| Hiring was weak, if it occurred at all, in eight of 10 industry categories the government tracks. |
| Manufacturing, which has been a source of strength, added 16,000 jobs. Education and health services, which tend to be less affected by economic cycles, added 19,000. It was the smallest gain in five months in both areas. |
| Leisure and hospitality, a bellwether for consumer spending, had its tiniest gain _ 12,000 jobs _ in eight months. That category includes restaurants, hotels, amusement parks and other entertainment companies. Federal, state and local governments cut a combined 15,000 jobs. |
| There were two bright spots: Retailers added 29,300 jobs after cutting jobs the previous two months. And professional and business services added 62,000. |
| April 2012 March 2012 |
| Professional services 62,000 37,000 |
| Retail 29,300 -20,900 |
| Education and health 23,000 45,000 |
| Manufacturing 16,000 41,000 |
| Leisure and hospitality 12,000 52,000 |
| Financial activities 1,000 14,000 |
| Information -2,000 -6,000 |
| Construction -2,000 -3,000 |
| Government -15,000 -12,000 |
| Transportation and warehousing -16,600 1,800 |
| Includes engineering, accounting and legal services |
| Includes telecom, publishing and media |
