The Boston Globe

Business

Boston.com

Long slog ahead for economy

After encouraging signs, economy settles back into old pace as hiring slows

By Megan Woolhouse

 |  Globe Staff  

  May 05, 2012

The US economy, which appeared to be accelerating earlier this year, resumed its pattern of lackluster growth, as the pace of hiring slowed last month and hundreds of thousands of workers gave up looking for jobs. Employers added only 115,000 jobs in April and labor force participation fell to its lowest rate in more than 30 years, the Labor Department reported Friday. The nation’s unemployment rate dipped to 8.1 percent from 8.2 percent in March.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help