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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The May jobs report is out, and while it looks good on the surface, economists say there are problems underneath.
The Labor Department reports a wave of census hiring helped add 431,000 jobs to the economy last month. But, almost all of those -- some 411,000 -- are the temporary government jobs.
Job creation by private companies grew at the slowest pace since the start of the year. Private employers added just 41,000 positions.
The overall unemployment rate dipped to 9.7 percent, but that was largely the result of more than 300,000 people giving up their search for work.
Analysts say the numbers indicate that many private employers remain wary of adding to their work forces, and the economic recovery may not bring relief quickly for the 15 million people who remain unemployed.
Economist Paul Ashworth says, while the economic outlook is improving, "the recovery is still pretty tepid."
KSL Newsradio spoke with ABC News' Aaron Katersky and WBB Securities Registered Investment Advisor Gary Gygi about the jobs report. Play the audio on this page to hear the interviews.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
