The Numbers

Unemployment Up to 9 Percent

Economy adds 244,000 jobs in April.

Not bad, but not great, either: The U.S. economy added 244,000 jobs in April, enough to exceed forecasts, but not enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising from 8.8 percent to 9 percent. Analysts expected a gain of 185,000 jobs, and private payrolls alone beat their prediction, accounting for 200,000 of the economy’s new jobs. The end of March wrapped up the first quarter, in which the economy grew at a tepid 1.8 percent. Middle East turmoil sent the price of oil up, which reduces the amount of money consumers have to spend. The tsunami in Japan led to supply delays that filtered down into American manufacturing. “Even with these distortions accounted for, the result was still poor, and suggests some slowing of employment growth,” a Goldman Sachs analyst said.