State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Local Governments, Schools Added 45,000 Jobs So Far This Year

Governing: The latest job estimates released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Friday suggest April was a strong month for hiring across local governments. The sector collectively added an estimated 23,000 positions, the highest monthly tally since August.

Schools added 8,000 jobs nationally, while all other local governments recorded an uptick of 15,000 for the month.

The increase follows several months of relatively weak employment growth. Local government payrolls expanded last summer, but gains have since slowed significantly. Over the first four months of this year, total local government employment increased by 45,000 positions, down from a gain of 68,000 over the same period in 2016.

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