US employers added 165K jobs in April, lowering unemployment rate to 4-year low of 7.5 pct.

WASHINGTON – U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in April, and hiring was much stronger in the previous two months than first thought. The gains trimmed the unemployment rate to a four-year low of 7.5 per cent.

The Labor Department report showed the job market is improving despite higher taxes and government spending cuts.

In addition to the April gains, the government said employers added 138,000 jobs in March and 332,000 in February. That’s 114,000 more over the two months.

The economy has created an average of 208,000 jobs a month from November through April. That’s above the 138,000 added in the previous six months.

A fire overnight at the Labor Department’s headquarters shut down the building for most employees. Members of the media were allowed in for the release of the report.