U.S. employers likely hired nearly a million workers in April as they rushed to meet a surge in demand, unleashed by the reopening of the economy amid rapidly improving public health and massive financial help from the government.
The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday will be the first to show the impact of the White House’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic rescue package, which was approved in March. It is likely to show the economy entered the second quarter with even greater momentum, firmly putting it on track this year for its best performance in almost four decades.
“We are looking for a pretty good figure, reflecting the ongoing reopening we have seen,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York. “With cash in people’s pockets, economic activity is looking good and that should lead to more and more hiring right across the economy.”
