U.S. Jobless Rate Falls Below 4% For First Time Since Late 2000

Unemployment in the U.S. has fallen to one of the lowest levels of the post-World War II era, the result of a historically long jobs expansion that shows little evidence of slowing.

The jobless rate fell to 3.9% in April from 4.1% a month earlier, hitting the lowest level since December 2000, the Labor Department said Friday.

Job growth expanded in industries including manufacturing, health care, and accounting. Employers added 164,000 jobs in April and have created an average 200,000 jobs a month this year, up from last year’s average gain of 182,000.