June 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. economy produced 138,000 new jobs in May, the 80th consecutive month of job growth, Department of Labor data released Friday show.
The figure was lower than expected after a vigorous April report, but the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits continues to remain near a 43-month low. The May unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent, from 4.4 percent in April and from 4.7 percent in May 2016, with 6.9 million Americans unemployed in May.