Payrolls' rise below expectation; jobless rate hits 3.9%

Washington

US job growth increased less than expected in April and the unemployment rate dropped to near a 17-1/2-year low of 3.9 per cent as some jobless Americans left the labour force.

The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday also showed wages barely rose last month, which could ease concerns that inflation pressures are rapidly building up, likely keeping the Federal Reserve on a gradual path of monetary policy tightening.