Long-term unemployed Americans are demographically similar to those who are jobless for a shorter time and should therefore be included when measuring labor-market slack.

The number of positions waiting to be filled eased to 4.74 million, second only to Augusts 4.85 million as the highest since January 2001, the Labor Department reported today in Washington.

The 214,000 increase in employment followed a 256,000 advance the prior month that was more than initially estimated, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington.

Applications for unemployment benefits rose more than forecast last week, interrupting a steady decline to pre-recession lows.

Employers in the U.S. posted fewer job openings in March, showing the surge is hiring last month will be difficult to sustain.

Employers boosted payrolls in April by the most in two years and the jobless rate plunged to 6.3 percent as companies grew confident the U.S. economy is emerging from a first-quarter slowdown.

There is no evidence government employees were instructed to falsify U.S. jobs statistics, an investigation by the Commerce Departments inspector generals office concluded today.

Applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed to a nine-week high, underscoring the difficulty adjusting the data for seasonal variations such as the Easter holiday and spring recess at schools.