing lost 9,400.
Overall, employers added 287,000 jobs in June, the most since October 2015. The unemployment rate rose from 4.7 percent to a still-low 4.9 percent. But the uptick occurred mainly for an encouraging reason: More Americans began seeking jobs — a sign of growing confidence in their prospects — though many didn't immediately find work.
| Industry (change from previous month) | June 2016 | May 2016 | Past 12 months |
| Construction | 0 | -16,000 | 217,000 |
| Manufacturing | 14,000 | -16,000 | -29,000 |
| Retail | 29,900 | 3,000 | 312,800 |
| Transportation, warehousing | -9,400 | 3,600 | 38,400 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | 44,000 | -39,000 | 36,000 |
| Financial services | 16,000 | 14,000 | 163,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 38,000 | 18,000 | 497,000 |
| Education and health | 59,000 | 52,000 | 668,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 59,000 | -3,000 | 413,000 |
| Government | 22,000 | 17,000 | 129,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |