Despite concerns that rapidly rising prices and other economic disruptions could cause a slowdown, hiring in the United States remained strong in April.
According to the Labor Department, employers added 428,000 jobs while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.6 percent.
The gains exceeded expectations, marking the 16th month of expansion.
The expansion is likely to bolster views at the US Federal Reserve that the economy is in good shape as it begins to raise interest rates in an attempt to contain inflation.
“It keeps them on track,” said Kathy Bostjancic, Oxford Economics’ chief US economist.
The US economy recovered faster than many predicted after shutdowns in the early months of the pandemic cost 22 million jobs.
Across the economy, businesses have struggled to find workers to meet demand, pushing them to raise wages at the fastest pace in years. Average hourly pay was up 5.5% year-on-year in April.