Infographic — US Employment Gains In May: Jobs By Industry

Following April’s historically bad jobs report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a surprise drop in unemployment for May on Friday. Total nonfarm employment rose by 2.5 million in May, marking the largest monthly jobs gain in history.

“The improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it,” the BLS wrote in today’s official press release.

As the following chart shows, almost every industry reported a gain in employment in May, with leisure & hospitality by far the biggest winner of the month. While the unexpected rebound of the job market is certainly cause for optimism, it needs to be noted that employment had dropped by more than 10 million in April and that unemployment remains historically high at 13.3 percent.