US and Canadian employment rise more than expected

US employment rose much more than expected in April Reuters reports:

U.S. companies created jobs at the fastest pace in five years in April, pointing to underlying strength in the economy even as the jobless rate rose to 9.0 percent.

Private sector hiring, including a big jump at retailers, boosted overall nonfarm payrolls by 244,000, the largest increase in 11 months, the Labor Department said on Friday. Economists had expected a gain of only 186,000.

The private sector created 268,000 jobs, the most since February 2006, while government payrolls shrank.

Canada also added more jobs than expected in April. Bloomberg reports:

Canada added almost three times more jobs than economists forecast in April and the unemployment rate declined, suggesting the central bank will raise interest rates in the next few months.

Employment rose by 58,300 after a March decline of 1,500, Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa. The jobless rate fell to 7.6 percent from 7.7 percent, as the labor force grew by 47,400. Economists forecast no change in unemployment and 20,000 new jobs in Bloomberg News surveys that had 24 and 25 estimates. The largest estimate was for 40,000 new jobs.

There was also good news in Europe with Germany reporting another increase in industrial production in March. Again from Bloomberg:

German industrial production rose for a third month in March as construction surged, adding to signs Europe’s largest economy gathered strength in the first quarter.

Output increased 0.7 percent from February, when it rose 1.7 percent, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said today. Economists had forecast a gain of 0.5 percent, the median of 21 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey showed. In the year, production rose 11.2 percent when adjusted for working days.