U.S. adds 217K jobs in May, unemployment rate unchanged

While the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged in May at 6.3 percent, nonfarm payroll rose by 217,000 jobs.

The number of unemployed in the country also was flat at 9.8 million. The amount of people marginally attached to the workforce - those not working but available and looking for jobs - stuck at 2.1 million in May, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics news release.

The BLS pointed to job gains in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, food services and drinking places, and transportation and warehousing. In those industries:

• professional and business services employers added 55,000 jobs in May;
• health care and social assistance employment rose by 55,000;
• food services and drinking places added 32,000 positions;
• and transportation and warehousing employers tacked on 16,000 jobs.