The economy added 559,000 jobs last month, double April’s disappointing total, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.8 percent from 6.1 percent, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While the headline jobs number falls short of economists’ expectations that predicted a total as high as 1 million, it is further indication that the economy is grinding into high gear, as widespread vaccinations allow for the reopening of businesses across all sectors. Half of Americans are now fully vaccinated, and confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States have fallen to levels not seen since March 2020, according to an NBC News analysis.
